LACEY, Wash.- The Pacific University women's basketball team fought very hard against Saint Martin's University in an exciting exhibition matchup, but the Division II opponents managed to outlast the Boxers 71-49 inside their home gym.
The Boxers (6-3, 2-0 NWC) struggled with the great size and length of the hosts and were unable to create much rhythm offensively. Despite an outstanding opening period, Pacific shot just 31.3% (21-67) on the night, posting their lowest field-goal percentage of the season.
Saint Martin's (7-2, 0-1 GNAC) regained their footing after a tough first quarter and rallied to shoot 44.9%. The hosts got 24 points from six-footer, Rian Clear, and two other Saints would score in double figures.
Brilie Kovaloff (Junior/Honolulu, HI) led the Boxers with 16 points, hitting four shots from beyond the arc. The Hawaii native went 6-of-12 in her 26 minutes.
Camy Aguinaldo (Senior/Honolulu, HI) didn't have her best night by her lofty standards, but the nation's seventh-ranked scorer still tallied 14 points. Despite this being her second-lowest point total of the season, the point guard was effective on the defensive end, pulling down six rebounds to match the team high.
Rilee Price (Junior/Brea, CA) nailed one three-pointer on the night and poured in seven points while
Sydney Gray (Junior/Central Point, OR) made her presence felt on both ends of the floor with six rebounds and four points to her name.
How It Happened
The Boxers were firing on all cylinders in the first period, using Kovaloff's sharpshooting to take a 21-14 lead. The junior connected on all four of her three-point attempts, totaling 12 points in the opening 10 minutes. Pacific shot 57.1% from the floor and held the hosts to just 6-of-20 in the first quarter.
The Boxers cooled off in the second quarter, shooting just 4-of-17 (23.5%) and couldn't find the stroke from three-point range, going 0-for-4. Pacific managed to play some stingy defense, holding the hosts to just 36.8% from the field. Saint Martin's went 0-for-8 from the perimeter in the first half.
The hosts started to pull away in the third period as they shot over 50% to extend their lead to as many as 10 points in the quarter. In the final quarter, Price would knock down a three ball to cut the lead to five points. However, Saint Martin's would come alive and put together a 15-2 run to put the game out of reach.
While the hosts walked away with a convincing victory, the score line did not match the excellent display from the Boxers, who hung in there against a very good Division II opponent.
By The Numbers
- The Saints won the rebounding battle 43-27.
- Alexis Intong (Junior/Kirkland, WA) played her first minutes since Nov. 14 as she returned from injury.
Up Next
The Boxers will host Nebraska Wesleyan on Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. as they return to non-conference competition.
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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