The two teams traded early runs, keeping the game close in the first half. Hot-shooting Montana Tech took a 13-6 lead at the outset, only to see the Missionaries answer back with a 15-9 run highlighted by three Matt Kelly jumpers. That pulled Whitman to within one point at 22-21, and the two squads traded baskets for the rest of the half.
Both sides fired away from beyond the three-point arc. Each team made six long balls in the opening 20 minutes, which ended in a 38-38 tie.
The Orediggers took a 45-40 lead to start the second half, but Erik Kofler, Whitman's senior post, responded in a big way. In consecutive possessions, Kofler hit a three pointer and then converted a three-point play in the paint to give the Missionaries a 48-45 lead.
Montana Tech exploited its height advantage throughout the second half, easing in front 55-54 on a Casey Briggs jumper with 10:16 remaining. Briggs, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, grabbed six offensive rebounds, including three tip-ins, which helped the Orediggers maintain a slim lead for much of the final 10 minutes.
With Whitman down 64-60 with three minutes to play, junior guard Ian Warner hit a huge three to trim the deficit to one point. Baskets by Ricker and Kelly put the Missionaries in front 67-64 with 1:30 left to play. Free throws by Ricker and junior Aaron Hazel helped seal the victory.
"It feels great to get that first win at home against a tough opponent, especially when we shot 35 percent," said Whitman coach Skip Molitor. "We can credit that to our senior leadership. Ricker and Kofler were huge down the stretch and Matt [Kelly] grabbed a big offensive board."
The Missionaries compensated for their poor shooting by hitting 75 percent of their free-throws, committing just six turnovers, and staying even on the glass with the bigger Orediggers.
Kofler finished with a double-double, 19 points and 11 rebounds, and provided two big second-half blocks. Ricker, a senior captain, had a nice night with 18 points, eight assists, and six boards. He also held Tech's three-point specialist, Davin Blixt, to 0-5 shooting for beyond the arc in the second half. Ian Warner and Kelly added 11 and 10 points, respectively, and both players collected five rebounds.