Whitworth squanders 21-point lead, suffers stunning loss at Pacific

FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Whitworth surrendered a 12-2 run to Pacific over the final 1:24 and the Pirates suffered a stunning loss, falling for the first time in Northwest Conference play.

The Boxers rallied after trailing by a big margin, taking the lead on a layup with 12 seconds left and holding on for an 86-85 upset of Whitworth on Friday night at Stoller Center.

Whitworth (14-4, 8-1 NWC) had been dominating conference competition, and seemed poised to continue its streak after racing out to a 21-point midway through the first half. The Pirates were up 11 with five minutes left in the game, but fell apart and the Boxers (8-11, 4-6) completed an incredible comeback against the NWC leaders.

Forwards Caden Bateman (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Colton Looney (13 points, 10 rebounds) led Whitworth, which shot 50% from the field and outrebounded Pacific 49-25.

The Boxers, who shot 50.8% from the floor, were led by guards Anthony Hrboka (26 points) and Max Vacco (17 points, 14 assists).