TACOMA, Washington – The Puget Sound men's basketball team nearly overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half, but Whitman held on for a 77-69 win in Memorial Fieldhouse Friday night.

Puget Sound (1-8, 1-8 NWC) was down 67-53 with nine minutes left in regulation. A layup by Cal Hansen made it a 68-57 hole with 5:37 on the clock. Following a defensive stop, Will Mathews hit a trey to bring the Loggers to within single digits, 68-60.

Whitman (2-4, 2-4 NWC) responded with a bucket, but Hansen scored again and Jourdan Joseph earned a trip to the foul line where he made both attempts. The Loggers were down just 70-64 with 2:45 left.

The Blues added a bit of breathing with two points, but Paul Johnson answered right back with a 3-pointer. The Loggers were down by five, 72-67, with 96 seconds left to play. However, that's as close as Puget Sound would get.

Hansen marked his second double-double effort of the season by scoring 18 points  and grabbing 10 rebounds. Johnson netted 17 points, and Joseph added 11 off the bench.

Puget Sound and Whitman meet again Saturday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. in Memorial Fieldhouse.