Tacoma, Wash. - In a back-and-forth game at the University of Puget Sound, the Loggers had the final to defeat Willamette 62-58. Elyse Waldal led the Bearcats with 20 points, hitting 4 of 8 from long range, while Emma Floyd chipped in with 11 points on 3 for 7 from beyond the arc.
Puget Sound took the early lead but the Bearcats held close throughout the first quarter. The score from 7-6 in favor of the Loggers for over three minutes of the quarter before a jumper by Floyd put Willamette ahead 9-7 with just over three minutes left. UPS went on a 9-0 run from there that was stopped by a Kaitlin Imai basket at the very end of the quarter and made the score 18-14 in favor of the home team.
Maya Sanders opened the second quarter with a three-pointer to cut the lead to one and another three by Waldal tied the score at twenty early in the quarter. Puget Sound quickly took the lead back and held it for the rest of the half, but Willamette outscored the Loggers 17-14 for the quarter and only trailed by one point heading into halftime at 32-31.
In the second half, a jumper by Gio Horner made the score 35-34 in favor of the Bearcats and gave the team their first lead of the game since being ahead 9-7. Another layup by Horner and a basket by Daisy Boling-Schmidt put the Bearcats ahead 41-36 for their largest lead of the game. In the end, Willamette won the quarter 12-10 and took a 43-42 lead to the fourth.
Puget Sound scored the opening five points of the final quarter to pull back ahead 47-43. A Floyd three-pointer cut the lead to one, but the Loggers followed with a three of their own to pull back ahead by four. The Bearcats continued to battle and free throws by Aasia Williams tied the score 56-56 with just under two minutes left. A jumper by Boling-Schmidt tied it again at 58-58 with 1:11 remaining, but UPS scored the final four points of the game to win 62-58.
Daisy Boling-Schmidt led Willamette in rebounds with nine, followed by Waldal with seven. Maya Sanders dished out three assists to lead the team, while Kaitlin Imai and Peyton Gardner each had two. Sanders also registered two steals for the team high.
The Bearcats will play their final game of the season at home on Saturday, February 22nd when they take on Pacific University at 6:00 p.m. Before the game, Willamette will honor Elyse Waldal who will be playing the final game of her career.
Willamette Top Performers
20 points
4/8 3-pointers made
11 total points
5 rebounds
9 rebounds
8 points
