Pacific Lutheran PacL 9-7,3-4 NWC

Whitman Whitm 7-9,2-5 NWC

Pacific Lutheran PacL

9-7,3-4 NWC

Final

Jan. 23, 2026

Whitman Whitm

7-9,2-5 NWC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Pacific Lutheran PacL	40	32	72
Whitman Whitm	34	32	66

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 1/23/2026 10:05:00 PM

Men's Basketball Upended By PLU

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - The Whitman College men's basketball team's late surge was not enough to erase a double‑digit second‑half deficit, as the Blues fell 72-66 to Pacific Lutheran University in Northwest Conference action on Friday night at the Sherwood Center.

Whitman trailed 40-34 at halftime and by as many as 11 after the break before clawing back behind a strong defensive stretch and downhill attacks to the rim. The Blues pulled within 62-64 on a driving finish from Milos Sarenac with just over a minute to play, but the Lutes answered with a key basket and free throws in the final 37 seconds to hold on.

Sarenac powered Whitman with a double double, posting 17 points and a game‑high 10 rebounds while going a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Guard Marcel Elicagaray added nine points and six rebounds, and Sarp Gokberk provided a spark off the bench with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting as Whitman's reserves outscored PLU's bench 25–12.

From the perimeter, Whitman hit 11 three‑pointers, including triples from Ken Higgins and Luke Johnson that helped fuel the second‑half push. But Pacific Lutheran's interior scoring and timely shooting — 30 points in the paint and 22 points from guard Ben Tellez and forward Charlie Kapranos — kept the Blues at bay.

Whitman matched the Lutes 32-32 after halftime and finished with a 31-25 edge on the glass, but could not fully overcome early scoring runs by PLU. The loss drops the Blues to 7–9 overall and 2–5 in Northwest Conference play, while Pacific Lutheran improves to 9–7 and 3–4 in conference.

The Blues will look to bounce back against the University of Puget Sound on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m.

#GoWhitman

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