Written by Mark Colachico, Contributing Writer

SALEM, Ore. – Despite 19 points and a career-high 17 rebounds by Ben Sutton (Jr., F, Seattle, WA/Ingraham HS), Willamette University's men's basketball team nearly completed its second half comeback before falling 99-91 to the Boxers of Pacific University (Ore.) Saturday evening inside Cone Field House.

With the loss, Willamette concludes its season with an overall record of 1-24 that included an 0-16 mark in Northwest Conference play. Meanwhile, Pacific improves to 7-18 overall and 4-12 in NWC games.

This was the fourth double-double of the season for Sutton, as he was aided offensively by three other Bearcats — Daniel Plumer (Fy., PG, North Las Vegas, NV/Democracy Prep), Cade Whicker (Fy., F, Fruit Heights, UT/Davis HS), and Justus Eaglesmith (Jr., G, Sparks, NV/Spanish Springs HS) — with a game-high 21, 13, and 10 points, respectively. On the boards, Sutton got help from Plumer and Whicker with seven and six rebounds, respectively, while Whicker and Eaglesmith each handed out a team-high four assists.

For Pacific, John Rigatti scored a team-high 20 points off the Boxers' bench. Meanwhile, Nick Drynan and Colin Rardin also scored in double figures with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Rardin led Pacific on the boards with eight rebounds, while Brennen McNabb added eight points and a game-high seven assists for the visiting Boxers.

The first half began with Willamette scoring seven of the game's first 10 points, as the Bearcats held a 7-3 lead at the 16:43 mark following a 3-pointer by Plumer. Over the next two-plus minutes, Pacific used an 11-2 run to pull ahead by five points, 14-9, thanks to a pair of free throws by Rigatti with 14:33 on the clock. The visiting Boxers pushed their lead to 21-15 on a McNabb lay-in before increasing the advantage to double digits, 30-20, with 9:23 remaining in the half.

Willamette pulled within two points at 33-31 on the strength of an 11-2 run over a five-minute span that ended with Sutton connecting on a hook shot in the paint. That was as close as the Bearcats would get late in the opening 20 minutes. Pacific scored 17 of the game's next 22 points to pull ahead by 14 at 50-36 with just under a minute on the clock. The visiting Boxers went into the locker room with a 51-38 halftime lead.

In its final game of the year, Willamette came out of the locker room with guns blazing and quickly erased its double-digit deficit getting within two points at 53-51,  thanks to a 15-3 run over the opening four minutes. Pacific would not let the Bearcats get any closer, as the Boxers pulled back ahead by 10 points, 67-57, after a 14-6 run that concluded with a Drynan three-pointer with just over 13 minutes left.

Using a never-say-die attitude, Willamette went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 69-all on a Eaglesmith fast break jumper with 11:23 left in the game. Just over a minute later, Whicker tied the game once again at 71-71, before Pacific used a mini 4-0 run to go ahead 75-71 with 9:22 remaining.

Over the next 50 seconds, the host Bearcats scored four unanswered points, capped by a Plumer fast-break lay-in that tied the score at 75-all with 8:31 left. Unfortunately, Pacific jumped back in front via a quick 7-0 run that concluded on a Drynan 3-pointer for an 82-75 lead with 6:55 on the clock.

Willamette got as close as three points at 85-82 following a 3-pointer by Eaglesmith. Pacific hit clutch free throws down the stretch on their way to capturing the eight-point victory.

As a team, Willamette combined to shoot 34 for 77 (44.2%) from the field that included a 21-for-41 showing (51.2%) in the second half. The Bearcats were also 8 of 26 (30.8%) from beyond the 3-point line and 15 of 24 (62.5%) at the free throw line. On the other hand, Pacific was a combined 31 for 71 (43.7%) from the field, 13 for 36 (36.1%) from long distance, and 24 for 33 (72.7%) at the charity stripe.

Willamette said good bye to its lone senior — Joshua Stubbs (Sr., W, Eugene, OR/Churchill HS) — Saturday evening, as he started his sixth career game and scored four points to go along with two rebounds and a pair of assists. The Bearcats are slated to return nearly 95% of their roster next season, as Willamette now turns the page to the 2020-21 season.