PORTLAND, Ore. - Murphy Caffo was near perfect from the floor, shooting 7-8 for a team-high 15 points to help the Whitman College men's basketball team to an 84-79 win over Lewis & Clark in Northwest Conference action on Friday night.
Walter Lum equaled team-high honors in points with Caffo, and Ale Efe Isik added 10 points and five rebounds. The Pios nipped at Whitman's heels all night but the Blues had their way in the painted area for a 40-28 scoring advantage.
Whitman (16-4, 9-2 NWC) had to overcome a pair of stellar scoring performances from the Pios. Brenden Patrick led all scorers with 26 points and Jayden Simpson added 20 points off the bench.
Lum kicked off the scoring with a three pointer and Caffo later followed with a three-point play the old fashioned way. Grant Hunt then added a bucket to extend the lead to 18-12 with 12:12 to play in the first half. Alex Pape then scored at the hoop to cap an 8-2 Whitman run.
L&C (12-8, 6-5 NWC) worked itself back into the game, drawing fouls and shaving the lead from the free throw line to three points. Patrick heated up for the Pios, hitting on four consecutive shots, but it were still the Blues who led by four points with 4:30 to play. Patrick later tied the game but Pape scored at the hoop with under a minute to play to give his team a 37-35 lead at the break.
Whitman continued to lead early in the second half as Lum hit from three to extend the lead to seven points. Lum hit from distance again to make it a 52-44 game with 14:50 remaining. Simpson's layup cut the lead to five points, but Jander Cline converted a three-point play, then Nikola Trifunovic and Lum hit from distance to extend the lead to 13 points.
Whitman continued to lead by double digits before three pointers from Henderson and Patrick whittled the lead to six points with 3:54 to play. The Blues hit their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the win.
Whitman visits Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 4 for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff.
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