One rugged western foe has been vanquished. But another equally tough opponent remains for the Hamline men's basketball team.

Two days after a gritty 92-89 victory over Whitman, the Pipers take on Whitworth in Spokane, Wash. Game time against the 9-1 Pirates in 4:00 p.m. (CST).

Four players finished in double digits for scoring and two had career highs Saturday as Hamline (5-3) rallied from a halftime deficit to ends the Missionaries' eight-game winning streak. Dior Ford was the top marksman with 19 points but Ryan Welsh and  Wes Pinera had career highs with 17 and 10 points respectively in the free-wheeling game.

It may be a much different affair today. The Pirates, who were 26-4 last season and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III tournament, dropped their season opener to St. Thomas. But they have been perfect since, thanks in part to a stout defense that is allowing just 60.9 points per game.

It's a busy week for the Pipers, who will fly home on New Year's Day and then turn their attention to a pair of MIAC foes. On January 2, they will trek down Snelling Ave. to face Macalester (3-5 overall, 0-3 MIAC) in a 7:30 p.m. game. They travel to St. Peter to face the Gusties (3-5, 1-3) in a 3:00 p.m. matchup.