By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Ava Kitchin (Fy., F, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS) scored 16 points, Sami Riggs (Fy., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) provided 14 points, and the Willamette University Bearcats led for most of the game in a 67-60 Northwest Conference women's basketball victory at Lewis & Clark College on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The win advanced Willamette to 11-7 on the season and to 5-4 in the NWC. The Pioneers fell to 2-15 overall, 1-8 in the NWC.

During the game, WU forced 16 turnovers, while the Bearcats lost the ball just eight times. The result was a 24-11 scoring advantage for the Bearcats in points off turnovers.

Willamette trailed 6-2 in the first quarter, but a layup by Kitchin and a jumper by Riggs started a 6-0 run for an 8-6 lead at the 3:15 mark. L&C tied the score at 8-8 on a driving layup by Peyton Romo with 2:25 on the clock, and the teams were tied at 10-10 when the quarter ended thanks to baskets by Morgan Yamane (So., F, Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake HS) of Willamette and Choco Shafer.

The Bearcats opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run on a long two-pointer by Lucy Morrill (Sr./Jr., G, Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), a 3-point shot by Ashlyn Ascuena-Mercil (Fy., F, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and a driving layup by Morrill. After the Pioneers scored on a layup, the Bearcats added five more points on a fast-break layup by Ascuena-Mercil, assisted by Drew Farmer (Sr., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) and a 3-pointer from the left corner by Claire Bonnet (Fy., G, Boise, ID/Boise HS). With 4:48 left in the half, Willamette held a 22-17 advantage.

Lewis & Clark countered with an 11-4 run to pull within 26-23. Shafer completed the run by hitting the second of two free throws with about three minutes left, and then connecting on a 3-pointer with 2:37 to go. Riggs tacked on a free throw for WU, before Shafer added two baskets for L&C to tie the game at 27-27 with 1:15 to play. A driving layup by Farmer and a steal and layup by Riggs gave the Bearcats a 31-27 halftime lead.

WU scored the first seven points of the second half on a pair of layups by Kitchin and a 3-pointer by Riggs for a 38-27 lead with 8:43 on the clock. L&C answered with a 9-6 run to cut the deficit to 44-36 at the 4:47 mark. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Morrill expanded the margin to 50-36 about a minute later, and the Bearcats took a 52-40 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Bonnet put through a driving layup just 11 seconds into the final period to up the Bearcats' lead to 54-40. The Pioneers battled to create a rally and produced seven of the next nine points, starting with a 3-pointer by Romo, reduce the margin to 56-47 with 6:28 to play. A driving layup from Amanda Carpenter (Jr., G, Beaverton, OR/Sunset HS) stopped the run, and Willamette exchanges scores with the Pioneers until a layup by Kitchin on an in-bounds play gave the Bearcats a 64-53 lead with 2:14 left.

The Pioneers used a 3-pointer and a diving layup by Delsie Johnson to pull within 64-58 with 40.3 seconds to go. Riggs was fouled with 22.7 seconds left, and sank both free throws for a 66-58 edge.

Willamette connected on 26 of 59 field goals (44.1%) and went 6 of 19 on 3-point shots. The Bearcats hit 9 of 13 free throws (69.2%). The Pioneers  shot 40.7% from the field (24 of 59), but made just 5 of 22 from 3-point range (22.7%), while going 7 for 8 (87.5%) at the free throw line. L&C gained a 38-22 rebounding edge on the strength of a 10-2 lead on the offensive glass. The WU bench outscored the Pioneers, 25-14.

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 1, when they host George Fox University in Northwest Conference action. Game time at Cone Field House is set for 4 p.m. (PST).