Pfefferle, Jensen Lead Boxers Past Bearcats
Box Score
SALEM, Ore. –
Alex Pfefferle (Jr., Twin Falls, Idaho) and
Paige Jensen (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.) scored almost half of the Pacific women's basketball team's points to lead the Boxers to a 67-55 Northwest Conference victory over Willamette on Saturday evening at the Cone Field House.
Pfefferle picked up her first double-double of the season as she scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 32 minutes of play. She shot 2 of 10 from the field and 1 of 5 from beyond the arc while tallying two steals. Pfefferle was perfect from the free throw line, making all 10. Jensen added 16 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes of play. She went 5 for 11 from the field and 6 for 8 from the free throw line.
The Bearcats (1-17, 1-8 NWC) controlled the first nine and half minutes as they led by seven at the most before the Boxers took over. With 11 minutes to go in the first half,
Heather Hitch (Sr., Enumclaw, Wash.) sunk a jumper to bring the Boxers within five, 16-11. Sophomore guard,
Nani Ostrom (So., Juneau, Alaska) hit a three to cut the Bearcat lead to two. The Boxers would take their first lead of the game with 9:10 on the clock, after
Kaila Johnson (So., McKinleyville, Calif.) hit a three to put the Boxers up 17-16.
Erica Colter (Sr., Kennewick, Wash.) would hit the Boxers third three in a row in a span of a minute and half to continue the Boxer lead. After a Bearcat jumper with five minutes left to go until halftime, the Boxers led by just two, but three good free throw shots and a Pfefferle three-pointer put the Boxers up by eight, 32-24 with 2:16 left to go in the first half. The Boxers ended the half, with a good free throw shot from
Olivia Cook (So., Beaverton, Ore.) and a sunken jumper from Ostrom to head into the second half leading 35-24.
Jensen opened the second half with a jumper, putting the Boxers up by 13. After a Bearcat foul at 16:31, Jensen would hit two free throws to keep the Boxers ahead 39-26. The Bearcats cut the Boxer lead to eight, but two good jumpers from Jensen put the Boxers back up by 12 with 13:22 left to play in the game.
The Boxers went up by, as much as, 14 after a made jumper by Hitch. The Bearcats brought the Boxer lead to 13 with a made free throw, but a Bearcat foul sent Jensen to the line to make both free throws to put the Boxers up 51-36, their largest lead of the night.
With less than four minutes left to play, Pfefferle made four free throws in a row to keep the Boxer lead at 14. The Bearcats began to crawl back into the game, coming within eight with 39 seconds to go, but six more perfect free throws from the Boxers secured the victory.
Colter added 10 points, shooting 3 for 5 from the field and 3 for 4 from the charity stripe in 24 minutes of play. Ostrom collected eight points in 24 minutes of play, going 2 for 2 from beyond the arc. Hitch added seven points and five rebounds, while Johnson tallied five points. The Boxers shot 34 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the 3-point line. The Boxers went 25 for 30 from the charity stripe.
The Boxers improve to 12-5 overall and 5-4 in the Northwest Conference. They return back home tomorrow evening for their second matchup with George Fox. Tip off is a 6 p.m. Live stats and live video is available at goboxers.com.
