WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The University of Puget Sound men's basketball team built an early lead but fell 96-86 at Whitman on Friday for its first Northwest Conference loss of the season.  Kaleb Shelton scored a game-high 27 points and hauled in six rebounds to lead the Loggers.

The Loggers came out of the gates hot as they took an early lead, but a hot-shooting Whitman team overcame the deficit and to take the game. The Missionaries (8-4, 1-2 NWC) shot 50 percent from three-point range in the first half to help build a 50-37 lead into the half.

The Loggers shot 43.8 percent from the floor but 28.6 percent beyond the arc in the first half. Ryan Rogers had his best game of the year with all nine of his points coming in the first half.

Shelton and Eric Egberaure caught fire in the second half as both finished with at least 20 points. Egberaure scored 14 second half points to finish with 20 total points while Shelton scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.

As a team, the Loggers shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half and 53.8 percent from three-point range on the way to outscoring the Missionaries 49-46. However, the Loggers could not erase the double digit lead the Missionaries built in the first half.

Six Missionaries reached double digits in the game with David Michaels leading the way with a double-double. Michaels scored a team-high 18 points and tallied 11 rebounds to lead Whitman to the win.

The Loggers will head up to Whitworth for an 8 p.m. game tomorrow in Spokane, Wash.