Kyle Roach scores 20 points as Whitworth edges St. Olaf in opener

Sophomore guard Kyle Roach might only have a year under his belt at Whitworth, but he’s already proved his place on the starting roster alongside the Pirates’ four senior captains.

Roach led with a career-high 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field as the Pirates held off the St. Olaf Oles 70-69 in their season opener Saturday at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

“Kyle, I think, is going to be a very special player here. He played a lot of significant minutes for us last year coming off the bench and that experience … has really prepared him to have a night like he had tonight,” Pirates head coach Matt Logie said.

Roach, a returner who started for the Pirates for the first time, put up four 3-pointers and had two assists and a career-high three steals, including a steal with 30 seconds left in the second that kept Whitworth’s lead at 68-66.

“Last year we had a really deep team and I got a lot of experience coming off the bench. I was able to learn from a lot of guys,” Roach said. “I feel comfortable out there, which is good.”

Roach helped with five points in a 21-9 run in the first half that gave Whitworth its biggest lead of the game. But the Oles stayed close and went on a 8-0 run before the end of the half to trail the Pirates 44-38.

Roach lit up the court in the second. He scored 11 of the Bucs’ 26 points in the second half against St. Olaf, an NCAA Division III school from Northfield, Minnesota.

Roach had the team’s only score during one 5-minute stretch of the second half and hit two more 3s to put the Pirates up 56-49 with 9 minutes left.

The Oles answered with couple of free throws and a 3-pointer off a turnover from senior guard Derek Isaak to make the score 62-59.

Whitworth scored four more points, but the Oles answered again with a 3-point jumper from Austin Korba to tie the game at 66 with 1:30 left.

Whitworth’s Drew Sears scored two points and Kenny Love hit both of his shots at the foul line with 4 seconds left to put the Bucs up 70-66.

Ben Scheffley of St. Olaf’s ran downcourt and hit a quick 3-pointer, but he couldn’t draw the foul to put the game in overtime.

Whitworth faces Texas Lutheran at home at 7 p.m. Friday.