Box Score

FOREST GROVE – A hot night from three-point range was not enough for Pacific to overcome the No. 6 ranked team in the country Friday night as the Boxers took an 80-77 hard-fought loss to Whitworth in Northwest Conference men's basketball action at the Stoller Center.
 
The Boxers (6-4, 0-1 NWC) shot 9 of 18 from three-point range, paced by four from Coby Proctor (So., Sublimity, Ore.) and two from Colin Wester (Sr., Sherwood, Ore.).  Pacific finished the night shooting 43.3 percent from the field (26-60) and forced Whitworth into 19 turnovers, their second most of the season.
 
Whitworth (11-1, 3-0 NWC), ranked No. 6 in the latest D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll, proved even hotter from all over the floor.  The Pirates finished the night shooting 56.9 percent (29-51) and 8 of 16 from three-point range.  Taylor Farnsworth led the way with a game-high 29 points, hitting on 12 of 17 from the field and 5 of 7 from the three-point line.  The Pirates outrebounded the Boxers 34-27, becoming just the second team to beat Pacific on the boards this season.
 
Proctor and Wester each had 19 points to lead the Boxers, with Wester adding three assists and four rebounds in his first game back since suffering an injury against Simpson (Calif.) on Dec. 17.  Danny Brakebush (Fr., Portland, Ore.) added 11 points, seven of those coming from the free throw line.
 
Whitworth opened the night trying to make a statement, jumping out to an 11-point lead on Farnsworth's fourth bucket of the game at the 14:56 mark.  The Pirates owned the 22-13 advantage with 10:50 left when Mitch Wettig's (So., Bend, Ore.) jumper keyed an 8-2 run that brought the Boxers within one midway through the stanza.
 
Pacific took what proved to be their only lead of the game when Proctor scored his third three-pointer of the period with 5:11 left to make it a 26-24 game.  Whitworth responded with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes, building their own lead back to six on Wade Gebbers' trey with 3:42 left and went into the locker room at halftime with a 35-30 lead.
 
The Pirates opened the second half much like they did the first, building the advantage back to 10 points on a pair of Gebbers' free throws at the 15:40 and building their biggest lead of the game, 60-43, on Colton McCargar's three-pointer with 12:29 left.
 
Whitworth still owned a 14-point lead with 4:26 left when the Boxers made a hard charge at an upset.  Wester's three-pointer with 4:15 left sparked an 8-0 run, which culminated on Proctor's free throw with 1:48 to go, that brought the Boxers within three, 74-71, with 1:48 left.
 
Pacific would convert just two more field goals down the stretch, though, and get the job done at the free throw line to secure the win, hitting 6 of 8 in the final two minutes.
 
Despite being outrebounded, Pacific owned a 17-10 edge in second chance points and scored 22 points off of the 19 Whitworth turnovers.  Whitworth's size dominated inside, with the Pirates outscoring the Boxers in the paint 32-18.  In addition to Farnworth's 29, Gebbers and McCargar added 16 points apiece for the Pirates.
 
Pacific finishes off the weekend on Saturday as they host Whitman.  Game time is 6 p.m.  The game will be available online via live audio and video webcasts at goboxers.com.  Whitworth will travel east to play Lewis & Clark.