By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CALDWELL, Idaho -- Megan River (Jr., G, Tumwater, WA/A.G. West Black Hills HS) scored 18 points, registered three assists, and earned one steal, as Willamette University lost to undefeated College of Idaho in women's basketball, 71-59, on Friday, Nov. 25 in the first round of the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic. College of Idaho improved to 5-0 on the season, while Willamette fell to 3-2 overall. In the other first round game on Friday, the University of Montana Western defeated Eastern Oregon University, 76-68.

College of Idaho competes in the NAIA and the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference.

Willamette will take on Eastern Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 26 in second round action at the College of Idaho. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. MST/12 p.m. PST. College of Idaho will play Montana Western at 5 p.m. MST/4 p.m. PST on Saturday.

River was 6 of 14 on field goals and went 5 for 5 at the free throw line. She was joined in double figures by Kaitlin Imai (Fy., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS), who contributed 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting, including one 3-point basket. Imai also supplied WU with a team-high four assists. Ashlyn Ascuena-Mercil (Sr., F, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Danielle Morgan (Sr., F, Lompoc, CA/Allan Hancock HS/California Lutheran Univ.) each grabbed a team-leading six rebounds for the Bearcats.

The Yotes were led by Sienna Riggle with 25 points as she converted 8 of 15 field goal attempts and went 9 for 11 at the charity stripe. She also hauled down seven rebounds. Taryn Riley provided 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists for College of Idaho, while Lexi Mitchell achieved 11 points and game-high 10 boards.

Willamette finished with four more baskets than the Yotes (24-20) and shot slightly better from the field (40.7% to 39.2%), but College of Idaho sank 29 of 38 free throws (76.3%) and WU finished 9 for 12 (75.0%) at the line. C of I also claimed a 41-28 rebounding margin, including an 11-5 edge in offensive boards.

The Bearcats trailed 31-21 at halftime, but rallied back twice in the second half. C of I opened the third quarter with an 11-6 run and held a 42-27 lead after Riggle scored on a layup with 5:31 on the clock. Willamette battled back with a 16-3 run of its own, as the Bearcats cut the Yotes' lead to 45-43 at the end of the quarter. The offensive surge by WU included points from five different players, including four points each by River, Imai, and Sami Riggs (Sr., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS). Willamette's last four points during the run were scored on a layup by Ashley Collins (Jr., P, Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills HS) and a jumper by Emma Floyd (Fy., F, Camano Island, WA/Stanwood HS) with five seconds on the clock.

College of Idaho and Willamette exchanged the first two baskets of the fourth quarter before the Yotes used a 13-2 run to secure a 60-47 lead at the 4:35 mark. The run featured a 3-pointer by Bryanna Graham and two baskets by Riggle. The Yotes also scored four points at the free throw line. Willamette rallied again, starting with a 3-pointer by River. After Mitchell put in a layup for C of I, Riggs tacked on a layup for the Bearcats to reduce the lead to 62-52 with 3:07 to go. A jumper by Floyd and a traditional three-point play by Carolyn Ho (Jr., G, Parker, CO/Ponderosa HS) pulled WU as close as 62-57 with 1:08 on the clock.

Mitchell hit 1 of 2 free throws four seconds later and returned to the line with 52 seconds remaining. She made both free throws for a 65-57 lead. The Yotes went 6 for 8 at the line in the final 38 seconds to secure the win.

The Yotes began the game with a 15-8 run that ended with a trifecta by Riley with 4:27 to play in the first quarter. Willamette scored nine of the next 10 points and grabbed a 17-16 lead on a layup by Ascuena-Mercil with 43 seconds left. River earned five points during the run.

In the second quarter, College of Idaho scored the first 14 points to surge into a 30-17 lead following a layup from Graham with 2:04 remaining. A layup and a jumper, both by Claire Bonnet (Sr., G, Boise, ID/Boise HS), allowed WU to record the next four points. Jada Reed from C of I ended the first-half scoring by hitting 1 of 2 free throws with 35 seconds to go.