SALEM, Ore. – Willamette outscored visiting Whitworth 17-5 over the final eight minutes of the game to pull away for a 68-54 Northwest Conference women's basketball win on Friday night at Cone Field House.
Olivia Mayer posted her 14th double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Quincy McDeid scored all 15 of her points in the second half for the Pirates, who fell to 5-11 overall, 2-5 in the NWC.
Carolyn Ho scored a game-high 23 points for the Bearcats (9-7, 4-3).
Mayer scored 8 of Whitworth's first 10 points to give the Pirates an early 10-6 lead. Madison Hagen scored five straight, including a three-pointer, to extend the lead to 15-8, the Bucs' largest of the game. Whitworth ended the quarter up 17-12, making 53% of its shots.
The Pirates continued to hold a slim lead through much of the second quarter, going up 27-23 on a Mayer free throw. Trailing 31-27 with just over two minutes left in the period, Willamette scored the final five points to take a 32-31 lead at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53% in the second. Mayer had 17 points at the break.
The close game continued through the third quarter, which included two ties and four lead changes. Whitworth had its final lead when Hagen's basket made it 42-39 with just over a minute left, but Willamette had another strong finish, scoring the final six points for a 45-42 lead. The Pirates stayed close despite making only 20% of their shots in the quarter.
The game got away from the Bucs in the fourth period. Mayer's final basket of the game pulled Whitworth within 51-49 two minutes into the period. Willamette scored the next six points, going up 57-49 on Ho's basket with six minutes to go. McDeid answered with a three-pointer, and Whitworth was still within 59-54 with 5:11 left. The Pirates would not score again as the Bearcats scored the game's final nine points.
Whitworth finished 22 of 61 (36.1%) from the floor and 4 of 19 (21.1%) from beyond the arc. The Pirates had a slight edge in rebounding (38-32), but turned the ball over ten times in the second half, 16 times overall.
Willamette finished 25-52 (48.1%) from the field, scoring 46 points in the paint. The Bearcats got to the free throw line 24 times, making 17 of those (70.8%).
Whitworth will try to split the weekend's trip to Oregon at Linfield on Saturday night.
