TACOMA, Wash. – Ryan Symes scored 24 points and Colin Willemsen added a double-double to lead visiting Whitworth to an historic 83-78 Northwest Conference men's basketball win over 7th-ranked Puget Sound on Saturday evening at the Loggers' Memorial Fieldhouse.

Symes led all players with 24 points

For the first time since UPS joined the NWC for the 1997-98 season, Whitworth (11-3 overall, 5-1 NWC) has defeated Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound on the same trip to Tacoma. The win also ends a five game losing streak for the Pirates at UPS and a three-game overall skid against the Loggers (12-2, 5-1).

With the win Whitworth moves into a first place tie with UPS and the Bucs are the only NCAA Division III team this season to knock off the Loggers.

David Riley hit back to back three-pointers in the first half to spark the Pirates on a 10-2 run and a 21-13 lead seven and a half minutes into the game. Whitworth would increase the advantage to 34-24 on a jumper in the paint by Symes with 5:24 left in the half, but UPS rallied to within 41-38 at the break.

Whitworth never led by more than five points in the second half, the final time coming when Tim Sellereit's three-pointer made it 56-51 with just over ten minutes left. But UPS pulled ahead 68-66 on a basket by Robert Krauel with 6:39 remaining. Trailing 70-69, Whitworth got back to back baskets from Symes and Willemsen to take a 73-70 lead and the Bucs would never trail again. Willemsen's inside basket with 33 seconds to play gave Whitworth a 74-70 lead and Symes and Willemsen combined to make 4 of 4 free throws in the final 15 seconds to secure the victory.

Symes made 9 of 16 shots for his 24 points and Sellereit added 17 important points off of the bench to lead the Pirates. Willemsen's double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds was his fifth of the season. Riley finished with 12 points and Calvin Jurich scored 10 points while starting in place of injured starting center Nate Montgomery.

Jason Foster led UPS with 17 points, while Krauel added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds off of the bench.

The Pirates get little time to celebrate the win as they must turn around and play a third straight road game in the span of five days on Tuesday night at Whitman in Walla Walla. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.