TACOMA, Wash. – Puget Sound turned a big first quarter into a 76-63 win over visiting Whitworth in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Saturday night.
The Loggers (18-4 overall, 11-3 NWC) held on to second place in the NWC standings. The Pirates (9-14, 4-10) trimmed an early 17-point deficit to three points in the second half.
Kimberly Dewey's three-pointer sparked an early 7-3 lead for Whitworth. But Puget Sound answered with a 19-0 run to jump out to a 22-7 lead. The Pirates had four turnovers during that run. By the time Isabella Reed hit a three-pointer right before the buzzer, the Logger lead had reached 30-13.
Whitworth did not go away. Olivia Mayer's three-point play pulled the Pirates within 35-26 and Whitworth went into the locker room down 39-30 after forcing the Loggers into 23% (3-13) shooting in the second quarter.
The Pirates kept the pressure on in the third, scoring the first six points to get within 39-36 on Megan Dorney's layup. Kate Minnehan scored for UPS to stretch the margin back to 48-40, but Dawson Driggs made four straight free throws to get the Bucs back within four. The Pirates went dry offensively over the final three minutes and UPS went back up by 12 (57-45) before Tara Kaneshiro's basket ended the drought and the Bucs trailed 57-49 after three.
Trailing by five midway through the final quarter, the Pirates had two chances at making a three-pointer to pull within two points. Both rimmed off and the Loggers steadily pulled away from that 63-58 margin over the final four minutes.
Dorney had 10 points and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. She was the only Pirate in double figures. Kaneshiro, Dewey and Mayer each scored nine points. Whitworth finished the game 19-53 (35.8%) from the floor, 22-28 (78.6%) from the free throw line.
Georgia Lavender led UPS with 14 points, while Samantha Swartout and Kennedy Brown had 12 apiece. The Loggers were 25-65 (38.5%) from the floor, 14-18 (77.8%) from the free throw line.
Whitworth will return home to complete the season next weekend against George Fox and Lewis & Clark.
