For More Information: Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Kassin Hopkins (Sr., Connell, WA/Connell HS/Bellevue College) scored nine points and Sami Riggs (Fy., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) added the other six points in a 15-5 run by Willamette University during the final 3:09, as the Bearcats improved to 10-4 on the season with a 57-52 victory over Pacific Lutheran University on Friday, Jan. 17 at Cone Field House. The Bearcats also moved to 4-1 in the Northwest Conference. Pacific Lutheran dropped to 6-9 overall, 1-5 in the NWC.
Willamette trailed 47-42 after Megan Drake of PLU hit a jump shot with 3:20 remaining. The Bearcats quickly started their rally, as Riggs scored on a jump shot just 11 seconds later. Hopkins added two free throws with 2:38 on the clock to reduce PLU's lead to 47-46. Hopkins put through Willamette's only 3-pointer of the game with 1:53 left to give the Bearcats the lead for good at 49-47.
After an offensive foul by Drake on the Lutes' next possession, Hopkins connected on a shot in the paint to increase Willamette's lead to 51-47 at the 1:10 mark. The Lutes pulled within two points on a layup by Emma Janousek with 56 seconds remaining, but Riggs added a jump shot for WU to regain a four-point cushion at 53-49 with 40 seconds on the clock.
Riggs tacked on two free throws with 23 seconds left for a 55-49 advantage. Janousek cut the margin to 55-52 with an old-fashioned three-point play five seconds later, but Hopkins sealed the win by sinking two free throws with 17 seconds to go for a 57-52 margin. Riggs blocked a 3-pointer by Janousek with five seconds left, and Janousek missed another 3-point attempt with two seconds to play.
"We really showed great toughness today. We got off to a slow start, but did a good job fighting to get back into it, and I was especially pleased with how well we executed and played with such confidence down the stretch."
— Willamette Head Coach Peg Swadener
Hopkins topped the Willamette scoring chart with 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Riggs also connected on 5 of 9 field goals to finish with 14 points. Ava Kitchin (Fy., F, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS) tallied 12 points and registered team highs with nine rebounds and four steals. Riggs grabbed six board, while Amanda Carpenter (Jr., G, Beaverton, OR/Sunset HS) supplied four assists.
WU shot 51.1% on field goals (24 of 47), but missed eight of nine shots from 3-point range. The Bearcats went 8 for 9 at the free throw line.
Janousek topped PLU with 20 points, while making 8 of 19 field goals. She also earned four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Kylie Radamacher chipped in with 12 points and nine boards. Drake accumulated 10 points and five rebounds. The Lutes shot 36.5% for the game (22 of 62), including 3 of 12 on 3-pointers (25.0%). PLU converted 5 of 7 free throws, and ended the game with a 33-30 rebounding edge.
The game's first points were scored by Hopkins with 7:01 left in the first quarter. Willamette also held leads of 4-2 and 6-4, before the Lutes went on a 7-0 run, starting with two layups by Radamacher, to move in front 11-6 at the 2:30 mark. WU cut the margin to 11-8 on a fast-break layup by Elizabeth Logsdon (Sr., F, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS), but PLU scored four of the final six points of the quarter for a 15-10 edge.
Pacific Lutheran expanded its lead to 18-10 when Janousek scored on a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter. Later, the Lutes owned a 24-14 advantage following a fast-break basket from Drake with 4:25 on the clock. WU registered the next four points on a layup by Kitchin and a jump shot by Lucy Morrill (Sr./Jr., G, Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS). Katie Taylor of PLU answered with a 3-pointer for a 27-18 lead with 1:38 left.
Riggs scored the final four points of the half for Willamette by hitting 1 of 2 free throws at the 33-second mark and completing a traditional three-point play with 11 seconds to go. The Lutes were in front 27-22 at the break.
Willamette opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run for a 30-29 lead less than three minutes into the second half. Hopkins scored the final points of the offensive surge on a jumper. The teams exchanged one-point leads until a jumper by Kitchin gave the Bearcats a 34-31 advantage with 4:13 left in the quarter. A bit later, WU held a 36-35 lead on another jumper by Kitchin, but PLU ended the quarter with a 4-0 run to grab a 39-36 lead with 10 minutes to play.
Radamcher put through a layup for the Lutes with 7:54 remaining to give Pacific Lutheran a 41-36 margin. Willamette used a 6-2 run that ended with a jumper by Madison Ballard (So., G, Monroe, OR/Monroe HS) to reduce the deficit to a single point at 43-42 with 5:27 to left. Janousek scored on a layup for the Lutes 18 seconds later, before both teams went scoreless for just under two minutes. PLU took a 47-42 lead when Drake connected on a jumper in the paint with 3:20 to go, but the Bearcats answered with the game-winning rally.
Willamette will play again on Saturday, Jan. 18 when the Bearcats are scheduled to take on Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Game time is set for 4 p.m. (PST).
