SPOKANE, Wash. -- If the 2007-08 Whitworth University men's basketball team challenges for a Northwest Conference title, much of the hard work toward that goal will occur over the next five days as the Pirates play three road games. Not only is the schedule tightly packed, but the stingy Whitworth defense will face its toughest offensive tests of the year. The Pirates (9-3 overall, 3-1 NWC) begin the three-game set with games at Pacific Lutheran University (Friday at 8:00 p.m.) and University of Puget Sound (Saturday at 6:00 p.m.) in Tacoma, followed by a trip to Whitman College (Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.) in Walla Walla. Radio/Internet: All the Pirates' NWC games will be carried live by KSBN 1230 am and Bob Castle will call the play by play. In addition to the on-air broadcast, the KSBN internet simulcast can be picked up either on the Whitworth Athletics site, or at KSBN.net by selecting the "listen now" button. Also, Whitworth now offers "Live Stats" for all home games. The live stats link is: http://www.whitworth.edu/Athletics/Teams/Basketball/livestats/xlive.htm. Early Start: Saturday's doubleheader at UPS will tip off at 4:00 p.m. for the women's game and follow with a 6:00 p.m. start for the men. All of Whitworth's Saturday road doubleheaders will begin at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Pirates: Whitworth found its defensive groove last weekend, allowing a total of 77 points in wins over Lewis & Clark College and Pacific University that kept the Bucs within one game of the top of the NWC standings. On Friday night Whitworth suffocated 22nd-ranked Lewis & Clark 64-33 to hand the preseason favorite Pioneers their second straight NWC loss. Whitworth held L&C to 26.1% (12-46) shooting from the floor and 20.8% (5-24) from three-point range. The Bucs outrebounded the Pioneers 49-26, 28-10 in the second half when Whitworth outscored Lewis & Clark 40-17. The Pirates needed the solid defensive and rebounding efforts because Whitworth only made 38% (22-58) of its shots. It was the first home game of the season for the Pirates after 10 straight away from the Fieldhouse.
The following night the Whitworth defense did it again in a 61-44 win over Pacific. The Pirates held Pacific to 33% (15-45) shooting from the floor, including 20% (3-15) from three point range. Also like Friday night the Pirates nearly doubled Pacific on the boards, finishing with a 45-24 advantage. In fact, Whitworth grabbed more offensive rebounds (19) than the Boxers had defensive rebounds (18). The win was the Pirates' eighth in a row in the series with Pacific. Ryan Symes (Sr., F, Palo Alto, Calif.) led the Pirates in scoring with 17 points in each game. DEFENSE: Despite four new starters this season, the way the Pirates are winning should look very familiar to Whitworth fans. The Bucs have taken their usually tough defense up a notch this year, leading the NWC in both scoring defense (56 points per game allowed) and field goal percentage defense (39.0%). In addition, Whitworth leads the rebounding margin category (+10.1). Also familiar is how efficient the Bucs have been on offense. Whitworth is first in the NWC in assists per game (16.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.35 assists for every turnover). Therefore Whitworth shoots at a high percentage (46%, 3rd in the NWC) and when the team gets to the free throw line, the Pirates make a league-best 75.3%. Steady Symes: Ryan Symes is providing the solid leadership that was expected of the team's only returning starter and a returning First Team All-NWC selection. The 6-6 forward is leading the team in scoring with an average of 15.4 points and he adds 6.3 rebounds per game. He has added a three-point shot to his game this season, making 36% from beyond the arc. He has led the Bucs in scoring seven times this season. Frosh Phenom: David Riley (Fr., G, Palo Alto, Calif.) is having a breakthrough freshman season. The 6-5 guard from Gunn High School is second on the team in scoring (13.2 points per game). He has been deadly from three point range, and is the only player in the Northwest Conference to rank in the top six of the league stat leaders in both three-pointers made (6th, 2.8 per game) and three point percentage (3rd, 48.6%). In Whitworth's second game of the season, he broke the school record for three-pointers made in a game when he was 8 for 13 in the win over Caltech. The previous record of seven in a game was shared by three players. Riley has led the Pirates in scoring four times this season.
"Will"-do-it-all: One of the best sixth-men in the NWC last season, Colin Willemsen (Sr., F, Moraga, Calif.) has been the do-everything player as a starter for the Pirates this season. Willemsen leads the team and is second in the NWC in rebounding (8.1 per game) and is tied for the league lead in offensive rebounds (3.2 per game). Willemsen is also sixth in the NWC (second on the team) in assists (3.9 per game). Finally, Willemsen leads Whitworth and is eighth in the NWC in steals (1.5 per game). All of this goes along with a strong 10.7 scoring average. Ross Runs the Ship: Even before his breakthrough performance (26 points) in a win at Willamette on January 5th, Ross Nakamura (Jr., G, Moraga, Calif.) had been a steadying influence as the Pirate point guard this season. A transfer from Diablo Valley JC in Concord, California, Nakamura is fourth in the NWC in assists (5.2 per game). Perhaps more telling about Nakamura's play this season, he leads the conference in assist-turnover ratio (3.88 assists per turnover). His steadiness with the ball is matched by his shooting ability, as he ranks 4th in the Northwest Conference in three-point percentage (47.8%) this season. Nearly Last: There is one category in which the Pirates nearly rank last in NCAA Div. III. Whitworth was the second-to-last NCAA Division III team to play a scheduled home game this season when the Bucs hosted Lewis & Clark in the Fieldhouse last Friday night. Only Lawrence College (Wis.) played its first home game later (by one day, opening on January 12th). However, the Vikings only played seven games to that point, while Whitworth played 10 games before getting to play at home. Neither Whitworth or Lawrence can complain much, however, when compared to UC Santa Cruz. Because of refurbishing of their gym, the Banana Slugs will not play a home game this season.
On the Oregon Trail: Winning on the road in the Northwest Conference has always been a challenge and opening this season's NWC schedule at Linfield and Willamette was tough. But since the arrival of head coach Jim Hayford for the 2001-02 season, Whitworth has found success playing in the state of Oregon. Including this season's 1-1 mark, the Pirates are 23-9 (.718) in NWC regular season contests played in Oregon during Hayford's seven seasons as coach. The Opponents: Pacific Lutheran University, picked fifth in the preseason NWC coaches poll, has made itself a Northwest Conference playoff contender in head coach Steve Dickerson's second season. The Lutes (7-5 overall, 3-1 NWC) are second in the league in scoring average at 85.2 points per game and have posted three straight 100+ scoring games for only the second time in school history. Two of those came last week in a 125-116 double overtime loss at Puget Sound on Tuesday and a 106-88 win at home over Willamette on Saturday. Junior wing Josh Dressler is second in the NWC in scoring average at 23.1 points per game and leads the conference in three-pointers made (3.6 per game). Senior post Scott McDaniels is the reigning NWC Player of the Week and leads the league in rebounding (9.1 per contest) and is third in scoring (20.6 ppg). He made a school-record 18 field goals in the loss at UPS. Whitworth beat PLU twice last season, rolling 80-56 at home but working hard for a 65-63 win in Tacoma. The University of Puget Sound (11-1 overall, 4-0 NWC) has earned its national ranking of 7th in the latest D3hoops.com top-25 poll. In addition to its overtime victory over PLU last week, UPS defeated visiting Linfield 89-82 on Friday. The Loggers, under second-year coach Justin Lunt, lead the NWC in scoring (98.2 ppg), field goal percentage (.510) and three-point percentage (.410). UPS also forces a league-best 13.5 steals per game and tops the conference in turnover margin (+9.1) with their high-pressure attack. Junior point guard Antwan Williams leads the NWC in steals (3.0 spg), is second in assists (6.3 apg) and fourth in scoring (18.1 ppg). Post players Robert Krauel and Jason Foster are tied for fifth in scoring average at 16.5 points per game. Last season UPS handed Whitworth two of its three NWC losses: 77-72 in Spokane and 95-90 (1 OT) in Tacoma. Whitman College (3-8 overall, 0-4 NWC) has struggled out of the gate in NWC play this season after home losses last weekend to Pacific (70-50) and Lewis & Clark (76-68). But junior guard Chris Faidley is having an All-NWC type of season, leading the league in scoring average at 24.8 points per game. The Missionaries struggle on the boards, with an NWC-worst rebounding margin of -3.9 per game. Head coach Skip Molitor is in his 13th season. Last year Whitman scared Whitworth in Spokane before the Pirates won 62-59. The Bucs then won 84-72 in Walla Walla to extend their winning streak in the series to 16 in a row. The Coach: Whitworth head coach Jim Hayford became the fastest coach in Pirate history to record his 100th victory as head coach of the Bucs with a win over Whittier on November 25th of last season. Now 128-42 (.753) in his seventh season at Whitworth (165-67 overall in eight years as a head coach), Hayford is only the third coach in school history to reach the 100 win plateau. Hayford has won two NWC Coach of the Year awards at Whitworth (2003, 2007) and led the Pirates to a pair of conference championships. Go to Athletics Home Page > Men's Basketball > Sports Releases > |
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