BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark women's basketball team continues to be a forced to be reckoned with in the Northwest Conference, winning its last eight contests, including a 71-54 victory over the Willamette Bearcats on Friday night in the Pamplin Sports Center. Sophomores Kristina Williams and Sara Villanueva led the way for the Pios, with Williams netting 15 points and Villanueva 14.

The Pioneers improve to 12-4 on the season, while moving to 6-1 in conference action. The Bearcats finish the game 1-13 overall and 0-7 in the NWC.

Williams finished with a team-high 15 points, finishing 3-4 from the free-throw line, while also coming up with two steals for the Pios. Villanueva ended the night with 14 points, while Herring scored 10 points. Herring and junior Neva Hauser finished with a team-high seven rebounds.

Kaileigh Westermann finished with the nights only double-double, scoring a game-high 17 points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds.

Lewis & Clark opened the game with a strong offensive presence that saw them cruise to a 21-13 advantage with great play by Williams and Herring. The Bearcats would go on a 7-2 run to cut the Pioneers lead to just three points, 23-20, with 1:33 remaining in the half. Daron Dean would put the Pioneers up 27-22 at the half with two made free-throws with three seconds left on the clock.

The Pioneers extended their lead to 37-25 just five minutes into the second half, after opening the period on a 10-2 run. Villanueva put her team up 4e8-28 with 12:13 remaining in the game after driving through the lane and laying one up.

Willamette cut the margin to 16 points, 48-32, with 11:38 left to play on a Pioneer foul, but would be unable to get any closer.

The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, Jan. 22 when they head to Tacoma, Wash., when they take on the Puget Sound Loggers at 6 p.m.