Boxers Hitch To Heather To Close Out Loggers In Overtime
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FOREST GROVE – The Pacific women's basketball team hitched on to an impressive performance from
Heather Hitch (Sr., Enumclaw, Wash.) as the Boxers claimed a 72-66 overtime victory over Puget Sound on Saturday evening at the Stoller Center.
Hitch ended the game with a season-high 26 points in 37 minutes of play, scoring 21 in the second half. She was 10 of 15 from the field and made 6 of 7 from the free throw line. Hitch also collected five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
The Boxers had a rough first half as the Loggers went on a 14-0 run until
Alex Pfefferle (Jr., Twin Falls, Idaho) opened the scoring for the Boxers with 11:14 left in the first half. Pfefferle brought the Logger lead to 13 after a made free throw with 6:13 left to play. But the Loggers bumped their lead up to 16 after a jumper from Katy Ainslie.
The Boxers came back within 13 after a three-point play from Hitch. Hitch would bring the Logger lead to 12 with another jumper and with 44 seconds left to go in the half
Erica Colter (Sr., Kennwick, Wash.) hit a trey to take the Boxers into the second half trailing the Loggers 31-20.
The second half proved to be the Boxers come back as they went on a 12-2 run in the first seven minutes.
Paige Jensen (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.) opened the second half with a jumper. Hitch sunk two free throws to bring the Boxers within seven. Puget Sound's Kelsey McKinnis hit a trey, but the Boxers came within six after a made free throw from Hitch. With 14:59 to play Hitch hit another jumper to put the Boxers within four. Almost two minutes later, Hitch would again score two and the Boxers trailed 34-32 with 13 minutes left to play in the regulation.
The Loggers went up by nine after a two layups and a trey, but
Kaila Johnson (So., McKinleyville,, Calif.) sunk one from beyond the arc to come within six. Erin Stumbaugh put the Loggers back up by eight, but the Boxers went on 7-0 run to come within one with 6:18 left to play in regulation. The Loggers went up by six after a trey from Alli Wyszynski, but Jensen helped the Boxers come back with a layup and two made free throws to come within two.
With 2:47 left to play, Pfefferle sparked the Boxer offense with a trey cutting the Logger lead to two. Hitch tied the game up at 51-51 with 2:11 left to play in regulation and the Boxers took the lead for the first time after a jumper from Jensen with 1:41 to play. A made layup from Hitch and a made free throw shot from Colter put the Boxers up by three with 18 seconds left to play.
The Boxers used a fouling strategy to take away an opportunity for the Loggers to shoot, but Emily Sheldon came up big for the Loggers as she made a trey with one second left to send the game into overtime.
Colter started off the overtime period by finding Hitch for a jumper, taking a two-point lead. Johnson hit a three to put the Boxers up by five with 3:56 left to play in the game. A good layup and made free throw shot from Hitch put the Boxers up 64-57 with 3:16 left to play. Hitch would take the Boxers lead to eight after being fouled on a made layup, putting her at the line to make another free throw for a three point play. The Boxers claimed the final minute of overtime as Colter and Jensen sunk the final free throws.
Jensen collected her eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes of play. She also tallied six assists and five steals, while shooting 50 percent from both the field and free throw line. Pfefferle added 11 points and five rebounds in 39 minutes. Colter collected 10 points, five assists and made 4 of 6 from the free throw line.
After shooting only 20.7 percent in the first half, the Boxers ended the game shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Boxers outrebounded the Loggers 43-38 and forced the Loggers to 15 turnovers. The Boxers out scored the Loggers 36-25 in the second half and 16-10 in overtime.
Improving to 11-5 overall and 4-4 in the Northwest Conference, the Boxers will travel to Willamette on Friday, Jan. 25 to start the second half of conference play. Tip off is at 6 p.m.
