By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Carolyn Ho (Jr., G, Parker, CO/Ponderosa HS) tied a career high with 23 points, and Ashlyn Ascuena-Mercil registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, leading Willamette University to a 68-54 victory over Whitworth University, in a Northwest Conference game on Friday, Jan. 20. The win at Cone Field House improved the Bearcats to 9-7 on the season, 4-3 in the NWC. Whitworth dropped to 5-11 overall, 2-5 in the NWC.
The Bearcats and the Pirates battled for much of the game, but Willamette entered the fourth period with a three-point lead and pulled away in the final five minutes. Willamette outscored Whitworth 23-12 in the fourth quarter.
Ho achieved 23 points for the second time this season. She also earned 23 points in a 71-58 win against Montana State University-Northern on Nov. 20. Ascuena-Mercil has recorded four double-doubles in the last six games, giving her six double-doubles in 2022-23.
On Friday, Kaitlin Imai (Fy., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS) also reached double figures in scoring for the Bearcat, as she tallied 10 points. Sami Riggs (Sr., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) chipped in with nine points and four assists. Ho led the Bearcats with a strong 8-for-15 effort on field goals, helping Willamette shoot 48.1% during the game (25 of 52). The Bearcats limited Whitworth to 36.1% shooting (22 of 61), including just 20.0% (3 for 15) in the fourth quarter.
"This was another great team win for us which included some gritty defense (particularly in the second half), along with some elevated performances on the offensive end," Willamette University Head Coach Peg Swadener said. "Carolyn was spectacular off the dribble and her teammates did a great job putting her in the right position."
The Pirates' scoring chart was topped by Olivia Mayer with 19 points. She also hauled down 11 rebounds for a double-double. Quincy McDeid added 15 points for the Pirates, while Devyn Cope and Kimberly Dewey each grabbed six boards.
Willamette finished with a 46-28 edge in scoring in the paint and held a 16-7 margin in bench scoring. Whitworth claimed a 38-32 rebounding edge and a 13-6 margin in offensive boards.
In the first quarter, the teams were within four points until Whitworth took a 15-8 lead on a 3-pointer by Madison Hagen with 1:40 on the clock. Ashley Collins (Jr., P, Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills HS) scored next for Willamette to cut the margin to five points. Willamette and Whitworth each added two more points, as the Pirates ended the quarter with a 17-12 advantage.
The Bearcats went on a 13-3 run in the second quarter to turn a 19-13 deficit into a 23-23 tie. The surge began with a traditional three-point play by Ascuena-Mercil. A bit later, Ho produced the final five points of the run on another traditional three-point and a layup. Whitworth held leads of 27-23 with 4:26 left and 31-27 at the 2:09 mark, but Willamette closed the half with a 5-0 run. A jump shot by Imai with 51 seconds remaining tied the game and a free throw by Ho with 28 seconds to go gave the Bearcats a 32-31 halftime edge.
Willamette led by as many as four points in the third quarter at 37-33 on a driving layup by Riggs with 5:44 left. Whitworth forced a tie at 38-38 and the Pirates held a 42-39 lead following a jumper by Hagen with 1:01 to play in the quarter. The Bearcats responded with six unanswered points, ending with a fast-break layup from Ho at the 10-second mark, to move in front 45-42.
The Bearcats owned a 48-44 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Claire Bonnet (Sr., G, Boise, ID/Boise HS). Willamette maintained the lead for the remainder of the game and held a 57-49 edge with 6:00 remaining on a driving layup by Ho. The Pirates cut the lead to five points on a 3-pointer by McDeid. It was McDeid who also pulled Whitworth as close as 59-54 on a pair of free throws with 5:11 left. Willamette countered by scoring the game's final nine points for the 14-point win. Ascuena-Mercil earned four points during the run, while Ho registered three points and Imai added two points.
Up next for Willamette is a home game on Saturday, Jan. 21 against Whitman College. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. (PST).
