SPOKANE, Wash. – Brad Lackey scored 21 points and dished 11 assists to lead Whitworth University to a season sweep of Puget Sound in a 79-70 Northwest Conference men's basketball victory on Saturday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

Lackey, a first year guard, had 44 points in the two weekend victories.

Whitworth improved to 6-3 overall and 4-0 in the NWC.  All four wins have come against the Loggers (1-7, 1-7), with four other NWC postponements.

Puget Sound jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead before Whitworth came back to go ahead 10-7 on Garrett Paxton's three-pointer.  Paxton scored 10 of the Pirates' first 12 points.  The teams traded leads three times before the Loggers went up 20-16 on Cal Hansen's bucket with 9:23 to go.  Whitworth followed with an 11-0 run, including three-pointers by Lackey, Jacob Hjort and Hunter Thorne.  Tanner Fogle's three-pointer lifted the Bucs to their largest lead of the half (32-24) before Puget Sound closed to within 36-34 at halftime.  Will Mathews scored six straight points in the late run for the Loggers.

Three times Whitworth pulled ahead in the second half, only to see Puget Sound rally.  Jerry Twenge's three-pointer gave the Pirates a 46-35 advantage before UPS got within 46-43 on Paul Johnson's three-pointer.  Another Twenge three-pointer increased the margin back to 57-48 before the Loggers rallied to within 57-56 on Donovan Wilson's three with just under nine minutes left. 

The Pirates' final surge was the difference.  Sparked by a Paxton three-pointer, Whitworth used a 14-4 run to go up 71-60 on a Paxton jumper with 4:22 to go.

Paxton added 19 points and Twenge scored a career-high 17 for the Pirates.  Chewy Zevenbergen added seven points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.  Whitworth shot 48% (30-63) from the field and 39% (12-31) from three-point range. 

Hansen had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Mussie Teclemarian added a double-double of 14 points and 11 boards.  The Loggers outrebounded the Pirates 39-30, but committed 16 turnovers to only eight for Whitworth.

The Pirates are scheduled to play a pair of games at Pacific Lutheran next weekend.