WALLA WALLA, Wash. -
Murphy Caffo led the Blues 18 points and five rebounds,
Xzavier Lino added 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds and the Whitman College men's basketball team trailed in the second half but came out on top in a 75-67 win over Pacific Lutheran in Northwest Conference action at the Sherwood Center.
Nikola Trifunovic added eight points off the bench including two second-half three pointers which keyed the game's outcome. Whitman (15-4, 8-2 NWC) shot a solid 55% from the field and 31% in three pointers and Walter Lum chipped in 14 points to go along with three assists and three steals.Â
Sean McCurdy dropped a game-high 21 points for the Lutes who held a four-point lead with just over 10 minutes to go. Brandin Riedel posted 13 points and Jackson Reisner and Sam Noland both added 11 points.Â
Neither team could get a leg up for a good portion of the first half. Riedel's hook shot put the Lutes ahead by two, but Jander Cline countered with a jumper to put the Blues ahead 14-12 with 12:51 to play. Cline's hot hand continued, draining a three pointer then scoring again at the hoop to help extend the lead to seven points.
The Lutes (10-9, 4-6 NWC) worked themselves into the game in the back half of the opening period. McCurdy cut into the lead with a three pointer before Croix Sweeney's sweeping hook shaved the Whitman lead to 27-25 with 5:56 to play. The two teams traded buckets down the stretch of the first half before Noland's driving layup tied the game and the teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 34-34.
The Blues led by the slimmest of margins in the second half before a Sweeney three pointer capped a 7-0 Lute run and gave PLU a 54-50 lead with 10:52 to play. Trifunovic responded with a three pointer on the next possession and later tied the game with another three ball. Back-to-back buckets from Lino and Murphy Caffo continued what turned out to be Whitman's 7-0 run as the Blues took a 65-61 lead with 4:59 remaining.Â
Free throws told much of the story down the stretch, but key buckets from Trifunovic and Lino brought the Blues to the finish line.
Next up for the Blues is a visit to Lewis & Clark on Friday, Feb. 3. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m.
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