Box Score BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. - The #7 Lewis & Clark women's basketball team had its hands full on Friday night against the Whitman Missionaries in Northwest Conference action. The Pioneers came from behind in the final seconds of the second-half to force overtime, where the team went onto take down the Missionaries 71-69.
The victory now puts the Pioneers at 17-1 on the season and 8-1 in conference play. The Pioneers now sit two games ahead of the Missionaries in the conference standings and just one game behind the George Fox Bruins. The loss is the first for Whitman in seven games and drops them to 10-8 on the season and 6-3 in the NWC along with the Puget Sound Loggers.
Senior Neva Hauser led the way for the Pioneers, scoring a game-high 21 points, finishing 8-13 from the field. Junior Kristina Williams finished the night with 12 points, while senior Megan Spence knocked down 10 points. Sophomore Tayler Wang finished the night one point away from a double-double, scoring nine points, while pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds.
Jenele Petterson ended her night with a game-high 21 points for the Missionries after hitting 8-14 from the floor. Meghan White and Mary Madden each finished with 12 points for Whitman.
Madden put the Missionaries on top to start the game with a jumper assisted by Kelly Peterson. Whitman held control of the lead until a Daron Dean layup tied the game at 13-13 with 12:51 on the clock. Katie Anderson followed up the Dean layup with a three pointer to give the Pioneers their first lead of the game.
Hauser hit a three pointer of her own with 5:30 remaining in the first half to give the Pioneers a six-point, 29-23, advantage. The Missionaries fought their way back, taking a 35-34 lead with 1:02 left until halftime. Back-to-back free-throws from Sara Villanueva ended the scoring and earned the Pioneers a 36-35 advantage heading into the locker room.
The Pioneers opened the scoring in the second half with a solid three pointer from Hauser. White pulled Whitman even with Lewis & Clark at 39-39 with 17:27 to go for the sixth tied score of the contest. The two sides would exchange possession of the lead four more times, with neither side able to get more than a three point advantage, until the 2:08 mark when K. Peterson put Whitman up 61-56.
Still holding a five point, 63-58, lead with 26 seconds remaining, the Missionaries looked poised to take the win. Undeterred, the Pioneers showed their composure and experience inching their way back into the game starting with a Williams layup with 11 seconds to go.
A Missionary foul on an Anderson three pointer sent the sophomore to the line to shoot three free-throws. Anderson hit her first free-throw before missing the second. A Whitman timeout following the second free-throw allowed the Pioneers to draw up a play that resulted in another missed free-throw but an offensive rebound. With four seconds to go, down by two, Williams nailed a jumper to tie the game for the 11th time and force overtime.
Hauser once again hit the first shot of the period, scoring on a layup assisted by Williams. Spence increased the Pioneer lead to four points seconds later with a jumper in the paint. The Missionaries pulled within two on a J. Peterson jumper with 4:01 left in overtime. The Pioneers would hold a four point, 71-67, lead with 2:10 to play before Tiffani Traver laid one in to pull the Missionaries within two. The Pioneers played keep away throughout the final minute of overtime to hang on for the victory.
Lewis & Clark returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m., hosting the Whitworth Pirates in more Northwest Conference action.
