BOX SCORE

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Junior PJ Taylor scored a game-high 31 points on Friday night, but it was not enough to lift the Lewis & Clark men's basketball team past the Whitman Missionaries, who earned an 80-70 Northwest Conference win.

The loss ends the Pioneers eight game winning streak, dropping them to 14-4 overall and 7-2 in conference play. The Missionaries improve to 12-6 on the season and 5-4 in conference.

Taylor finished the night with a game-high 31 points, hitting 12-16 from the floor, including 5-7 from long range. Senior Kelly Edwards ended the game with 13 points, while Donato Perconti chipped in 11. Edwards grabbed a team-high seven boards for the Pios and Taylor collected six.

The Missionaries were led by Ryan Gilkey who picked up the games only double-double, scoring 15 points and collecting a game-high 11 rebounds. Josh Duckworth contributed 14 points and Brandon Shaw chipped in 13.

The first half started as a back and forth battle with the teams tying things up on six occasions and swapping the lead three times. The Pioneers opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Taylor to earn an early 6-2 advantage. The game would remain close until Whitman pulled away on a shot from long distance with 6:37 remaining, which would put them ahead for good. Taylor would cut the Missionaries double-digit lead to nine with a second remaining in the half, sending the Pioneers into the locker room down 44-35.

Lewis & Clark would battle to get back into the contest in the second half, pulling within three points, 60-57, with 9:50 remaining on another Taylor three. That would be as close as the Missionaries would allow the Pioneers, running up another double-digit advantage before capturing the 80-70 victory.

Lewis & Clark returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. when they travel to Spokane, Wash. to face the Whitworth Pirates.