FOREST GROVE, Ore. — KC McConnell scored 14 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter to help lead the visiting Whitworth Pirates to a 62-45 women's basketball win over Pacific University on Friday night at the Stoller Center.

Whitworth improved to 8-5 overall with the road win and is now 3-1 in Northwest Conference play. Pacific dropped to 5-7 on the year and to 0-3 in league action.

McConnell, who came into the contest averaging 19.3 points per game, had just three points heading into the final quarter, and her team led by just one digit (36-35). The Boxers had tied the game in the third period on a three-pointer by Lauren Lykins (33-33) but had trailed by as much as 13 points in the second period before the third quarter comeback.

But Pacific went scoreless for just over four minutes at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Still, after a Sarah Curl trey, the Boxers were down just three points (43-40) with 5:35 left.

That's when the McConnell show began. She hit three shots from beyond the arch in the final five minutes of play and added a steal and a basket to close the door on Pacific's hopes. She hit all five of her shots attempted in the final period.

McConnell's 17 led all scorers and she just missed a double-double with nine boards. Grace Douglas was also in double figures for the Pirates with 10 points. Curl led Pacific with 15 points and nine rebounds. She also had three assists and three steals. Point guard Nikki Gilbert added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Pacific hit seven of 14 three-point attempts but shot only 33 percent overall from the field. They only got to the free throw line twice (2-4), while the Pirates nailed 14 of 20 charity attempts.

Both teams were stone cold in the first quarter, but Pacific was icier. The Boxers didn't score for the first four and a half minutes, missing their first five shots while turning the ball over three times. Still, despite shooting just 2 of 14 in the first ten minutes, the home team trailed only 10-5 at the first break as the Pirates were only 3 of 16.

Both squads warmed up a bit in the second quarter. Whitworth scored the first seven points and then proceeded to move out to a 22-9 margin. The Boxers then went on an 8-0 run to pull within five points (22-17) but the visitors closed the half on a 5-0 run to lead at the break 27-17.

The Boxers pulled to within one point at the end of the third period before McConnell's heroics iced the game in the fourth.

Pacific will return to action tomorrow afternoon, hosting Whitman in a 4 p.m. tipoff at the Stoller Center.