Whitman Whitm 7-5,1-2 NWC

Whitworth Whitw 7-5,3-0 NWC

Whitman Whitm

7-5,1-2 NWC

Final

Jan. 02, 2024

Whitworth Whitw

7-5,3-0 NWC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Whitman Whitm	34	35	69
Whitworth Whitw	33	43	76

Summary
Box Score

Caleb Flegel

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/2/2024 10:51:00 PM

Men's Basketball Falls At Whitworth In Championship Rematch

SPOKANE, Wash. - Jai Deshpande led four players in double figure scoring with 21 points, but it wasn't enough as the Whitman College men's basketball team lost a hard-fought 76-69 battle to Whitworth in Northwest Conference action on Tuesday night at Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The game was a rematch of last season's NWC Championship game which the Bucs (7-5, 3-0 NWC) also left victorious. The matchup was as advertised with neither team holding a significant advantage in any area of the game. The Bucs did take better advantage of their opponent's turnovers in turning 12 Whitman (7-5, 1-2 NWC) turnovers into 18 points.

Ali Efe Isik had a solid outing for the Blues with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Isaiah Amato chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds. For the Bucs, Jake Holtz scored a game-high 22 points with Sullivan Menard adding 21 more.

The opening half saw a handful of lead changes, one occurring during an 8-2 Whitman run midway through the period. With the Blues trailing, Deshpande nailed back-to-back triples around a Gabe Latkovich hoop to put Whitman up 20-15 with 9:29 to play.

The Bucs responded with a 7-0 run to recapture the lead with 6:16 remaining in the half. The run included back-to-back jumpers from Menard who also nailed a three pointer with just over four minutes to play to put his team up 28-25. Desphande responded with a three pointer and a layup to help the Blues to a one-point halftime lead.

Whitman continued to lead in the early moments of the second half. Latkovich and Amato both hit from the floor to help the Blues to a 40-36 lead with 17:20 remaining. The Bucs responded however with seven unanswered points capped by Holtz who converted a three-point play.

Though the game remained tight, Whitworth never relinquished the lead which went up to seven points at 58-51 with 5:30 to play. Efe Isik and Deshpande kept Whitman in the game down the stretch. Efe Isik hit a pair of jumpers and Deshpande dialed long distance to put the score at 66-63 with 1:39 to play. Holtz halted the momentum with a pair of buckets and Whitworth pulled out the win.

The Blues are next in action on Saturday, Jan. 6 at Lewis & Clark. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

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