The Pioneer women fell to the Puget Sound Loggers, 47-64 on Friday night, January 2, in their first conference game of the season in Tacoma, Wash (boxscore). Both teams entered the match-up in the midst of a four-way tie for third place, alongside Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth, all with a 6-3 overall record.

In a face-off between two of the most effective point guards in the conference, Kittell and Ely, and a battle of strength in the paint between 6'2'' centers Vega and Chase, the relentless pressure of both teams allowed for very few mistakes on both ends. The Loggers jumped ahead early, coming out hot from beyond 15 feet, leading 14-4 by the 15:00 mark. Playing from a 10+ point deficit for nearly 19 minutes, the Pioneers struggled to match the Loggers efficiency from the floor, shooting just 33.3% to the Loggers' 56.5%. The Pioneers fought for nearly the entire half to recover from their early deficit, but it wasn't until the 1:00 mark that the Pioneers were able catch their second wind. The Pioneers found two quick buckets to bring them to within seven as the half expired at 34-27.

In the second half, the Pioneers continued to pound the ball inside, while the Loggers continued to find success from their outside shooters, going 46.4% from the floor to the Pioneers 28.6%. Seven minutes into the half, the Loggers pushed their lead to 13, but the Pioneers would rally back to within 10 at the 9:00 mark. Unfortunately, the Pioneer comeback attempt, much like all the others, resulted in a Logger response, sending L&C back into a 16 point deficit. But the Pioneers would continue to fight, while the Loggers showed no signs of loosening their grip. With just minutes remaining in the game, the Loggers led by 14, forcing the Pioneers to foul. With neither team in bonus, the Pioneers had to rely on their defensive play, which was unable to prevent the Loggers from earning 10 second half offensive rebounds.

The Pioneers were led by Kim Kittell (Jr., Tillamook, Ore.) with 12 points and five assists. Kelly Vega (Jr., Beaverton, Ore.) added 10 points, going 5-7 from the floor. The Pioneers earned 21 offensive rebounds, and 13 more shot attempts than the Loggers; however, the Loggers high shooting percentage on their home floor damaged the Pioneers beyond recovery.

With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play. They will return to play Saturday night, January 3, when they finish out their Tacoma trip against Pacific Lutheran University. Tip off is set for 6 pm, followed by the men's game at 8 pm.