By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

WALLA WALLA, WASH. -- Willamette University held a 37-31 lead at halftime, but Whitman College rallied in the second half to defeat the Bearcats, 71-60, in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Friday, Jan. 30. The Bearcats trailed by just two points with 5:45 left, before the Missionaries closed the game with a 16-7 run.

Whitman upped its record to 11-7 overall, including 6-3 in the NWC. Willamette ended the night at 6-12 on the season, 1-8 in the NWC.

The Bearcats shot 48.1% in the first half (13 of 27), but Whitman limited WU to 25.9% (7 of 27) over the final 20 minutes. The Missionaries shot 50% in each half, going 15 for 30 in the opening half and 14 for 28 in the second half.

Three Willamette players reached double figures in scoring. Katie Kalugin (Sr., G, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) led the way with a double-double, as she put up 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She led all players with three steals.

Marisa Hamilton (So., Beaverton, OR/Southridge HS) continued her strong play in NWC action with 15 points on 5 of 8 field goals, including one 3-pointer. She was 4 for 4 at the free throw line. Jojo DeLong (Sr., PG, Santa Clarita, CA/Canyon HS) chipped in 14 points and sank four 3-point shots. She also earned a game-high six assists.

Heather Johns provided a double-double for Whitman with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds. She was 7 for 14 on field goals and also supplied three assists and two steals. Hailey Ann Maeda tacked on 12 points for the Missionaries.

The teams were tied 10-10 just over five minutes into the game. Willamette broke the tie on a 3-pointer by DeLong with 14:38 left in the half, but Whitman tallied the next six points for a 16-13 lead. The Missionaries eventually claimed a 22-17 lead on a jumper by Sierra McGarity with 9:30 remaining.

Willamette surged back in front with a 9-0 run for a 26-22 advantage with 6:38 to go before halftime. The run started with a jumper by Julia Brand (Sr., F, Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School) and also included four points from Hamilton and a 3-pointer by DeLong.

The Bearcats led by as many as eight points, 35-27 at the 2:03 mark, before heading into the break with a six-point margin. In the first half, DeLong scored 11 points, while Kalugin added nine and Hamilton earned eight.

Whitman scored eight of the first 10 points of the second half to force a 39-39 tie following a jumper by Alysse Ketner with 16:51 left. The Missionaries edged into the lead, 41-39 when Emily Rommel sank two free throws 23 seconds later. Rommel finished the game with nine points and eight rebounds.

DeLong sank a 3-pointer on WU's next possession to give the Bearcats a 42-41 advantage. The Missionaries countered with a 9-0 run for a 50-42 lead with 12:00 remaining. Buse created momentum for Whitman by starting the run with a 3-pointer.

A bit later, Whitman owned a 54-46 lead, but the Bearcats rallied to cut the deficit to 55-53 at the 5:45 mark. The offensive surge began with two free throws by Kalugin, who also added a traditional three-point play with 7:27 to go. Ashley Evans (Fr., PG, Canby, OR/Canby HS) completed the run with a jumper.

Whitman regained control with a 12-2 run for a 64-55 margin with 2:07 left.

During the game, the Missionaries outrebounded Willamette 36-31. The Bearcats hit 7 of 23 shots from 3-point range to offset much of Whitman's rebounding edge. The Missionaries were just 1 for 7 on 3-pointers.

Willamette committed 20 turnovers, while the Missionaries lost the ball 17 times. Whitman outscored the Bearcats 24-8 in points off turnovers, while WU achieved a 15-9 edge in second-chance points.

The Bearcats will play at Whitworth University on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. (PST). Whitworth, ranked #17 by D3hoops.com, defeated Lewis & Clark, 56-46, in Spokane, Wash., on Friday.