By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
TACOMA, Wash. -- Cade Whicker (Fy., F, Fruit Heights, UT/Davis HS) scored 14 points to lead four Willamette University players in double figures, but the University of Puget Sound downed the Bearcats, 94-66, on Friday, Feb 21. at Memorial Fieldhouse. Also reaching double digits for the Bearcats were Ben Sutton (Jr., F, Seattle, WA/Ingraham HS) with 13 points, Daniel Plumer (Fy., PG, North Las Vegas, NV/Democracy Preparatory Academy) with 12, and Jack Boydell (Fy., F, Sonoma, CA/Sonoma Valley HS) with 11.
The Loggers improved to 11-13 on the season, including 5-10 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 1-23 overall, 0-15 in the NWC.
Puget Sound's scoring chart was topped by Cal Hansen and John Misel, each with 15 points. Hansen was 7 for 9 from the field, and also hauled down nine rebounds. Misel connected on 5 of 8 shots, all from 3-point range. Walker Shibley-Styer added 10 points and was 3 for 5 on 3-pointers. The Loggers hit 17 of 40 three-point shots (42.5%) on their way to finishing 32 of 66 on field goals (48.5%).
Whicker was 5 of 11 from the field for Willamette, while sinking 2 of 5 three-point attempts. He tied Sutton for team rebounding honors with six boards apiece. Boydell provided five rebounds and four assists. Plumer earned three assists and three steals.
Hansen led Puget Sound with nine rebounds. AJ Johnson and Stellan Roberts each brought down six boards. Kobe Elsner recorded five assists.
Willamette took a 6-1 lead on two 3-pointers by Plumer, including one on the Bearcats' first just just 18 seconds after the opening tip. Boydell assisted both baskets. The Loggers answered by putting together a string of nine consecutive points to move in front, 10-6, following a layup by Jourdan Joseph with 16:51 remaining in the half.
Whicker and Boydell each scored on a layup to start a 7-1 surge by Willamette to grab a 13-11 lead. Boydell completed the run with a 3-pointer as the clock reached 15:17. Puget Sound continued the alternating runs by tallying the next eight points, ending with a 3-pointer from Misel, to take a 19-13 advantage.
After Sutton hit 1 of 2 free throws for the Bearcats at the 12:43 mark to cut the margin to 19-14, the Loggers went on a 16-0 outburst to claim a 35-14 advantage. Willamette battled back with a 22-11 run that included eight points each from Sutton and Whicker. The points from Whicker included a pair of 3-point shots. The last four points of the run were scored by Dylan Streett (Fr., G, Santa Barbara, CA/Bishop Diego HS) on a free throw with 1:58 left in the half and a 3-point basket with 47 seconds to go, pulling the Bearcats within 46-36.
Puget Sound held a 51-37 lead at halftime. Whicker went into the break with 10 points and six boards for WU, while Hansen had eight points and six rebounds for the Loggers.
The Loggers opened the second half by scoring 14 of the first 20 points to extend their advantage to 65-43 with 14:24 left. Included in the run were four 3-pointers, two by Misel and one each from Shibley-Styer and Johnson.
For the game, Willamette shot 33.8% (22 of 65), including 8 of 30 from 3-point range (26.7%). The Bearcats sank 14 of 23 free throws (60.9%), while Puget Sound converted 13 of 21 free throws (61.9%). The Loggers attained a 53-34 rebounding margin.
Willamette will complete the season on Saturday (Feb. 22) when the Bearcats host Pacific University in a Northwest Conference game at Cone Field House. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PDT). It will be Senior Night for the Bearcats, who will honor the team's only senior, Joshua Stubbs (Sr., W, Eugene, OR/Churchill HS) prior to the game.
