Whitworth Takes Payne Pirates Hit 17 3-Pointers, Win Naia Opener 103-73

It was easy to get caught up in Whitworth’s offensive explosion in its 103-73 first-round win against Howard Payne in the NAIA Division II playoffs Thursday night at Northwest Nazarene College.

It isn’t very often one sees a team hit 17 of 26 shots from behind the 3-point line - an effort that broke team and tournament records. But there was one aspect of the Pirates’ play that was just as signficant as its first-half offensive outburst in their win. And that was their defense.

While the fourth-ranked and fourth-seeded Pirates had five players combine to hit 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the first half against the Yellow Jackets in taking a 49-35 halftime lead, defensively, Whitworth’s Jeff Arkills and Nate Dunham reduced HP’s Edward “Big” Randle to diminutive status.

Randle, a 6-foot-5 senior center, came into the game averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. But between Arkills and Dunham, Randle finished the game with just 11 points and three rebounds. At the half, Randle had just five points and one rebound.

“That’s why Jeff Arkills is in the lineup,” Whitworth coach Warren Friedrichs said. “He’s athletic, strong and can play solid on the inside.”

Howard Payne came into the contest averaging 90 points per game, sixth-best in the nation. Against the Pirates, it wasn’t until about halfway through the second half that the Yellow Jackets had matched half of their usual scoring total.

As for Whitworth’s offensive effort, the Pirates went from first gear to fifth in what seemed like zero seconds flat as Nate Williams hit two 3-pointers to give the Pirates a 6-0 lead they wouldn’t give up.

That lead went to 11-0 before HP’s Randle scored the Yellow Jackets’ first basket.

When Williams hit his first two 3-pointers though, the rest of the Pirates kind of looked at him the way little children on a playground look at each other after one of their comrades executes a death-defying move off the monkey bars. They all wanted to match the effort.

Gabe Jones followed Williams with a 3 to give the Pirates an 11-3 lead, Roman Wickers hit one to give Whitworth a 16-5 lead, Williams nailed another for a 25-10 lead and, well, you get the picture.

Earlier this season, the Pirates made 15 3s to set the previous school record. As for the tournament, the 17 3-pointers broke Eureka College’s mark of 16 against Northwest Nazarene two years ago.

Whitworth shot 70 percent from the floor (35 for 50) and 65 percent (17 for 26) from behind the 3-point stripe. Those efforts were better than its 57-percent mark (16 for 28) from the free-throw line.

“We shot what?” Friedrichs asked when he was told of his team’s shooting performance for the night.

“Geez.”

Geez is right.

Jones finished with a game-high 25 points on 8 for 10 shooting from the floor and Williams followed with 20 points on a perfect 7 for 7 night.

For Howard Payne, Ryan Tomlin led the Yellow Jackeys with 16 points.

Howard Payne, from Brownwood, Texas, won the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference, winning 11 of its last 13 games. The Yellow Jackets finished the season at 14-13.

The Pirates, which also set a school record with their 23rd win of the season, move on to face Mid-America Nazarene in an 8:45 p.m. game tonight.

Whitworth 103, Howard Payne 73

Whitworth (23-4) -Jones 8-10 3-5 25, Dunham 7-8 2-6 16, Arkills 3-3 3-3 9, Williams 7-7 1-3 20, Wickers 1-4 0-0 3, Weston 3-5 2-2 9, Mix 0-2 4-6 4, Vargas 0-1 0-0 0, Beckman 5-9 0-0 14, Schulz 0-0 1-2 1, Jordan 0-0 0-1 0, Jones 1-1 0-0 2. Totals - 35-50 16-28 103.

Howard Payne (14-13) - Randle 1-13 8-8 11, Bruner 1-2 1-2 3, Canfield 2-5 2-2 7, Dalleh 2-8 0-2 5, Yaites 6-13 3-5 15, Watkins 0-0 0-0 0, Tomlin 4-13 6-6 16, Lowe 6-10 0-0 13, Jeffries 0-0 0-0 0, Lafleur 0-1 0-0 0, Harrist 0-0 0-0 0, Churchill 1-2 0-0 3. Totals - 23-67 20-25 73.

Halftime - Whitworth 49, Howard Payne 35. 3-point goals - Whitworth 17-26 (Jones 6-8, Williams 5-5, Wickers 1-2, Weston 1-3, Beckman 4-8), Howard Payne 7-28 (Randle 1-7, Canfield 1-2, Dalleh 1-4, Yaites 0-3, Tomlin 2-7, Lowe 1-3, Lafleur 0-1, Churchill 1-1). Rebounds - Whitworth 36 (Mix 7), Howard Payne 32 (Yaites 7). Assists - Whitworth 27 (Arkills 8), Howard Payne 10 (Tomlin 3). Total fouls - Whitworth 22, Howard Payne 27. Fouled out - Wickers, Bruner, Canfield. Technicals - none.

, DataTimes