Whitman WCMBBAL 12-13

Linfield LIN-M 18-7

Whitman WCMBBAL

12-13

Final

Feb. 24, 2022

Linfield LIN-M

18-7

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Whitman WCMBBAL	42	40	82
Linfield LIN-M	43	36	79

Summary
Box Score

Kelly Bird, Linfield

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/24/2022 10:33:00 PM

Men's Basketball Upsets Linfield In NWC Semifinal

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Three Blues starters scored 20-plus points and Nikola Trifunovic's late three pointer propelled the Whitman College men's basketball team to an 82-79 upset win at top-seeded Linfield on Thursday night in the semifinals of the Northwest Conference Tournament.

The win lifts the Blues (12-13) into the NWC championship game and a visit to Whitworth where the two teams will play in the title game for the fifth straight season, and second straight in Spokane.

Xzavier Lino led all scorers with 23 points on an unconscious shooting night where he hit 7-10 in three pointers. Walter Lum and Jai Deshpande both scored 21 points and Trifunovic added 17 more, none bigger than the three he put up to break a tie score with 37 seconds to play.

The final moments were a see-saw affair to say the least with five lead changes in the final five minutes. Max Lommen's jumper gave the Bucs the edge at 78-77, but Lum answered to put Whitman back in front. Jackson Dupree tied the game at the foul line, but only moments before Trifunovic drained what turned out to be a dagger three pointer.

Dempsey Roggenbuck led Linfield with 22 points and Lommen chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Blues were outdone in the paint to the tune of a 50-32 scoring advantage but made up for it with an excellent shooting night (42%) from three point land.

The Blues were sparked early by Lum. He nailed a three pointer then drained a mid-range jumper to put Whitman up 19-13 with 13:20 to play. Whitman continued to lead as a pair of jumpers from Trifunovic sandwiched a Lino three pointer to keep the Blues ahead at 26-21.

Deshpande then caught fire with back-to-back three pointers, both where Whitman had lost the lead, to put his team up 32-31 with 6:38 to play. Lum hit from distance to push the lead up to five points inside of two minutes, but the Bucs scored six straight points to end the half and take a 43-42 lead into the locker room.

Whitworth had the hot hand early in the second half and extended its lead to seven points on a jumper from Trey Bryant. Whitman turned the tides and did so quickly, reeling off 12 straight points to equal its largest lead. Lino capped the run with consecutive three pointers as the Blues led 56-51 with 13:36 to play in the game.

Lum's three pointer later extended the lead to seven points, but the home side responded. Roggenbuck drained a three pointer to shave the Whitman lead to one point with 5:54 to play and set the game up for an exciting finish.

Whitman and Whitworth will play for all the marbles this Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m.

#GoWhitman

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