WALLA WALLA, Wash. -
Xzavier Lino led three Blues in double figures with a game-high 22 points and the Whitman College men's basketball team opened its home slate with a dominant 78-63 win over Sul Ross State on Saturday at the Sherwood Center.
Walter Lum and Jai Deshpande both added 13 points for the Blues who won the rebounding battle 37-23 and led by as many as 24 points before cruising to the win. Lino and Grant Hunt both added a game-high eight rebounds.
Trey Nelson led the Lobos with 21 points and Julian Paredes chipped in 12 points.
Whitman (3-1) set the tone right from the opening tip, scoring the game's first 12 points capped by a Lum triple. Luke Pluymen finally got the Lobos on the board with his layup with 13:50 play until halftime. That didn't stop the Blues' hot shooting though as Alex Pape drilled back-to-back shots to put Whitman up 23-5 with 8:44 to play.
Lino began to heat up late in the half. His two baskets helped Whitman to its largest lead of the first half of 22 points. Nelson converted an and-one three point play late in the half but Whitman still carried a huge lead into the break.Â
Lino quickly pushed the lead back up to 22 early in the second half, getting to the hoop for a dunk then dialing long distance for a corner three pointer. The three pointers then began to fall as Weston Crump and Lum hit from distance and the Blues continued to hold a lead north of 20 points.
The Lobos cut the lead 13 points late in the game but it was too little, too late as Whitman had more than secured the win.
The Blues return to action on Sunday against the University of Maine-Fort Kent. Tip off at the Sherwood Center is set for 4:00 p.m.Â
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