Pacific’S Late Basket Does In Whitworth Vernon Connects For Boxers, Completes Four-Point Play

It took an unusual shot to win an unusual game Friday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

With the shot clock running down, with his team trailing by a point with 48 seconds left, Pacific guard Jeremy Vernon sank a 3-point shot from the top of the arc as he was being slammed by Whitworth’s Kelson Ramey.

Vernon hit the free throw to complete a four-point play, the difference in Pacific’s 65-60 Northwest Conference men’s basketball win.

“That was a first for me,” said Vernon, a 6-3 junior from McMinnville, Ore. “At first, I thought I was going to pull up, but he was too close, so I had to give him a pump fake. He went for it. I knew I was going to pick up the foul and I just threw it up.”

One of three Pacific players to score in double figures, Vernon ruined a Pirates comeback with his 4-point play.

Whitworth jumped to a 3-0 lead, then went scoreless for 6:36 and fell behind 19-3.

Credit Pacific’s tough half-court zone trap with pressure on the ball for forcing 13 Pirates ball-handling mistakes in the first half.

But the Pirates haven’t built a reputation as the conference’s toughest team to beat at home by failing to adjust. Pressing, upping the tempo and relying more on shots off transition in the second half, the Pirates eventually took the lead with 11:18 left on Phil Ruebel’s layin.

The lead changed hands a half-dozen times down the stretch, the last time in Whitworth’s favor on Tyler Jordan’s left-handed floater through traffic. The senior from Gonzaga Prep put the Pirates in front 57-56 with 1:22 to go.

Julian Nakanishi, who scored 10 of his 13 in the second half, found his shot once the Pirates picked up the pace.

Greg Jones scored 12 and Jordan 11 for the Pirates, who dropped their seventh straight game heading into tonight’s home game against George Fox.

Scott Hamre had 14 points in Pacific’s second conference win in four games. Matt Brien and Vernon finished with a dozen.

“We just kept working the ball in, knowing we had to get their big guys in foul trouble,” Vernon said. “The toughest place on the road in this league is right here. To come up here and win is a great thing.”

It hasn’t happened in six seasons.

“Not too many teams in our conference have won here,” Pacific coach Ken Schumann said.

Whitworth coach Warren Friedrichs was pleased with his second-half defense.

“I told the team at halftime that I was tired of effort, and then breaking down,” he said. “The second half was the best half of defense we’ve played. I really loved our kids in that stretch. That was as good a D as I’ve ever had, considering the talent.

“Pacific was physical in the lane with Brien and (Rob) Tiegs (from Garfield-Palouse High and Walla Walla JC). It’s frustrating, but most nights that kind of defensive effort will bring you all the way back.”

Friedrichs called it a one-play game.

“I hate one-play games,” the 14-year coach of Pirates said. “We had them down. He (Ramey) got him (Vernon) pretty good, but the shot still went in.”

Pacific 65, Whitworth 60

Pacific - Figueroa 0-1 2-2 2, Hamre 5-10 0-0 14, Gallagher 1-3 1-2 3, Tiegs 1-2 4-4 6, Eseman 0-6 6-9 6, Vernon 2-6 6-9 12, Boyd 2-3 0-0 4, Brien 5-10 2-4 12, Miller 3-6 0-0 6. Totals 19-47 21-30 65.

Whitworth - Ramey 1-3 0-0 2, Meserve 2-2 0-0 6, Schulz 3-3 2-2 8, Nakanishi 4-7 4-6 13, Nelson 0-5 0-0 0, Sullivan 0-1 0-2 0, McDaniel 1-2 0-0 2, Jordan 2-5 6-8 11, Jones 5-10 2-5 12, Ruebel 3-4 0-1 6. Totals 21-42 14-22 60.

Halftime - Pacific 34, Whitworth 24. 3-point goals - Pacific 6-11 (Hamre 4-7, Vernon 2-4), Whitworth 4-14 (Meserve 2-2, Nakanishi 1-2, Jordan 1-4, Jones 0-1, Ruebel 0-1, Nelson 0-4). Fouled out - McDaniel. Rebounds - Pacific 35 (Brien 10), Whitworth 22 (Jordan, Jones 4). Assists - Pacific 9 (Eseman 4), Whitworth 16 (Jordan 6). Total fouls - Pacific 20, Whitworth 26. Technicals - Whitworth bench. A - 1,120.