The Pioneer men's basketball team defeated the Whitworth Pirates
75-65 (box
score) Friday night at the Pamplin Sports Center. David
Berggren scored 21 points to lead the Pioneers.
Both teams got off to a slow offensive start, with the Pirates
hitting the first bucket of the game, a three-pointer by David
Riley, 2:15 into the game. After both teams had combined for just
ten points in the first five minutes of the game, their offenses
ignited. The Pioneers edged out to a nine point lead, 21-12,
on a three by David Berggren (junior, Tualatin, Ore.). Whitworth
went on a 7-0 run to cut the Pioneer lead to two, 21-19, with 9:03
left in the half. After the Pioneers pushed the lead back to seven,
28-21, on a pair of Tyson Papenfuss (junior, Clackamas, Ore.)
freethrows, Whitworth came back to tie the game 29-29 on a pair of
freethrows by Ryan Symes with just over two minutes left in the
half. The Pioneers closed out the half on a 9-0 run, with Berggren,
Mark Robinowitz (senior, Portland, Ore.) and Gene Rivera (senior,
Kahului, Hawaii) each hitting a three-pointer to give the Pioneers
a 38-29 lead at the break.
The Pioneers opened the second half on an 8-0 run, with
Robinowitz and Rivera three pointers giving the Pioneers a 17-point
lead, 46-29, with 18:38 left in the game. The Pirates chipped away
at the lead, narrowing the Pioneers advantage to eight, 60-52, on a
pair of Ryan Symes freethrows with 6:24 left in the game. The
Pioneers ran over a full minute off the clock with their next
possession, getting a pair of offensive rebounds before finally
scoring on a jumper by Robinowitz to send the lead back to
double-digits.
A three pointer by the Pirates' Tim Selleriet with 2:10
remaining made it a 62-55 game. The Pioneers made their freethrows
in the final two minutes of the game to hold off the Pirates and
earn the 75-65 victory.
David Berggren led the Pioneers with 21 points, hitting five
three-pointers. Mark Robinowitz scored 14 points. Thomas Tillery
scored nine points with eight rebounds.
For the Pirates, Tim Sellereit scored 27 points, hitting
six three-pointers. Colin Willemsen scored 16 points with seven
rebounds.
With the win, the Pioneers move into a tie for fourth place,
improving to 6-5 in the NWC. The Pirates remain in second place
with n 8-3 NWC record.
The Pioneers are back in action on the home court Saturday
evening, taking on the Whitman Missionaries at 6pm at the Pamplin
Sports Center. The Whitworth Pirates close out their weekend with a
Saturday evening game in Forest Grove against the Pacific
Boxers.
