News Release

Spokane, Wash. — Whitworth College woke up in the second half to outscore visiting Pacific Lutheran University 42-23 on the way to a 70-47 win over the Lutes in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game on Friday night in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

Bryan Depew scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Pirates, who won their sixth straight game to improve to 15-5 overall and 8-3 in the NWC. John Gebbers added 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half. John Young scored 12 points on four three-pointers and Bryan Williams finished with 11 points.

Pacific Lutheran (4-16 overall, 1-10 NWC) was led by Jonathan Anderson's 10 points off of the bench. Kurt Oliver added eight points and Michael Jacobs led the Lutes with eight rebounds.

After Whitworth jumped to a 21-11 lead in the first half, PLU cut the margin to 25-24 on a lay-up by Sudon DeSuze. But Whitworth's Williams was fouled on a put-back basket as time expired and he made the free throw to give the Pirates a 28-24 lead at the break.

Whitworth opened a 42-28 lead with 13:25 to play on a lay-up by Depew before PLU pulled to within 42-35 on Scott Lowery's lay-in with 11:28 to go. However that would be as close as the Lutes would come. Whitworth responded with a 10-0 run and eventually led by as many as 26 points (70-44) with 1:39 to play.

The Pirates will host NWC-leading Puget Sound on Saturday night in the Fieldhouse. PLU, looking to break a nine-game losing streak, travels to Walla Walla to play Whitman.

WHITWORTH 70, PACIFIC LUTHERAN 47

PACIFIC LUTHERAN (4-16, 1-10 NWC)
Anderson, Jonathan 3-9 3-4 10; Oliver, Kurt 3-8 0-0 8; Bailey, Noah 2-3 1-1 6; Jacobs, Michael 3-7 0-0 6; Pasquariello, Jason 2-5 0-0 5; DeSuze, Sudon 2-3 0-0 4; Lowery, Scott 2-5 0-0 4; Lipscomb, Jake 1-3 0-0 2; Heutink, Jason 1-4 0-0 2; Harbert, W.C. 0-1 0-0 0; Stark, John 0-2 0-0 0; Hyland, Hazen 0-4 0-0 0; Cardwell, Drew 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 19-59 4-5 47.

WHITWORTH (15-5, 8-3 NWC)
Depew, Bryan 7-13 3-5 20; Gebbers, John 4-12 5-5 14; Young, Jon 4-10 0-0 12; Williams, Bryan 4-7 2-3 11; Bierlink, Scott 2-9 1-1 5; Johnson, Chris 1-1 0-0 3; Svennungsen, Pete 1-2 0-0 3; Larkin, Mike 1-1 0-1 2; Humphrey, Rhett 0-1 0-0 0; Wyatt, Kevin 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 11-15 70.

Pacific Lutheran..............   24   23  -   47
Whitworth.....................   28   42  -   70

3-point goals-Pacific Lutheran 5-24 (Oliver, Kurt 2-6; Anderson, Jonathan 1-3; Bailey, Noah 1-1; Pasquariello, Jason 1-4; Heutink, Jason 0-2; Harbert, W.C. 0-1; Stark, John 0-1; Hyland, Hazen 0-4; Cardwell, Drew 0-1; Lowery, Scott 0-1), Whitworth 11-30 (Young, Jon 4-10; Depew, Bryan 3-5; Williams, Bryan 1-3; Gebbers, John 1-4; Johnson, Chris 1-1; Svennungsen, Pete 1-2; Humphrey, Rhett 0-1; Wyatt, Kevin 0-2; Bierlink, Scott 0-2). Fouled out--Pacific Lutheran-None, Whitworth-None. Rebounds-Pacific Lutheran 37 (Jacobs, Michael 8), Whitworth 41 (Depew, Bryan 7). Assists-Pacific Lutheran 10 (Heutink, Jason 2; Pasquariello, Jason 2), Whitworth 14 (Gebbers, John 5). Total fouls-Pacific Lutheran 18, Whitworth 13. A-1202