TACOMA, Washington – The top of the Northwest Conference standings remains wide open, and the Puget Sound men's basketball team is in the thick of it when the Loggers travel east for conference games at Whitman (Jan. 27) and Whitworth (Jan. 28) this weekend.
 
Conference landscape
Whitman sits atop the NWC standings with a 7-1 conference record, and is followed by Whitworth (6-2) and Puget Sound (5-3). Lewis & Clark (5-4) is the only other team over .500 in conference play.
 
Keep it 100
The Loggers reached triple digits for the second time this season when they beat Lewis & Clark, 100-86, in Memorial Fieldhouse last week (Jan. 20). Puget Sound put up 107 points in a win at George Fox earlier this season (Jan. 6). The Loggers twice came up one bucket shy of reaching 100: vs. Portland Bible (98-64), at Willamette (99-79).
 
Keep it loose
Mussie Teclemariam was named the Puget Sound athletic department's Logger of the Week following last week's home games against Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark. eclemariam scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds against the Lutes (Jan. 17). Three days later, he netted 17 points and grabbed six rebounds against the Pioneers (Jan. 20). Through his last nine games, Teclemariam is averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 51.1-percent from the floor (46-for-90). Overall this season, he is the Loggers' second-leading scorer (13.1) and the team's leading rebounder (6.4).
 
New career mark
Sophomore Taj Phillips set his new career-high for scoring when he dropped 26 points on Lewis & Clark. Phillips is averaging 11.7 points per game this season, and 14.4 points in conference games. His 5.3 assists per game ranks second in the NWC.
 
Stepping up
Taj Phillips isn't the only Logger who's been kicking it up a notch against NWC teams. Liam Ruttledge is averaging 14.6 points per game this season, but 16.3 against NWC foes. Mussie Teclemariam averages 13.1 points overall, and 16.0 in conference games.
 
Fire away
Three Puget Sound starters are shooting over 40.0-percent from 3-point range this season (min. 30 attempts): Taj Phillips (48.9-percent), Will Pohland (41.2-percent), Liam Ruttledge (41.0-percent).
 
Scouting Whitman (14-3, 7-1 NWC)
The Blues enter this weekend with five wins in their last six games. They lost to Whitworth, 72-58, two weeks ago (Jan. 10). Lino Xzavier leads the team in scoring (14.9), and is followed by Jai Desphande (13.7). The Blues have the best scoring defense in the NWC, allowing just 64.5 points per game.
 
Scouting Whitworth (11-6, 6-2 NWC)
The Pirates recently suffered their second NWC loss of the season at Linfield, 86-79 (Jan. 21). Their other NWC loss was at Puget Sound, 82-75 (Dec. 2). The Pirates lead the NWC in rebounding (38.9) and field-goal percentage (48.0-percent). Four players average double-digits in scoring, led by JT McDertmott (14.1) and Jake Holtz (13.4).