Pacific Opens Up Big Lead, Upsets Visiting Whitworth

The Whitworth men’s basketball team dropped from its perch as the sole leader in the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges with an 86-77 loss to Pacific University on Friday night.

The Boxers (2-9, 7-18) raced to a 23-5 lead to open the game, and the Pirates (7-4 NCIC, 18-8) could manage to get no closer than three the duration of the game.

Roman Wickers led Whitworth with 18 points, 15 in the second half.

Kevin Wright followed with 17 points, and each grabbed nine rebounds.

Nate Dunham scored 14 to move above 1,000 career points.

The Pirates can earn the number one seed in the NCIC tournament, which begins Wednesday, with a win tonight at Lewis and Clark.

Pacific 86, Whitworth 77

WHITWORTH

Dunham 5-7 4-6 14, Arkills 0-0 3-4 3, Wright 8-14 1-2 17, Stern 3-10 2-2 9, Wickers 6-17 2-4 18, Weston 2-4 0-0 5, Vargas 2-3 0-0 5, Beckman 2-5 0-0 6, Palmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 12-18 77.

PACIFIC

Vernon 6-12 1-2 17, Jefferies 5-16 3-4 15, Holub 0-1 1-2 1, Kosik 2-6 5-8 9, LaClaire 11-15 4-4 27, Holsey 1-3 0-0 2, Cowan 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 3-4 9-10 15, Ahlstrom 0-1 0-0 1. Totals 28-58 23-30 86.

Halftime-Pacific 45, Whitworth 33. 3-Point goals-Pacific 7-22 (Vernon 4-8), Whitworth 9-26 (Wickers 4-8). Total fouls-Pacific 18, Whitworth 23. Fouled out-Dunham. Technicals-None. Rebounds-Pacific 31 (Jefferies 10), Whitworth 38 (Wickers 9). Assists-Pacific 16 (Jefferies 5), Whitworth 19 (Wickers 4).