WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Running. Gunning. Free Wheeling. The Whitman College men's basketball team was too much for Lewis & Clark on this night, downing the Pioneers 122-77 in Northwest Conference action Friday at the Sherwood Center.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Blues (8-4, 3-0 NWC) who delivered their highest scoring output of the season. They shot a scorching 53% (12-23) from three pointers and 60% for the game. Nikola Trifunovic and Andrew Vickers were the game's top scorers, each posting 21 points and knocking down six three pointers between them.
The Pioneers (5-7, 1-2 NWC) turned the ball over 19 times and Whitman made them pay. Turning defense into offense, the Blues scored 27 points off turnovers and 50 off the fast break. Whitman also topped the Pios in bench points (48-33) led by a career performance from Brian Warriner. Warriner had career highs of 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks with Trevor Osborne scoring 12 points on 4-4 shooting from three.
The Pios saw five players score in double figures led by Daelon Floyd's 18 points off the bench. Brian Smith tallied a double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Blues led by 35 points at halftime and began to run away with the game not even five minutes into the first half. Back-to-back three pointers from Osborne and Andrew Vickers put the Blues up four points, then Osborne connected on another triple to cap what would be a 9-0 run.
Lewis & Clark kept its deficit manageable but after layups from Vickers and Bryce Mulder, and a third three pointer from Osborne, Whitman had opened up a double digit lead. The Blues defense clamped down as well, holding the Pios to without a basket for a 5:28 stretch and in the blink of an eye the lead had swelled to 20 points.
The second half proved to be a formality as Coach Bridgeland slowly worked his entire bench into the game. The lead never dipped below 30 points and reached its largest of 48 points late in the game.
Darne Duckett scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out three assists. Jaron Kirkley and Robert Colton both added 10 points with Colton corralling six rebounds.
Whitman retakes the court on Saturday against Willamette. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m.