PORTLAND, Ore. — Despite holding Pacific University to 17 second-half points, Lewis & Clark College women's basketball couldn't overcome a 20-point halftime deficit in their Northwest Conference home opener, falling 63-51 on Saturday night at Pamplin Sports Center.
THE BASICS
Pacific 63, Lewis & Clark 51
(Lewis & Clark 2-8, 0-2 NWC)
(Pacific 5-6, 1-1 NWC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sophomore Lauryn Frederickson led the Pioneers with 13 points and seven rebounds, while first-year Kaitlen Carns and sophomore Madilyn Palosi each added 11 points in a game that saw Lewis & Clark battle back from a 22-point first-half deficit.
The opening quarter started evenly matched, with both teams trading baskets early. Palosi knocked down a three-pointer at 8:38 to give the Pioneers a 5-4 advantage, and junior Madelyn Sanchez connected from long range to put Lewis & Clark up 8-6. However, Pacific closed the quarter on a 19-5 scoring run to take a 12-point lead after the first ten minutes.
Frederickson made her first basket of the game early in the second quarter to keep the deficit at 12, but Pacific scored seven points in 90 seconds to take a 34-15 lead at the 7:55 mark. Carns and sophomore Isabella Bernard were able to pull Lewis & Clark back within 15 with two made free throws by the first year and a three by Bernard at 6:28 to make it 35-20.
The Boxer's Keiki McGee gave her team their largest lead of the night, 46-26, on a three at the two-minute mark for her 21st first-half point. McGee led all scorers in the game with 28 points. Junior Tatiana Rebanal, who scored the first basket of the game for Lewis & Clark, hit a floating jump shot with 13 seconds left in the half to cut the deficit to 20 at halftime.
Rebanal's jumper also started a 13-0 run that carried over into the third quarter and cut even more into the Pacific lead. Five different Pioneers scored during the run, including Sanchez, who finished with seven points and four rebounds in the game. Carns, who finished 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, hit the second of two free throws with 3:47 left in the third to pull Lewis & Clark within 46-37.
In the fourth quarter, Frederickson hit two free throws with seven minutes remaining in the game to pull within nine points, 54-45, but the Pioneers couldn't complete the comeback.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Carns was second on the team with five rebounds, while Sanchez and sophomore DJ Kendrick had four boards each.
- Sanchez and sophomore Divinity Singleton led Lewis & Clark with two assists each.
- Lewis & Clark's defense forced 17 Pacific turnovers, 14 after halftime.
- Rebanal led the team with three steals, Palosi added two and Kendrick had one.
- The Pioneers outscored Pacific 17-8 in the third quarter and 12-4 in the paint after scoring only four total points in the paint in the first half.
WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark makes their annual trip to the Whits next week, taking on Whitman at 8 p.m. in Walla Walla, Washington, on Friday before heading to Spokane for a 6 p.m. meeting with Whitworth.
