TACOMA, Wash. - Playing their first
overtime game of 2008-09, the third-ranked Puget Sound Loggers fell
to the Whitworth Pirates, 90-80, in the Northwest Conference Men's
Basketball Tournament Championship on Saturday night at Memorial
Fieldhouse in Tacoma, Wash.
In the first half, the battle began as neither team was able to
build a lead and hold it. The Loggers, who won the 2008-09 NWC
regular season crown, pushed the lead to six points at the 11:42
mark but the Pirates didn't let the lead grow anymore. Whitworth
eventually tied the game with 1:31 to go in the first period and
after a brief Pirate lead, the teams headed into halftime tied at
34-34.
In the second half, it was the Pirates who held the lead for most
of the period. The lead grew to 11 points with 7:11 left to go but
the Loggers would get the crowd rocking. With the Pirates up by
nine with 2:58 to go, the Loggers used a 10-0 run to take a
one-point lead with 39 seconds left. After a three pointer by David
Riley with 29 seconds left put the Pirates up by two points,
Loggers junior Austin Boyce (Kent, Wash./Kentwood) hit a jumper
with 14 seconds left to tie the game a 72-72 and send the teams
into overtime.
In the extra period, the two teams battled for the first two
minutes but the final three belonged to Whitworth. A pair of free
throws by Nate Montgomery but Whitworth up by two points and the
Pirates didn't look back, hitting their free throws to collect the
90-80 victory and clinch the NWC's automatic berth in the 2009 NCAA
Division III Men's Basketball Championship.
The Loggers were led by 19 points from senior Jason Foster
(Spanaway, Wash./Henry Foss). Robert Krauel (Phoenix, Ariz./North
Canyon) got the double-double, scoring 17 and adding 11 rebounds.
Antwan Williams (Portland, Ore./Madison) picked up 12 to go with
eight rebounds.
Whitworth was led by 24 points from Ross Nakamura. David Riley and
Montgomery each finished with 17 while Montgomery added a game-high
18 rebounds. Tim Sellereit came off the bench to add 13 points in
the win.
The Loggers will now have to wait until Monday morning to find out
for sure if they will receive a berth in the national tournament.
The NCAA is expected to release the bracket at approximately 8:30
a.m. PST on Monday morning.
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