Pirates hold off Missionaries
Whitworth’s efforts to double team Kyle Born were nothing the Whitman senior hadn’t encountered in virtually every game he’d played this season.
The Pirates just executed their defense better than most.
Whitworth’s hounding defense forced Born into an ill-fated 3-point attempt at the buzzer, and the Pirates escaped with a 62-59 victory over Whitman in a men’s college basketball game Tuesday night.
Whitworth (15-1 overall, 6-1 NWC) moved a half-game ahead of Puget Sound for first place in the Northwest Conference. The Missionaries fell to 5-11 overall and lost their sixth of seven NWC contests.
Born entered the game averaged 20.7 points and 11.3 rebounds, but the Pirates held the 6-foot-6 senior in check with a spirited defensive effort. Implementing a zone to make it easier to keep tabs on Born’s whereabouts, the Pirates effectively fronted him with one defender and kept another defender nearby to dissuade any entry passes.
Born finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds, but he found no room for an off-balance 3-pointer that banged harmlessly off the backboard as the final horn sounded. Kevin Hasenfus and Bryan Williams combined to trap Whitman point guard Ian Warner as the waning seconds ticked away, and Born had little time to create a shot by the time Warner’s pass arrived.
“Any time a team runs an on-ball screen like that, we’re going to trap that play every time,” said Hasenfus, who countered Born’s double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds of his own. “As soon as we saw Born step out, I knew that me and B-Will had to trap with everything we had.
“If they got the swing pass to the open side for a 3-pointer, that would have been bad news.”
Hasenfus said Pirates coach Jim Hayford made it clear Born could not be allowed to dominate the low post.
“I made it my focus today to stop him on the boards,” Hasenfus said. “I think I held my own down there. He’s a beast.”
Added Hayford: “What a way (for Hasenfus) to step up against the premier player in the conference in Kyle Born, and then he goes for a huge double-double. … First of all, Born is an amazing rebounder, and in some ways a missed shot is a well-executed offensive play for them. He’s efficient offensively and can step out of the post and make a 12-to-15-foot shot.”
Whitworth also held the Missionaries 21 points under their season average of 80.7 points per game. Whitman made 21 of 54 shots (38.9 percent) from the floor, including 9 for 25 (36 percent) on 3-point shots.
The Pirates, meanwhile, overcame their woeful shooting in the first half and made 14 of 25 attempts (56 percent) after halftime to erase a 29-26 deficit after the first 20 minutes.
Ryan Symes led Whitworth with 19 points, and Jon Young fired in four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Bryan Williams dished out 12 assists, but he also had eight turnovers.
Whitman’s Chris Faidley made four 3-pointers and matched Born with 15 points.
Whits 62, Whitman 59
Whitman (5-11, 1-6)—Brandal 2-5 0-1 5, Born 5-10 5-6 15, Hazel 1-2 2-3 4, Faidley 5-12 1-2 15, Warner 4-12 0-0 11, Wheeler 1-3 0-0 2, Ziegler 1-2 0-0 3, Brandon 1-5 0-0 2, Bird 1-2 0-0 2, Piper 0-1 0-0 0, Brewer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 8-12 59.
Whitworth (51-1, 6-1)—Willemsen 2-6 0-1 4, Symes 9-15 1-2 19, Hasenfus 8-16 1-2 17, Williams 1-3 4-4 6, Young 4-12 4-4 16, Beverly 0-0 0-0 0, Jurich 0-1 0-0 0, Montgomery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 10-13 62.
Halftime—Whitman 29, Whitworth 26. 3-point goals—Whitman 9-25 (Faidley 4-11, Warner 3-8, Ziegler 1-1, Brandal 1-2, Brandon 0-1, Born 0-2), Whitworth 4-10 (Young 4-9, Symes 0-1). Fouled out—None. Rebounds—Whitman 29 (Born 12), Whitworth 39 (Hasenfus 15). Assists—Whitman 13 (Brandal, Warner 4), Whitworth 13 (Williams 12). Total fouls—Whitman 17, Whitworth 11. A—475.