By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
TACOMA, Wash. -- Drew Farmer (Sr., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) scored 11 points for Willamette University -- all in the first half -- and the Bearcats trailed by just three points at halftime, but the University of Puget Sound opened the second half with a 10-1 run on its way to a 54-37 win on Friday, Feb. 21 at Memorial Fieldhouse. Puget Sound's victory left both teams tied for fourth place at 7-8 in the Northwest Conference women's basketball standings with one game remaining. Both teams ended the night with 13-11 overall records.
The top four teams in the NWC standings after Saturday's final regular season matchups will qualify for the NWC Tournament. Puget Sound holds the tie-breaker with Willamette because the Loggers defeated the Bearcats in both of their meetings this season. On Saturday, Willamette will host Pacific University (16-8, 10-5 NWC) in the Bearcats' Senior Night game, while Puget Sound will host George Fox University (18-6, 10-5 NWC). Both games are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. (PST). If Willamette wins and Puget Sound loses, the Bearcats will grab the fourth and final NWC Tournament berth. Any other set of results will keep Willamette out of the tournament.
Willamette and Puget Sound played a highly-competitive first half with the Bearcats leading by as many as four points, while the Loggers never led by more than three points. In the first quarter, the teams were tied four times and their were three lead changes. The lead changed hands three more times during the second quarter.
The teams were tied at 5-5 after Ava Kitchin (Fy., F, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS) hit two free throws for Willamette with 5:00 left in the opening period. Sami Riggs (Fy., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) added a jumper at the 3:59 mark to put Willamette in front. A bit later, Willamette grabbed a 12-9 lead on a 3-point basket by Farmer with 1:24 on the clock. Giavanna Sorn of Puget Sound tallied the final points of the quarter on a layup with 54 seconds to go. Willamette was in front, 12-11 when the second quarter started.
Sorn put in a jumper just four seconds into the second quarter for the Loggers, but the Bearcats responded with a 5-0 run to take a 17-13 advantage. Farmer began the mini-run with a 3-pointer and then assisted on a layup by Ashlyn Ascuena-Mercil (Fy., F, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) with 8:49 remaining in the half. Puget Sound countered with a 7-0 surge to gain a 20-17 lead with 4:16 left. Mara Henderson opened the run with a 3-point basket, which was followed by a jumper from Katie Minnehan and a layup by Sorn.
WU reduced the margin to a single point on two occasions later in the half, including 22-21 on a layup by Farmer with 23 seconds to play. Minnehan tacked on two free throws for the Loggers 11 seconds later, and Puget Sound brought a 24-21 lead into the intermission.
Puget Sound scored the first eight points of the second half, ending with a total of four points by Jamie Lange during three trips to the free throw line. Kassin Hopkins (Sr., Connell, WA/Connell HS/Bellevue College) of Willamette cut the lead to 32-22 by hitting 1 of 2 free throws at the 5:08 mark, but Henderson added a jumper for the Loggers with 4:46 left in the quarter to complete a 10-1 start to the second half for Puget Sound.
The Bearcats earned the next four points on a jumper by Riggs and a layup by Kitchin, as WU moved within 34-26 with 2:24 on the clock. The Loggers led 40-29 after three quarters.
Lange scored the first basket of the fourth quarter with 8:01 left on offensive rebound and put-back. Hopkins chipped in with a 3-pointer for Willamette just 15 seconds later to reduce the Bearcats' deficit to 42-32, but the Loggers followed with an 8-0 run to take charge of the game with a 50-32 lead. The run featured two old-fashioned three-point plays by Lange, and ended with a rebound and a layup by Lange with 4:45 to go.
For the game, Lange led all players with 21 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots. The Bearcats held the high-scoring senior post to just three points and four rebounds in the first half, but Lange registered six points in the third quarter and added 12 points in the fourth quarter. She hauled down 12 rebounds in the second half. Minnehan was credited with nine points, seven boards and three steals, while Samantha Swartout provided Puget Sound with 13 rebounds.
Farmer's 11 points topped Willamette. The Loggers defended her well in the second half, holding the point guard without a shot. Farmer was 4 for 4 from the field in the first half. Kitchin scored six points for the Bearcats.
Willamette shot 30.4% for the game (14 of 46) and made 5 of 24 three-pointers (20.8%). The Bearcats converted 4 of 13 free throws (30.8%). Puget Sound finished at 39.2% from the field (20 of 51), but converted 1 of 9 long-range shots. At the line, Puget Sound was 13 of 20 (65.0%). Led by Lange and Swartout, the Loggers attained a 45-21 rebounding edge.
