Missionaries Win 67-56 after Holding Off Rally by Willamette in Second Half

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Whitman College built a 13-point lead in the first half, but had to hold off a rally by Willamette University in the second half before defeating the Bearcats, 67-56, in a Northwest Conference game at Cone Field House on Saturday, Jan. 3. The Missionaries led by just four points with more than 13 minutes left and owned a five-point lead with less than six minutes to go.

Bridger Harlington (Jr., Wing, Lake Tapps, WA/Auburn Riverside HS) put through a 3-pointer for Willamette with 5:36 remaining to bring Willamette within 57-52. Whitman scored the next six points for a 63-52 advantage with 2:42 on the clock and held a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Whitman upped its record to 8-3 on the season, including 2-0 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette dropped to 2-9 overall, 0-2 in the NWC.

Philip Chircu led the Missionaries with 16 points and also grabbed six rebounds. Evan Martin contributed 15 points and a team-high seven boards. Rolaun Dunham earned nine points, while Dominic Lippi achieved eight points and five rebounds.

Willamette's Brendon McCullough (Fr., G, San Antonio, TX/Home Schooled) scored 14 points and earned four assists. Kyle McNally (Sr., F, Salem, OR/Sprague HS) finished with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. He also blocked five shots. Harlington scored eight points and registered five rebounds.

The Missionaries took a 9-3 lead on a layup by Evan Martin with 17:42 left in the first half. Willamette earned the next five points and pulled within 9-8 on a basket and foul shot by McCullough at the 12:58 mark. Whitman countered with a 9-0 run, as the Missionaries increased the margin to 18-8.

Whitman remained in charge for the remainder of the half, and led by as many as 18 points at 37-19 following a layup by Martin with 3:00 to go. Willamette ended the half with an 8-3 run to reduce the margin to 40-27 at the break.

McNally provided a jumper and a dunk to start the run. He also hit a free throw after being fouled on the dunk, pulling WU within 37-24. After Lippi sank a 3-pointer for Whitman at the 1:27 mark, Joseph Jackson (Jr., Wing, Hillsboro, OR/Hillsboro HS) scored on a 3-pointer for Willamette with 35 seconds left.

WU surged toward the Missionaries by scoring the first seven points of the second half to open an 11-2 run. McCullough scored on a layup and a 3-pointer during the string of seven consecutive points. A bit later, Harlington converted a pair of free throws to reduce Whitman's lead to 42-38 with 13:16 on the clock.

A layup by Martin and a free throw by Chircu stemmed Willamette's rally, as the Missionaries claimed a seven-point edge. Willamette and Whitman exchanged points for several minutes, before a 3-pointer by Clay Callahan, his only basket of the game, gave Whitman a 52-43 advantage with 8:54 to go.

The Bearcats registered nine of the next 14 points. McCullough scored the first three points after he was fouled on a 3-point shot with 8:38 left. Whitman tacked on a 3-pointer by Chircu, before Hayden Russell (So., G, Woodland, CA/Da Vinci HS) put in a 3-pointer for Willamette.

Martin scored on a layup for Whitman at the 6:16 mark. Forty seconds later, Harlington hit a 3-pointer to cut he lead to 57-52. Whitman outscored the Bearcats 10-4 in the closing minutes to clinch the win.

The Missionaries shot 33.3% from the field (19 of 57), hit 7 of 27 three-pointers (25.9%) and made 22 of 30 free throws (73.3%). Willamette connected on 17 of 55 field goals (30.9%), including 6 of 23 from 3-point range (26.1%). The Bearcats were 16 for 24 at the free throw line (66.7%).

Whitman attained a 44-40 rebounding margin, including a 23-15 edge in the first half. Willamette committed 23 turnovers compared to 20 for Whitman, but the Bearcats lost the ball just six times during the second half, while the Missionaries made 10 turnovers over the final 20 minutes.

The Bearcats will return to action on Friday, Jan. 9 at the University of Puget Sound. Game time in Tacoma, Wash., is set for 8 p.m. (PST). Willamette will play at home on Saturday, Jan. 10 against George Fox University at 6 p.m.