FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The Whitman College men's basketball team clawed back from a 14–point second half deficit but came up just short in a 67–60 Northwest Conference loss at Pacific (Ore.) on Saturday night.
Ali Efe Isik equaled a game high with 18 points to lead the Blues (8-11, 3-7 NWC), attacking the rim all night while adding eight rebounds and two blocks as Whitman dominated the glass 47–41 and piled up 17 second–chance points. Marcel Elicagaray joined him in double figures with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, and Jacob Fotu turned in a blue-collar line of eight points and a team-high eight rebounds as Whitman matched Pacific with 28 points in the paint.
The opening 20 minutes tilted toward the Boxers, who turned Whitman's early turnovers into transition chances on the way to a 35–23 halftime lead behind efficient scoring from guards Lucas Gray and Anthony Hrboka, each with 18 points on the night. Whitman struggled to find rhythm from deep in the first half, shooting just 2-for-14 from three, but stayed within striking distance by getting to the foul line and working the offensive glass for six second-chance points before the break.
Pacific threatened to break the game open early in the second half, pushing its advantage to 49–35 with 12:41 to play, but the Blues responded with their best stretch of basketball on both ends. Isik powered a 10–0 Whitman surge with repeated drives and putbacks, including a tip-in and a fast-break layup off a steal, trimming the deficit to 49–45 and forcing a Boxer timeout as the Whitman bench came to life.
From there the contest turned into a tense back-and-forth. Whitman continued to grind, getting timely buckets from Sarp Gokberk, whose six second-half points and five rebounds off the bench helped the Blues inch within a single point at 51–50 with just over seven minutes remaining. After Pacific nudged the margin back to double digits at 63–53 inside the final three minutes, Whitman mounted one last push, as Elicagaray buried a right-wing three and Ken Higgins snapped home a deep triple from the top of the key to close the gap to 63–60 with 32 seconds left.
Pacific answered at the line and on the break in the closing seconds, with Brody Baumgartner's late layup and two free throws from Gray sealing the seven-point margin. The Blues finished the night shooting 21-for-64 from the field and 6-for-31 from three, while Pacific's 40 percent overall shooting and 18 fast-break points provided just enough cushion to protect its home floor.
The Blues will have a quick turnaround as they head to Whitworth for a midweek matchup against the Pirates. Tipoff on Tuesday is set for 7:30 p.m.
#GoWhitman
