PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second time this season a men's basketball game between the Whitworth Pirates and the Lewis & Clark Pioneers came down to the game's last shot, and for the second time Whitworth came out on top of a thriller with Friday's 74-71 victory at L&C.
The 16th-ranked Pirates improved to 18-2 overall and 9-2 in the Northwest Conference with their sixth straight victory. The Pioneers (10-10, 6-5) were unable to convert a desperation three-pointer from three-quarter court at the buzzer and fell three games behind the Bucs in the standings.
The game started fast offensively, both squads hitting shots and neither team leading by more than two points for the first nine minutes until Colton Looney drained a three-pointer to put Whitworth up 19-15. The Bucs led the rest of the half, taking their largest lead (33-25) on a Jake Holtz basket with 4:40 to go. After L&C fought back to within 35-33 on Mikey Medlock Jr.'s basket with under a minute to play, Garrett Long scored on Whitworth's next possession, then got a steal in the final seconds allowing Holtz to score at the buzzer to put the Pirates up 39-33 at the break. Holtz had 14 first half points as Whitworth made 47% (18-38) despite going 1 of 7 from three-point range. The Pirates did not commit a first half turnover.
Ben Fried's steal led to Stephen Behil's three-pointer and a 42-35 lead early in the second half, signaling a big second period for Behil. The Pioneers tied the game 53-53 on Kody Uyesugi's three-point shot, but the Bucs capped a 7-0 run with another Behil trey to retake a seven-point lead (60-53) with under eight minutes to play. Nate Berg, who came into the game making only 10% of his three-pointers this season, hit back-to-back treys for L&C pulling the hosts back within one point. Whitworth used a 9-3 run, including consecutive buckets from Ben Nyquist, to build a 69-63 lead that was enough of a cushion at the end. Ahead 71-69 with 13 seconds left, Long drained two free throws. Ty Edwards then scored the game's final point with 2.7 seconds left by making the front end of a one-and-one. Medlock's heave at the buzzer was wide left.
Long led the Pirates with 19 points, adding five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Holtz finished with 16 points and a team-high six boards. Behil scored all 15 of his points after halftime. Whitworth finished the game 45.7% (32-70) from the floor and 6 of 9 from the free throw line, but committed only one turnover in the game while getting 10 from L&C.
Five Pioneers scored in double figures, led by Medlock Jr.'s 14 and 12 each from Uyesugi and Jake Rodriguez. L&C made 56.9% (29-51) from the floor and 40% (6-15) from three-point range, but could not overcome the turnover discrepancy.
Including the Pirates' last second win over the Pioneers on January 4th on Nyquist's put back at the buzzer, Whitworth has now won 22 straight games in the series. The Pirates will head to Willamette to complete the Oregon weekend on Saturday.