BOX
SCORE
FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The Lewis & Clark
women's basketball team maintained a share of first
place in the Northwest Conference after defeating the Pacific
(Ore.) Boxers 81-67 on the road Saturday night at the Pacific
Athletics Center. With the victory, head coach Juli Fulks becomes
the winningest coach in Pioneer women's basketball
history.
The Pioneers continue their best season in recent history,
improving to 12-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the NWC. The NWC win
ties the Pioneers with George Fox a top the conference standings.
The Boxers fall to 5-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play with the
loss.
With the win, Fulks surpasses Paula Petrie as the Pioneers
winningest coach. Petrie was the coach of the Pioneers for three
seasons (1991-1994) while Lewis & Clark was still a member of
the NAIA. The Pioneer victory over the Boxers gives Fulks her 70th
win since taking over in 2004, while also making her the most
successful coach the Pioneers have had since becoming a member of
the NCAA Division III.
It was all Pioneers from the start of the game, opening up on a
10-2 run in the first five minutes. A three-pointer from sophomore
Neva Hauser with 11:47 remaining in the half gave the Pioneers a
double-digit advantage and 17-7 lead. The Boxers were able to tie
the game at 20-20 on a three-pointer from Rochelle Reeves-Howe with
6:37 on the clock. Despite tying the game, Pacific would never be
able to take the lead from the Pioneers, as the Pios headed into
the locker room with a 38-33 advantage.
The Pioneers opened the second half in control, this time going on
a 10-0 run that lasted four minutes before Reeves-Howe was able to
net one for the Boxers. The Pioneers ran up their largest lead of
the game with 11:05 remaining, when Kristina Williams drained a
three-pointer that put the Pios up 61-40. Howe was able to pull
Pacific within 12 points with a little over four minutes to play,
but it would be as close as the Boxers would come to catching the
Pios. The Pioneers would go onto close out the game with the 81-67
victory.
Williams finished two points shy of tying her career best single
game scoring record, posting a game-high 25 points against the
Boxers. Margaret Dowling contributed 17 points in the Pioneer
victory, while Christina Herring ended her night with 16
points.
Reeves-Howe led the Boxers with 22 points, while teammate Julianne
Erbe finished with 19 points.
The Pioneers return to the court on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. when
they host George Fox, who are the reigning National Champions and
the only other undefeated team in the NWC.
