By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Britanny Kochenderfer (Sr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) of Willamette University scored 23 points to reach double figures for the 16th time in 17 games, but George Fox University, ranked #15 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, downed the Bearcats, 75-49, in Northwest Conference women's basketball action on Saturday, Jan. 19. The Bearcats played well for significant stretches of the game against a strong Bruins team that shot 53.7% from the field to keep WU from putting together a sizeable rally.
The Bruins moved to 14-3 on the season, 7-1 in the NWC. Willamette ended the evening at 7-10 overall, 2-6 in the NWC.
Kochenderfer hit 10 of 18 field goals, made two 3-pointers, and hit her only free throw attempts on her way to 23 points, which tied her season high set against Linfield College on Jan. 4. She has scored 10 or more points in 14 consecutive games. Against the Bruins, she also hauled down five boards and registered one steal.
Amanda Carpenter (So., G, Beaverton, OR/Sunset HS) contributed 12 points for the Bearcats, while converting 8 of 8 shots at the free throw line. Elizabeth Logsdon (Jr., F, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS) supplied six points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
For George Fox, Tavin Headings led four players in double figures by scoring 15 points. She was 7 of 12 form the field. Emily Holder provided 12 points and five rebounds. Haylee Hutzler finished with 10 points, a game-high seven rebounds and four assists. Matney Hamieson also scored 10 points. The Bruins shot 53.7% for the game (29 of 54) and made 6 of 9 three-pointers. GFU claimed a 38-24 rebounding margin.
The Bruins broke a 2-2 tie with a 3-pointer by Kylin Collman and held a 10-4 lead with 4:25 left in the opening quarter on a layup by Headings. Willamette used a 3-pointer by Kochenderfer with 4:00 on the clock and a jumper from Kochendefer with 3:18 remaining to reduce the margin to 10-9. WU pulled within two points twice, before the Bruins scored the final five points on a trifecta by Hutzler and a jumper by Holder for a 20-13 lead.
At the start of the second quarter, GFU went on an 8-4 run for a 28-17 advantage. Kochenderfer put through a layup with 7:19 on the clock to reduce the deficit to nine points, but the Bruins answered with a 13-0 run for a 41-19 lead. The surge began with a 3-pointer by Haley Stowbridge. Headings also sank a 3-pointer during the run. Kochenderfer hit a jumper for Willamette with 1:52 to go, leaving the Bruins with a 41-21 margin at the break.
The Bearcats pulled within 46-30 on a jumper by Morgan Yamane (Fr., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake HS) at the 6:56 mark in the third quarter. A bit later, as the clock reached 4:00, Carpenter sank a layup to reduce GFU's lead to 52-38. The teams exchanged baskets, and then George Fox ended the quarter with a 7-2 run to take control at 63-42.
After Carpenter hit two free throws with 5:16 remaining in the game the Bearcats were as close as 65-49. The Bruins tallied the game's final 10 points.
Willamette connected on 35.8% of its field goals (19 of 53) over the four quarters. George Fox held a slim 22-21 scoring margin the third quarter when the Bearcats shot 53.8% from the field (7 of 13).
The Bearcats are set to return to action on Friday, Jan. 25, when they will host Whitman College. Game time at Cone Field House is slated for 6 p.m. (PST).
Big Moment of the Game for Willamette
Amanda Carpenter scored eight points between the 6:22 mark
and the 4:00 mark in the third quarter to help the Bearcats cut
the Bruins' lead to 52-38. George Fox held a 46-25 advantage
before Willamette went on a 13-6 run, including Carpenter's
eight points. Carpenter finished the game with 12 points for her
10th double-digit performance of the season. She has earned
10 or more points in six of the last eight games.