SPOKANE, Wash. - Juniors Carl Appleton and Cannen Roberson each knocked down 15 points in the Lewis & Clark men's basketball teams overtime thriller at #21 Whitworth. The Pirates pulled out a 68-60 victory to start the second half of Northwest Conference play. 

The Pioneers slip to 11-7 on the season and 6-3 in conference action. The Pirates improve to 16-2 overall, while remaining perfect in conference with a 9-0 record. 

Appleton picked up the games only double-double, adding a game-high and season-high 18 rebounds to his 15 points. The junior forward collected 11 boards on the defensive end, while also stealing the ball from the Pirates once. Roberson, who came off the bench, scored his 15 by hitting 7-of-13 from the floor, including one made three-pointer. Junior Jason Luhnow scored eight points and collected eight boards for Lewis & Clark, while both Bradley Carter and Serg Ovchinnikov netted six points a piece.

Kenny Love led all players with 24 points, while Christian Jurlina had 17 and Taylor Farnsworth scored 12 in the Pirate victory.  

It took almost three minutes for either team to score in the first half with the Pirates taking the first lead of the game on a three-pointer. Whitworth continued to push the pace, running up a 19-8 lead with 7:27 remaining. The Pioneers responded with a 9-0 run over the next five minutes to make it a 19-17 contest. Luhnow handed the Pioneers their first lead of the game with less than a minute to go on a jumper. Whitworth sent the game into the half knotted at 23-23 after back-to-back Farnsworth free-throws. 

The two sides traded baskets early in the second half, but the Pioneers eventually found their rhythm, going on a 7-2 run that gave them a 36-31 advantage with 12:30 to go.

The Pirates retook the lead moments later on a Jurlina jumper. The two sides would go onto exchange possession of the lead 10 times over the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Pios held a slim two-point advantage with less than a minute left, but the Pirates would hit a clutch jumper to send the game into an extra period.

Overtime did not go the Pioneers way with nobody finding the net until the 1:51 mark. Appleton hitt the team's first baskets with back-to-back made free-throws. By the time the junior hit his free-throws the Pirates were already ahead 62-55. Appleton netted the teams only other basket in overtime with 1:07 to go, but the Pirates managed the clock the rest of the way to pull out the win.

The Pioneers travel to Whitman for their next contest, taking on the Missionaries on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.