WALLA WALLA, Wash. -
Jander Cline and
Jai Deshpande both scored a game-high 15 points with Deshpande adding eight rebounds and the Whitman College men's basketball team notched an impressive 82-52 Senior Day win over Linfield on Saturday evening at the Sherwood Center.
Prior to tipoff, the Blues honored seniors Jai Deshpande, Jander Cline and Sean Johnson for their contributions to Whitman basketball. Whitman now heads out on the road for its final two Northwest Conference games looking to solidify their seeding in the following weekend's NWC Tournament.
The Blues were lights out on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. They shot 54% from the field compared to Linfield's 30% clip. The Blues also shot 41% from beyond the arc while the Wildcats were only 4-22 (18%) in three pointers.
Chase Bennett led the Wildcats with 13 points and Garrett Callsen chipped in 10 points off the bench.
The two teams played each other close for much of the first half until Whitman took control late. Johnson and Isaiah Amato got the Blues going in the opening minutes, each scoring a pair of baskets. The Wildcats also had the stroke going as Nick Tripaldi dialed distance to give his team the lead, but Grant Hunt responded to put Whitman back up 12-11 with 12:07 to play.
Linfield again retook the lead but it was the Blues who put the clamps down defensively while reeling off eight unanswered points. Hunt made two baskets in the run which put Whitman up 22-15 with 6:10 to play. The Blues set the stage for the blowout win after scoring the half's final eight points in a flurry to take a 16-point lead into halftime.
Whitman raced away for the victory with an impressive second half. The Blues opened the second half on a 10-2 run bookended by Amato and Cline three pointers to make it a 45-23 lead with 15:56 to play. The lead swelled to as many as 34 points before the Blues cruised to the dominant win.
With hosting and a conference championship on the line, the Blues tip off their final weekend of NWC play at Puget Sound this Friday, Feb. 16.
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