Render, Whitfield lead Panthers past Huntingdon
Feb. 21, 2008

Senior Demetris Render and freshman Nic Whitfield combined for 48 points to lead LaGrange College past Huntingdon College 82-74 at a near capacity Mariotti Gym on Thursday. It was the final regular season game for the Panthers (6-18, 2-4 GSAC), who broke a four-game losing streak. Huntingdon closed out its regular season at 9-16 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

Render was one of three seniors recognized in ceremonies before the game. In his last home game, Render scored a game-high 25 points. He was 6-of-9 from the floor and hit 13-of-15 free throws. Landon Baize and Roger McDowell also were honored with Render.

Whitfield came off the bench to score a season-high 23 points. He hit 9-of-12 from the floor, including three crowd-pleasing dunks. Whitfield also made his only 3-point shot, after attempting just one all season.

Huntingdon started the game making five of its first seven shots for a 10-2 lead. Whitfield's put back of his own missed shot gave the Panthers their first lead of the game, 23-22, with 3:43 left in the half. Render hit a pair of free throws to extend the Panthers' lead to 29-22. The Hawks closed within three, 30-27, after Alfonzo Frazier completed a three-point play with 1:27 left. The score remained that at halftime as Jeremy Pittman's half-court bank shot at the buzzer for the Hawks was waved off.

Neither team shot the ball well in the first half. The Panthers were held to 37 percent shooting, while the Hawks shot 37.9 percent. In the second half, both teams heated up. Huntingdon shot 67.9 percent and the Panthers shot 62.5 percent.

Frazier gave Huntingdon its last lead in the second half. He hit a jumper to put the Hawks up 38-36 with 16 minutes left. Render tied the game at 38 and Britt Gaylor's 3-pointer put the Panthers ahead to stay, 41-38.

Render completed a three-point play to put the Panthers up 57-48 with 9:57 left. Frazier answered for the Hawks with a three-point play of his own to make it 57-51. J.D. Hoglund's 3-pointer started a six-minute span when the Panthers broke the game open. Whitfield dunked off a lob pass from Gaylor to make it 73-59. Gaylor gave the Panthers their largest lead, 76-59, with a 3-pointer with 3:49 left.

The Hawks scored eight straight points to cut the deficit to nine, 76-67, with two minutes left. But the Panthers put the game away by hitting six of eight from the free throw line. Whitfield's free throw closed out the scoring for the Panthers, giving them an 82-71 lead. The Panthers made 18-of-21 free throws in the second half.

Frazier led Huntingdon with 20 points, while Pittman added 19. Gaylor was the only other Panther in double figures with 11.

The Panthers will play an undetermined opponent next Friday at the GSAC Championship Tournament.