Basketball loses heartbreaker

A late run by the Whitworth men’s basketball team wasn’t enough to overcome Eastern Mennonite University as the Bucs lost in the Sweet 16 on Friday. The loss ended the team’s school-record 25 game winning streak, as well as their hopes for a national championship.

Guilford College’s Regan-Brown Fieldhouse in Greensboro, N.C., is only a few hours away from Eastern Mennonite’s campus in Harrisburg, Va., and the pro-Royals crowd reflected that. Despite the environment, Whitworth led for much of the half. But from that point on EMU began to take control, cutting the Bucs’ lead to 39-37 before the teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime.

The Pirates and Royals came out battling to start the second half, with both teams going on runs that kept the game close. Eastern Mennonite snagged their first lead of the half on a three-pointer five minutes in. Whitworth kept it close for the next 10 minutes, with a three from senior forward Bo Gregg bringing the Pirates within one point of the Royals, 62-61. But EMU responded immediately with one of their own, and sank four free throws on their next two possessions.

With only 1:09 left on the clock, the Bucs found themselves trailing 71-63, a deficit that seemed insurmountable to anyone watching the game. But several missed free throws by EMU kept the door open, and the Pirates took advantage. Buckets from Gregg, junior forward David Riley and junior guard Clay Gebbers cut the Royals’ lead to only one point with 30 seconds to go.

A turnover by Whitworth and two made free throws by Eastern Mennonite’s George Johnson left the Pirates down three with only seconds left on the clock. The Bucs set up a play, and both Gregg and senior post Nate Montgomery got shots up in an attempt to tie the game, but both missed and time expired, leaving the final score 74-71.

But it wasn’t enough to overcome a tough second half in which the Pirates shot only 26 percent from the field and committed nine turnovers.

A loud and passionate Whitworth crowd gathered in the Robinson Teaching Theatre to watch a live feed of the game. The crowd erupted in deafening cheers several times throughout the game, and even participated in chants and cheers that are normally reserved for the Fieldhouse during Pirate home games. But the crowd was left disappointed when the Bucs failed to secure the victory.

The loss to Eastern Mennonite was the first for Whitworth since they fell to Pomona-Pitzer on Dec. 4, a span of 98 days.

Contact Alex Blade at alex.blade@whitworthian.com.

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