After falling behind 5-0 early, Old Westbury fought back with back-to-back triples by Al Alexander and Tyrik Tucker for a 6-5 advantage, their lone lead of the game.  Adam Wilks' layup sparked a 17-1 Whitworth run from 14:15 to 7:56 for a 15-point lead (22-7).  Omari Trebuse answered with a three-pointer to stop the Whitworth run to kick start a 7-1 Panther spurt to make it a 23-14 game.  Old Westbury closed within eight points in the final minute, but it was Kenny Love who connected from downtown as time expired for a 45-34 Pirate lead at intermission.  Both teams combined for 33 attempts from the free throw line as the whistle was blown 30 times in the opening half.

In the second half, Whitworth used an 18-7 run from 18:04 to 9:46 to grow its lead to 19 points, 65-46.  Old Westbury replied with a 14-1 run over the next 3:45 to trim the deficit to six points (66-60).  However, the Pirates would regroup and outscore Old Westbury 16-11 over the final 5:17 to go on to claim the 86-74 victory.

Tucker finished with 24 points (11-12 FT), nine rebounds and six steals (tied career-high) in 35 minutes of action before fouling out with 3:16 remaining.  Alexander followed with 14 points while Anton Morris (nine points) and Trebuse (eight points) combined for 17 of Old Westbury's 20 bench points.  Floyd Leroy chipped in with six rebounds and two blocked shots. 

Whitworth registered four Pirates in double-digit scoring, led by Love's 24 points.  Love connected on 4-of-6 from three-point territory to go along with a pair of steals.  Colton McCargar added 21 points (9-10 FT) and Dustin McConnell contributed 15.  Wilks rounded out the scoring with 11 points in addition to grabbing a team best eight rebounds. 

In the end, Old Westbury shot 44.9 percent from the field (22-49), 44.4 percent from three point range (8-18) and 71 percent from the free throw line (22-31) compared to Whitworth, who connected on 52.3 percent from the floor (23-44), 44.4 percent from beyond the arc (8-18) and 78 percent from the charity stripe (32-41).  Whitworth won the boards battle, 34-26 while Old Westbury pressured the Pirates into 21 turnovers, which resulted in 19 Panther points.  

PUGET SOUND LOGGERS UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury returns to the hardwood for day two of the Quality Inn Oakwood Invitational on Saturday (Nov. 23) against the Puget Sound Loggers (2-2) in Spokane, Washington.  Opening tip is set for 6 p.m. (PST) from Whitworth Fieldhouse.     

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