TACOMA, Washington – Northwest Conference action begins this weekend for the Puget Sound men's basketball team when the Loggers host Whitworth (Dec. 2) and Whitman (Dec. 3).
 
Statement game
The Loggers stunned No. 12 Pomona-Pitzer, 79-77, during the David Wells Classic in Claremont, California (Nov. 26). The Loggers shot 16-for-30 (53.3-percent) from 3-point range, and 50-percent overall from the floor. Liam Ruttledge (16), Charlie DeBoer (16), and Taj Phillips (15) each scored in double figures for the Loggers.
 
Hardly in a rut
Liam Ruttledge is shooting 51.6-percent (16-for-31) from beyond the arc this season, which ranks second in the Northwest Conference. He went 4-for-6 from distance against Pomona-Pitzer, including the trey that stood as the game-winner. He is the Loggers' leading scorer so far this season, averaging 13.2 points per game.
 
The dish
Taj Phillips has 28 assists through six games, which ranks second in the NWC. He has at least four assists in four games, including a career-high nine dimes against Montana State University Northern (Nov. 19).
 
Pohland gets warm this time of year
Will Pohland is shooting 56.3-percent from beyond the arc this season. He shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range between the two games in last week's David Wells Classic.
 
Scouting Whitworth (3-3, 0-0 NWC)
The Pirates have a common opponent with the Loggers in Cal Lutheran. Whitworth beat the Kingsmen, 71-56 (Nov. 22). Jake Holtz holds a team-high 15.0 scoring average, and he's the team's leading rebounder with 8.0 boards per game. JT McDermott averages 14.8 points per game, and Michael Smith averages 12.7. Whitworth averages 72.8 points per game while shooting 45.8-percent from the floor.
 
Scouting Whitman (5-1, 0-0 NWC)
The Blues' lone loss this season is against North Central out of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) (NCAA D-III). The Blues are putting up 82.3 points per game while shooting 36.9-percent from 3-point range and 49.2-percent from the floor. Four Blues average double-digits in scoring led by Jai Deshpande (16.2), and closely followed by Xzavier Lino (15.7). Lino is also the team's leading rebounder with an average of 5.0 boards.