Whitworth claims NWC crown

Whitworth could have backed into a Northwest Conference men’s basketball championship Friday night.

Instead, the Pirates gutted out one of their most rewarding victories of the season and put a stamp on their third title in four years.

Nate Montgomery overcame early foul trouble and powered eighth-ranked Whitworth in the waning minutes of an 82-71 victory over NWC rival Puget Sound at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates (20-2, 13-0 NWC) clinched the conference title with their come-from-behind victory, the fourth NWC championship in coach Jim Hayford’s nine seasons at the school.

Whitworth entered the game assured of at least a split of the conference title and ultimately didn’t need to win to finish first after Pacific cruised to a victory over second-place Linfield on Friday. The Pirates played like a team interested in creating its own destiny, however, fighting back from an 11-point deficit against UPS (8-14, 4-9).

Montgomery admitted it was gratifying to cement a conference championship with a win against UPS, which went undefeated in conference play last year – the first NWC team to do so.

“Last year they cut down the nets in front of us,” said Montgomery, who scored eight of his game-high 23 points in the final 31/2 minutes. “It makes it more special.”

Bryce Levin gave the Loggers a 47-39 lead with a 3-pointer just more than 3 minutes into the second half. Bo Gregg hit 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor for Whitworth, however, and ignited a 17-2 spurt that reversed the game. Wade Gebbers tied the game at 47 with a pair of free throws, and Montgomery scored on the Pirates’ next possession to take a two-point lead.

Clay Gebbers, who contributed with 14 points, made two free throws to cap the run and gave Whitworth a 56-49 lead with 10 minutes left.

“We’re not used to being down, but at the same time I knew someone would step up,” Whitworth guard Eric Beal said.

UPS closed within 64-63 on Kaleb Shelton’s two free throws with 4 minutes left, but the Pirates made 16 of 20 free-throw attempts down the stretch to seal the win.

Whitworth made 30 of 37 free throws, including 20 of 25 in the second half. That helped the Pirates overcome a five-point deficit at intermission.

Loggers guard Colin Koach knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:23 left in the first half to give Puget Sound a 32-21 edge, the first time Whitworth had trailed by double digits since a loss in the team’s season opener.

Montgomery had been on the bench for 3 minutes after picking up his second foul. Hayford, who called a timeout after Koach’s bucket, didn’t hesitate sending Montgomery back to the scorer’s table to check in.

“You’d prefer not to play a great player with two fouls” in the first half, Hayford said. “At the same time, if the game gets away from you, it’s like, ‘Why’d you rest him?’ It was a critical point in the game.”

Whitworth scored eight of the next 10 points to claw back into contention, but the Loggers retained a 39-34 advantage at halftime. Gregg scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half to help keep the Pirates afloat with Montgomery saddled with two fouls.

UPS made 6 of 14 3-point attempts and shot 50 percent from the floor (14 of 28) in the first half. The Loggers’ bench also outscored Whitworth’s reserves 13-3 in the half.

Whitworth 82, Puget Sound 71

 Puget Sound (8-14, 4-9)- Levin 6-11 0-0 18, Shelton 2-7 5-7 9, Borboa 0-0 0-2 0, Koach 4-7 4-6 14, Gehring 4-7 0-3 9, Heyman 3-8 0-2 6, Aberg 3-6 0-0 8, Egberuare 0-0 0-0 0, Yarbro 1-3 5-6 7. Totals 23-49 14-26 71.

Whitworth (20-2, 13-0)- Gregg 8-11 0-1 22, Riley 2-6 0-0 4, Montgomery 6-11 11-14 23, Beal 2-9 5-6 10, C.Gebbers 3-5 7-8 14, W.Gebbers 0-2 6-6 6, Odland 0-0 0-0 0, Friedt 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 22-47 30-37 82.

Halftime—Puget Sound 39 Whitworth 34. 3-Point Goals—Puget Sound 11-25 (Levin 6-11, Shelton 0-2, Koach 2-4, Gehring 1-2, Heyman 0-1, Aberg 2-5), Whitworth 8-20 (Gregg 6-9, Riley 0-2, Beal 1-5, C.Gebbers 1-2, W.Gebbers 0-2). Fouled Out—Shelton, Koach. Rebounds—Puget Sound 30 (Shelton 9), Whitworth 34 (Montgomery 8). Assists—Puget Sound 12 (Koach 7), Whitworth 14 (Montgomery, Beal 4). Total Fouls—Puget Sound 27, Whitworth 18. A—1,625.