SPOKANE, Wash. – Visiting Pacific University made 54% of its shots from the floor and pulled away late to defeat Whitworth 73-59 in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates fell to 1-10 overall and 0-2 in the NWC and hope to pick up their first NWC win of the season at Whitman College on Tuesday night.

The teams traded leads nine times over a competitive first quarter.  Brenna Gilchrist's basket gave Whitworth a 17-15 lead with 3:17 to go in the period before the Boxers (6-6 overall, 1-2 NWC) closed on a 7-2 run to take a 22-17 lead after one quarter.  Pacific made 9 of 14 shots (64.3%) in the period.

After the Boxers extended the lead to 24-19, Whitworth used an 11- 2 run to go ahead 30-26.  Gilchrist scored the final five points of the run.  Ava DePew drained a pair of free throws with one second left in the half to give the Bucs a 33-31 lead at halftime.  Despite making only 4 of 16 from the field in the quarter, Whitworth was able to take the lead by making 7 of 8 free throws.

Karina Franco's three pointer gave Pacific a 38-35 lead three and a half minutes into the third quarter.  The Boxers would not trail again.  They extended their lead to 51-41 on a Shaade Williams basket in the final 30 seconds of the period.  Pacific once again made 9 of 14 from the floor in the third.

The Pirates got back-to-back three-pointers from Addison Gallatin and CC Size to quickly cut the margin to 51-47 early in the final quarter.  Whitworth was still within 59-55 after a basket by Alex Goetz with just under five minutes left.  Pacific put the game away with a 12-0 run over the next three and a half minutes.  Williams hit a pair of three-pointers in the run.

Ashlyn Peterson led the Pirates with 17 points.  Gilchrist scored 11 off the bench, surpassing her previous career-high of four points back in November at Pomona-Pitzer.  DePew had nine rebounds and dished four assists to go with seven points.  Whitworth finished 19 of 62 (31%) from the floor and 5-19 (26.3%) from three-point range. 

Four players reached double figures for Pacific, led by Sydney Esperanza's 18 points.  Franco and Williams scored 15 each and Ava Cook added 13.  The Boxers finished 31-57 (54.4%) from the floor.