Puget Sound PS 7-9,2-4 NWC

Whitman Whitm 5-8,3-2 NWC

Puget Sound PS

7-9,2-4 NWC

Final

Jan. 15, 2022

Whitman Whitm

5-8,3-2 NWC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Puget Sound PS	31	44	75
Whitman Whitm	30	50	80

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/15/2022 8:46:00 PM

Trifunovic Sets Career High, Men's Basketball Takes Down UPS

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Nikola Trifunovic set a career-high with 31 points to lead the Whitman College men's basketball team to a solid 80-75 rebound win over the University of Puget Sound in Northwest Conference action on Saturday night.

Trifunovic's scoring night was also a team season high and eclipsed his career scoring performance from one day ago. He set the tone early for his big evening, scoring 11 points with the game not even seven minutes old. His pair of threes helped the Blues (5-8, 3-2 NWC) erase an early deficit to take a 16-14 lead.

Xzavier Lino was also impressive, putting up 21 points on 8-10 shooting and 3-4 from beyond the arc. Trifunovic was efficient as well in going 10-17 from the floor and 4-8 in three pointers.

Cal Jansen led the Loggers (7-9, 2-4 NWC) with 21 points and six rebounds and Taj Phillips added 20 points and five boards.

After Trifunovic's hot start, Lino took over hitting from the floor then from distance as Whitman took a 25-21 lead with 5:35 to play in the first half. Grant Hunt drilled a three pointer and Trifunovic connected again to make it a 30-25 lead with under three minutes to play. The Blues looked prime to end the half with the lead, but Paul Johnson nailed back-to-back three pointers inside of one minute to give UPS a 31-30 halftime lead.

Whitman took control at the start of the second half, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by a pair of Walter Lum jumpers to go up 41-33. Despite leading nearly the entire second half, the Blues could never shake the Loggers who got within two points of the lead after a Phillips three pointer with 11:09 remaining.

Down the stretch though it were the Blues who continued to make timely buckets to preserve the lead. Jai Deshpande converted an and-one layup, hitting his free throw to put Whitman up 65-57 with 6:02 to play. Lino then hit from three to push the lead to double digits and Whitman held off the Loggers the rest of the way for the win.

The Blues will have a quick turnaround as they will play two games during the upcoming week. First up is Pacific on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 7:00 p.m. at the Sherwood Center.

#GoWhitman

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