NEWBERG, Ore. – Pacific pulled out another thrilling victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a nonconference match-up hosted by George Fox University. The Boxers managed to fend off a late comeback attempt from the Athenas to improve to 2-0 on the year.
Pacific opens the season with two wins against its opponents from Southern California. This is the second straight season the Boxers have swept Pomona-Pitzer and CMS to begin the year.
Top Performers
- Brilie Kovaloff was brilliant yet again, leading the way with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The guard also made an impact on the glass with a team-high seven rebounds.
- Emily Holsan also reached double-digits, putting up 11 points while hitting both of her attempts from beyond the arc.
- Taya McCallum enjoyed a good performance off the bench with nine points and four rebounds.
How It Happened
It was a slow start to the contest as both teams struggled to find rhythm on the offensive end in the early minutes. The two teams combined to shoot just 4-for-26 in a sloppy first quarter that finished all tied up at 9-9.
Pacific found its footing in the second quarter as Holsan started to catch fire, connecting on a pair of three-pointers before knocking down a mid-range jumper to give her team a 10-point advantage. The Athenas managed a short surge before the end of the half, cutting the deficit to just four points. Despite shooting just 31% in the first half, the Boxers took a 30-26 lead into the locker room.
Sydney Gray buried a triple and the Pacific defense held the Athenas scoreless for nearly three minutes to start the second half, allowing the Boxers to build an 11-point lead. However, another response from Claremont-M-S made it a five-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
Kovaloff poured in seven straight points to start the fourth quarter, allowing Pacific to extend the lead to double-digits yet again. The Boxers went cold after Kovaloff's solid start to the quarter, enduring a scoring drought of over four minutes that allowed CMS to eventually take the lead at 56-55. It was Kovaloff with the clutch basket to get her team back on track, hitting a three-ball from the corner get Pacific back in front.
The Boxers' stepped up on the defensive end and Kovaloff added a couple more free throws to put the game out of reach in the dying seconds, giving Forest Grove's team the 62-58 win in unfamiliar territory.
Up Next
Pacific hosts the Ken Schumann Classic starting on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m., opening the weekend with a contest against Oglethorpe.
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