SPOKANE, Wash. – Cameron Mitchell scored 27 points to help visiting Willamette University knock off Whitworth University 82-74 in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Saturday night, and end a pair of nine-game Pirate winning streaks.

Willemsen posted his eighth double-double

Mitchell, a sophomore post who is the Bearcats' third-leading scorer despite coming off of the bench every game this season, made 10 of 15 shots and 6-7 free throws. He also added a game-high 16 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Mike Smith scored 19 points and Kyler McClary finished with 16 for Willamette (8-11 overall, 6-4 NWC).

The Bearcats remain tied with PLU and Linfield for third place in the NWC standings. They also ended Whitworth's nine game winning streak that began with an overtime win over Willamette in Salem, Oregon on January 5th, and ended the Pirates' nine game winning streak over the Bearcats that dated to the 2003-04 season.

Whitworth (15-4, 8-2) still remains tied for first place in the conference standings after Puget Sound (8-2 NWC) was upset at home by George Fox (8-2) 78-77 on Saturday night.

Ryan Symes (Sr., F, Palo Alto, Calif.) led the Pirates in scoring for the third straight game with 19 points. He was 10 of 10 from the free throw line. David Riley (Fr., G, Palo Alto, Calif.) scored 17 points and Colin Willemsen (Sr., F, Moraga, Calif.) totaled 12 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, which leads the NWC.

Symes made a pair of free throws for a 10-9 Whitworth lead seven and a half minutes into the game. It was the final lead of the night for the Pirates. Mitchell's lay up gave Willamette a 21-15 lead and when he banked in a three pointer as time expired in the first half the Bearcats took a 38-29 lead into the locker rooms.

Smith's three-point play with almost five minutes gone in the second half gave Willamette its largest lead of the game at 47-35. But Tim Sellereit (Jr., G, Bellingham, Wash.) and Riley answered with back to back three pointers to pull the Pirates within 47-41.

Whitworth inched closer and finally tied the game 61-61 on another pair of free throws by Symes with 5:47 to play. But Smith and Robbie Kunke continued to burn Whitworth with penetration over the final five minutes, either scoring or dishing to Mitchell for easy baskets. Kunke finished with a game-high nine assists. Sellereit pulled Whitworth within 75-73 with a minute to play, but Mitchell scored again inside and after a Pirate miss the Bearcats went five of five from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to ice the win.

Whitworth will hit the road next weekend, playing at Lewis & Clark on Friday and at Pacific on Saturday. Willamette will also continue on the road next Friday, playing at George Fox.