CLAREMONT, Calif. - Joey Hewitt delivered a team-high 28 points, Austin Butler nearly posted a triple double with nine points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists but it wasn't enough as the No. 4 Whitman College men's basketball team fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in a 112-109 double overtime upset at Pomona-Pitzer Saturday night at Voelkel Gym.
Micah Elan scored a game-high 38 points for the Sagehens (4-0) and was a thorn in Whitman's side all night and especially in the second overtime. The Blues (4-1) held a 100-99 lead but back-to-back Elan jumpers put Pomona-Pitzer up by four points. Trevor Osborne (14 pts) tied the game with a three pointer but Elan answered back with a three pointer of his own to keep the Blues at bay. Hewitt and Darne Duckett (16 pts) both hit from deep to keep the Blues in the hunt, but the game ended on a block of Duckett's game-tying straight away three-point attempt.
Jack Stewart added 12 points for the Blues including a late three-pointer in regulation to send the game to its first overtime. Hewitt nearly gave the Blues the victory in the first overtime session, hitting on back-to-back shots including an and-one jumper to put the Blues up 93-91 with 1:45 to play. He later hit from deep for a three-point Whitman lead with 20 seconds to play but just before time expired Daniel Rosenbaum nailed a game-tying corner three for Pomona-Pitzer.
The game was close throughout as both sides had opportunities to put together runs which never materialized. Jase Harrison's three pointer in the first half put the Blues up by seven points but back-to-back Elan three pointers and a basket from Corbin Koch regained the lead for Pomona-Pitzer. Hewitt nailed a three pointer as time expired in the first half to send Whitman to the locker room up 43-41.
Midway through the second half, the Sagehens led by seven points after a Jack Boyle three pointer but the Blues would navigate back into the game. Osborne hit a pair of free throws and Cedric Jacobs-Jones converted on an and-one layup to shave the lead to 71-70 with 7:13 to play.
Pomona-Pitzer would then run off seven unanswered points for the largest lead of the game but, undaunted, the Blues rallied once more and cut the lead back down to one point after a Butler layup. Pomona-Pitzer went up six points after a pair of Alex Preston free throws but Stewart nailed a three pointer with 27 seconds to play then drained another with eight seconds left on the clock to push the game into overtime.\
The Blues tipoff Northeast Conference play next Friday, Nov. 30 at home against Pacific (Ore.). Start time at the Sherwood Center is set for 8:00 p.m.