SALEM, Ore. -- Ross Nakamura poured in a career high 26 points and nailed the game-clinching free throws in overtime to lift visiting Whitworth University to a 72-65 Northwest Conference men's basketball victory at Willamette University on Saturday night in Cone Field House.

Nakamura scored a career-high 26 points

Nakamura (Jr., G, Moraga, Calif.) made 8 of 12 shots, including 7 of 10 from three-point range to help the Pirates (7-3 overall, 1-1 NWC) break a two-game losing streak and earn their first conference win of the season. He also had a game-high seven assists. Colin Willemsen (Sr., F, Moraga, Calif.) and Nate Montgomery (So., P, Sammamish, Wash.) each scored 15 points. Ryan Symes (Sr., F, Palo Alto, Calif.) had nine points and nine assists. Willemsen and Symes each played all 45 mintes and Nakamura only missed a single minute of play.

Mike Smith nearly matched Nakamura while leading the Bearcats (3-8, 1-1) with 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting (6 of 11 from three-point range). Kyler McClary added 17 points and eight boards.

The Whitworth defense clamped down on the Bearcats in overtime, forcing Willamette to take most of their attempts late in the shot clock. The Bearcats were 0-6 from the field during overtime and five of those shots were three-point attempts. Willamette's only points in the extra period were a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play after Whitworth had already outscored them 9-0 in the added time. Willemsen scored the first five points of OT on a three-point play and a short jumper. Then Nakamura made two free throws with :31 to play to give the Bucs an insurmountable seven point lead. Symes added two more freebies 12 seconds later.

The hosts led for most of the first half, taking a 20-15 advantage on a three-pointer by McClary with less than ten minutes to play in the period. But the Pirates answered with an 11-2 run, capped by a three-pointer by Nakamura that gave Whitworth a 26-22 lead. The Bucs eventually led 34-33 at the break.

Whitworth took its largest lead of the second half (50-42) on a Nakamura three-pointer with just over ten minutes to play. But Willamette rallied to take a 54-53 lead on a jumper by McClary with 4:45 to go. The Bearcats led by three when Nakamura scored a three-point play to tie the game 61-61 with a little over a minute left. Montgomery forced overtime when he scored for the Bucs with six seconds left to tie the game 63-63 at the end of regulation.

Whitworth, which extended its winning streak against Willamette to nine in a row, will return to Spokane to play its first home games of the 2007-08 season next weekend against Lewis & Clark College (Friday night) and Pacific University (Saturday).