WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Grant Hunt led all scorers with 17 points, Isaiah Amato added 10 points and five rebounds and the Whitman College men's basketball team opened Northwest Conference play with a solid 73-55 win over the University of Puget Sound on Friday night at the Sherwood Center.

Hunt added four rebounds and three steals to his line with Alex Pape chipping in eight points and a game-high six steals.

Ian Cook led the way for the Loggers, posting a double double off the bench with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Will Pohland added 10 points but neither performance was able to alter what turned out to be a Whitman rout.

The first half saw the Blues establish an early lead which slowly expanded to double digits. Pape hit his team's first two buckets, the second a three pointer to put Whitman up by a point early. Ali Efe Isik's jumper extended the lead to 10-4, then later Hunt hit back-to-back shots, the second a three pointer to put the Blues up 11 with 8:22 to play in the first half.

The Loggers managed to whittle the lead to four points towards the end of the half but Whitman re-established its momentum. Pohland's three ball was answered in kind by Efe Isik as the lead swelled to as many as 15 points.

Whitman never let the lead slip into single digits in the second half. Hunt drilled three pointers on back-to-back possessions to help his team to a 42-26 lead with 16:12 to play. Whitman continued to make it rain as the half wore on. Djordje Lazarevic, Aidan von Buchwaldt and Jacob Fotu all hit from distance as the lead went up to 21 points with 9:11 to play.

Whitman will look to sweep the weekend when they take on Pacific Lutheran on Saturday. Tipoff at the Sherwood Center is set for 4:00 p.m.
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