SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth posts Taylor Farnsworth and Adam Wilks combined for 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pirates to a 78-64 win over visiting Marian (Wis.) in a non-conference men's basketball game on Sunday afternoon at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The pair of centers used their inside presence to help the Pirates shoot 60% (12-20) in the second half after a 36% (12-33) performance in the opening half.  Farnsworth and Wilks combined to shoot 10-15 from the floor to help Whitworth improve to 6-2 with its fifth straight victory.

Each team had five players hit double figures in scoring.  The visiting Sabres got 13 points from Alex Stecker, who went 3-4 from three-point range.

Whitworth held Marian (6-4) to only a single basket over the first five and a half minutes of the game, grabbing an 8-2 lead behind a pair of baskets by Farnsworth.  The Sabres clawed back to within 14-12 after a three-point play by Montrell Hobbs before Matt Staudacher extended the Pirates' advantage back to 20-12 on a three-pointer.  Derek Isaak's three-pointer gave Whitworth a 34-22 lead at the break.

Neither team shot well against the opponents' defense in the opening half.  While Whitworth was held to 36%, Marian made only 28% (7-25) from the floor, 17% (1-6) from three-point range.  The Sabres committed ten first half turnovers as well.

After Hobbs scored to get the visitors back within 39-31 early in the second half, the Pirates used a 9-2 run to open a 48-33 lead with just over 13 minutes to play.  Farnsworth's layup eventually gave Whitworth its largest lead of the game (56-40) with 9:22 to play.

But Marian would not go away.  Back to back buckets from Drew Binversie pulled the Sabres to within 70-63 with 1:04 to go.  But Whitworth went 8-10 from the free throw line in the final minute to stem the tide.  The Pirates benefitted from a technical foul call against Marian as well.

Farnsworth was joined by Christian Jurlina and Kenny Love with 14 points each.  Staudacher finished with 12 points and Wilks had 11.  Farnsworth and Wilks led the Bucs with six rebounds each, while Staudacher dished four assists and came up with three steals.

Hobbs and Josh Creed had a dozen points each for Marian, while Binversie and Mark Keller scored ten apiece.  Binversie also led his team with six rebounds and six assists.