College roundup: Whitworth cruises in tourney opener

Mike Taylor scored 19 of his 36 points in the first half and went 11 of 16 from the field with nine rebounds and four assists as the sixth-ranked Whitworth men’s basketball team (10-0) held off a late run by Ripon (Wis.) College (6-2) to win the opening game of the D3hoops.com Classic Tuesday in Las Vegas.

The Pirates shot well in the opening half, scoring 43 points, but cooled off after the break, finishing at 39 percent for the game.

Ripon rebounded after a dismal first half to score 41 points in the second, led by 20 from Ariz Wurtzand and 19 from Taylor Koth.

The Hawks pulled within nine points with 1:26 left but didn’t get closer.

Women’s basketball

Amanda Buttrey and Korrie Bourn combined for 33 points and 15 rebounds and Community Colleges of Spokane (9-2) advanced to the championship game of the Lady Tritons Winter Classic with a 75-52 win over Everett CC (3-5) in Edmonds, Wash.

Bourn had 16 points, nine boards and five assists to lead the way as the Sasquatch held ECC to just 19 points in the first half. CCS took a 25-point lead in the second half, despite shooting just 39.7 percent from the floor for the game. CCS will play Wenatchee Valley CC at 2 p.m. today.

Prep wrestling

University used championship wins in the 103-pound class, 140 and 215 to score 225.5 points and win the M2 Mallett tournament at Rogers High School.

Medical Lake took second with 153 points and Chewelah finished third (151.5).

Lewis and Clark’s Nolan Templeton upset Chewelah’s Will Peters in the championship match of the 285-pound bracket to earn Outstanding Wrestler. Templeton earned a fall in 1:04 to take the title.