by Kelsey Segren, Sports Information Assistant

TACOMA, Wash. – Macey Morales finished with 16 points to lead the visiting Whitworth women's basketball team to a 67-62 win over Puget Sound in Sunday night's Northwest Conference contest.

Whitworth (4-4, 4-4 NWC) won two of three games against Puget Sound (5-6, 5-6) this season. Tomorrow's game between the Pirates and Loggers is cancelled as UPS is down to just six active players.

Morales tied a career-high 16 points to lead the Pirates in scoring. Quincy McDeid finished with 13 points on the game, scoring nine of her points in the second quarter.

Morales made a pair of threes and totaled eight points in the first quarter to help the Pirates get out to a 18-14 lead. Whitworth had five offensive rebounds in the period.

Whitworth and UPS were tied at 23-23 before the Pirates pulled ahead by double digits on a 10-0 run. McDeid scored the last five points of the run with a layup and three-pointer. The Pirates led 40-33 at the break after a Talia Brandner jump shot to close the half.

The Pirates held the Loggers to 36.4% (12-33) shooting from the floor in the first half. Whitworth shot 41% (16-39) from the field through the first two periods, which included 5-12 from three-point range.

Both Whitworth and Puget Sound had low-scoring third quarters. A three-pointer from Grace Pytynia-Hillier narrowed the Pirates' lead to 47-44 with 02:50 to go in the period. The Pirates were outscored 13-9 in the quarter but entered the fourth up 49-46.  

The Loggers got within one twice in the fourth quarter before baskets from Dorney and Devyn Cope brought the score to 59-54. A three-point play from Morales extended Whitworth's advantage to 62-56 with 02:25 left. UPS cut the margin to 66-62 with seven seconds to go but Morales made one of two free throws to secure the win.

Whitworth finished with a 45-43 edge over UPS in rebounding. Cope secured a career-high nine rebounds for the Pirates, while Brandner grabbed eight.

Katie Minnehan recorded a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Loggers, who were down to just six active players. Pytynia-Hillier scored 15 points, while Sofia Lavinder and Georgia Lavinder added 10 points each.

Up next, the Pirates host Whitman in a pair of makeup games on March 19-20.