SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth concluded another outstanding men's basketball season with its third straight trip to the NCAA Division III tournament. The Pirates won a game in the tournament for the third year in a row and finished the season with a 23-6 record.
The Pirates: Lightning couldn't strike twice for Whitworth. One week after pulling out a gut-wrenching 90-80 overtime win at Puget Sound in the Northwest Conference tournament championship, the Loggers defeated the Pirates 84-72 in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the UPS Memorial Fieldhouse. David Riley (So., G, Palo Alto, Calif.) scored 27 to lead Whitworth, while Nate Montgomery (Jr., P, Sammamish, Wash.) added 18 points and six boards. Ross Nakamura (Sr., G, Moraga, Calif.) finished with 12 points and four assists in his final game. Head coach Jim Hayford earned his 200th career coaching victory and Whitworth clamped down defensively in the second half of an 81-63 win over CMS during the first round of the NCAA tournament in the Whitworth Fieldhouse. After the Stags shot 60% from the field in the first half to lead much of the period and stay within 42-40 at the break, the Pirates held CMS to only 26% (7-27) in the second half. Nakamura made 9 of 12 shots from the floor to lead all scorers with 22 points. Nate Montgomery posted his third straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Five Pirates reached double figures in scoring. Nationally Ranked: Whitworth finishes the season ranked 24th in the final D3hoops.com poll. Whitworth has been ranked in the final D3hoops.com top-25 poll three times in the last seven years - 24th in 2009, 9th in 2007 and 19th in 2003. On two other occasions (2006, 2008) Whitworth was listed with "others receiving votes".
Post Season History: Whitworth is made its third consecutive NCAA Division III tournament appearance and fourth overall. The Pirates are now 3-4 all-time in the tournament. Last season Whitworth defeated Occidental (Calif.) 83-75 in the second round of the tournament before falling to Wheaton (Ill.) 76-67 in the round of 16 at Hope College (Mich.). In 2007 the Bucs went to St. Louis, Missouri and defeated DePauw in overtime in the first round before falling by two points to host Washington Univ. in the second round. In 2003 the Pirates lost at eventual championship-game participant Gustavus Adolphus in the first round. Historically Whitworth is no stranger to post-season. The Pirates played in the 1996 and 1998 NAIA Division II tournaments, hosted by Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho. In 1996 Whitworth advanced to the title game before losing in overtime to Albertson (Idaho) College. In 1998 Whitworth lost on a last-second basket to eventual champion Bethel College (Ind.) in the quarterfinals. Prior to the splitting of the NAIA into divisions in 1992, the Pirates played in the NAIA tournament in Kansas City five times. Whitworth advanced to the quarterfinals in 1952 and then suffered first-round losses in 1954, 1955, 1961 and 1991. The 2009 Senior Class: Whitworth said goodbye to an outstanding senior class. Ross Nakamura and Tim Sellereit (G, Bellingham, Wash.) were two-year players in the Pirate program and both played a key role in Whitworth's participation in the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. Nakamura as one of the best DIII point guards in the country after leading the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio as a junior and finishing high among the leaders this season. Sellereit as arguably the best sixth man in the Northwest Conference each of the last two years. Steve Stockton (G, Spokane, Wash.) and Calvin Jurich (P, Spokane, Wash.) were both four year participants and two of the most popular players ever to wear Pirate uniforms. Stockton was a two-sport participant who played a role in four NWC titles (two each for football and men's basketball). Jurich finished as one of the most versatile big men in Pirate history.
Award Winners: Ross Nakamura was named to the 2009 D3hoops.com All-West Region Third Team, based on voting by regional sports information directors. Whitworth had three players selected to the 2009 All-Northwest Conference men's basketball team. Ross Nakamura and David Riley are First Team honorees, while Calvin Jurich was picked on the Second Team. Click here for the complete All-Region team. Click here for the complete All-NWC team. The Coach: Concluding his eighth season leading the Pirates, Whitworth head coach Jim Hayford has averaged 20 wins a season for a team that can only schedule 25 games a year. Now 163-52 (.758) at Whitworth (200-77 overall in his tenth year as a head coach), Hayford is only the third coach in school history to reach the 100 win plateau and the second-winningest coach in school history. Hayford has won three NWC Coach of the Year awards at Whitworth (2003, 2007, 2008), has led the Pirates to three conference championships and four NCAA tournament appearances. Go to Athletics Home Page > Men's Basketball > Sports Releases > |
