FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The Pacific University women's basketball team got back on track on Saturday night with a 69-66 victory over the visiting Whitworth Pirates. The contest was close throughout the game which featured four lead changes and neither team leading by double digits.
The Boxers (14-6, 8-3 NWC) shot 41.5% from the field in a performance that saw nine different players score. Pacific won the rebounding battle by a narrow margin of 35-32.
The Pirates (8-13, 3-9 NWC) made five three-pointers on their way to shooting 50% from three-point range. They also shot 19-22 (86.4%) from the free throw line in which the three misses all came in the second half.
Camy Aguinaldo (Senior/Honolulu, HI) led the Boxers against her former team with 23 points. She also was able to collect a team high six rebounds while dishing out four assists in the contest.
Brilie Kovaloff (Junior/Honolulu, HI) was the only other Boxer to score in double digits on the night. Kovaloff went 4-8 from the floor while also tallying a free throw on her way to 10 points.
How It Happened
Aguinaldo gave Pacific the perfect start by nailing a three-pointer on the team's first possession. Whitworth would respond with a 7-0 run, but Gray would finally end the scoring drought to Pacific back on track. With big basket after drawing the foul, Aguinaldo would continue her hot start.
Emily Holsan (Freshman/Sammamish, WA) would knock down a three ball at the four-minute mark to bring the Boxers within two and
Hannah Stein (Sophomore/Eugene, OR) would hit a three of her own to give Pacific the lead. Stein made it five straight points by finishing off a great drive to the hoop and the Boxers would hold a 22-15 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Pirates would put together a 9-0 run to start the quarter, grabbing the lead after a Pacific scoring drought that lasted nearly three minutes. The Boxers would continue to struggle to find the shooting stroke, scoring just nine points in the second period. This allowed the visitors to build a 39-31 lead at the break.
Sydney Gray (Junior/Central Point, OR) finished off a layup despite some contact to complete a three-point play, giving the Boxers some life in the early minutes of the third quarter. A runner in the lane from Aguinaldo followed by a Kovaloff transition layup would put Pacific within one point, making it a 7-0 run to start the second half. However, the Pirates would immediately respond with a 7-0 run of their own to build the gap once again.
Anya Henderson (Sophomore/Clackamas, OR) helped get Pacific back into the game by hitting triples on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to just three points. The Pirates were able to head into the fourth quarter with a 51-49 lead.
The Pirates came out and converted two layups to open the fourth quarter and stretch the lead to six. The Boxers however, would come up with seven crucial stops in a row and go on a 9-0 run to take a 58-55 lead with 4:11 remaining in the 4
th quarter.
A pair of Pirate free throws would be converted before Aguinaldo would make a shot from long-range putting the Boxers up four, 61-57. The two teams would trade buckets and defensive stops over the last three minutes of the contest. Kovaloff would split a pair of free throws with 0.6 seconds to seal the 69-66 Boxer victory.
By The Numbers
- Henderson provided life for the Boxer offense by collecting 3 offensive rebounds.
- Rilee Price (Junior/Brea, CA) led the team with 6 assists.
- This game is the fourth time this season the Boxers have scored 69 points.
Up Next
The Boxers will host Linfield University on Feb. 8
th with a scheduled tipoff at 6 P.M. inside the Stoller Center on the Pacific University campus.
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