Box Score CALDWELL, Idaho – Jessica Kramer's jumper with four seconds left to play capped a 9-0 run over the final four minutes of the game and lifted Whitworth to a 63-62 win over Eastern Oregon in the opening contest of the Best Western Inn and Suites Lady `Yote Classic on Friday night at the College of Idaho.
The 18th/19th-ranked Pirates improved to 3-0 with their second win of the season over the NAIA Mountaineers (6-2). It is also the second time this season that Whitworth has rallied from a large deficit to overcome EOU. This time it was from 17 points down midway through the second half.
"We had a sluggish start and perhaps the hangover of tryptophan from Thanksgiving dinner caused us to have to dig out if a hole once again," joked head coach Helen Higgs. "But we picked up our intensity on defense and began to attack more offensively in the second half, which got us back in the game."
Eastern led from the opening tip and then used a 13-1 run to open a 32-15 lead after Nikki Osborn's three-pointer. But the Pirates were able to close within 37-30 at halftime. Lexxi Zappone's three-pointer cut the margin from 10 points down to seven for the Bucs.
EOU extended the lead back to 11 points early in the second half at 41-30, but Kramer hit a three-pointer during an 11-2 run and Zappone's basket got the Pirates back within 43-41 with twelve minutes left.
That set a precedent as the Mountaineers would surge ahead and the Pirates would close the gap. Maloree Moss scored to give EOU a 52-43 lead, but Whitworth hit three straight three-pointers to tie the game 52-52. Jordan Klebaum scored six straight points during an 8-0 run by EOU to extend the lead back to 60-52. Madeline Laan's basket made it 62-54 with 4:08 to play, but it would be the Mountaineer's final score of the game.
Kramer started the final run with a layup and KC McConnell hit a three-pointer and then a layup with 27 seconds left to get the Pirates within a single point. During the final four minutes EOU turned the ball over four times, missed seven shots and three free throws. The final missed free throw was rebounded by Zappone and gave Whitworth possession with 20 seconds left.
Whitworth worked the ball to Katara Belton-Sharp, who fed Kramer for the winning jumper with four seconds left. The Pirates then held off EOU's last-ditch three-point attempt at the buzzer. The final margin was Whitworth's only lead of the game.
Belton-Sharp led the Bucs with 15 points, while Kendra Knutsen and Kramer scored 11 each. Knutsen added six assists and three steals, while Zappone had eight points, eight rebounds (team high) and four assists. The Pirates had assists on 19 of their 27 baskets.
Whitworth made 27-66 (40.9%) of their shots from the field. The Bucs were 7-21 (33%) from three-point range. And they only got to the free throw line five times, where they only made two attempts.
Eastern was 24-55 from the field (43.6%) and 6-11 (54.5%) from long range. But the Mountaineers were undone by 21 turnovers. They had committed 26 in a 67-55 loss at Whitworth on November 15th.
The Pirates will conclude the Lady 'Yote Classic on Saturday with a game against host College of Idaho at 5:00 pm (MST) / 4:00 pm (PST).
