Nicole Gall became the all-time leader in three-pointers made in C of I history
CALDWELL, Idaho - Keisha Gordon scored five straight points to break a tie late in the second half, leading George Fox University past The College of Idaho, 58-51 in the consolation game of the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Lady Yote Classic inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Whitworth University used 16 three-pointers to win the tournament title, stunning Westminster College, 92-77, in today’s opener.
In the consolation game, the Lady Yotes (4-4) tied the score at 48-48 on a Nicole Gall triple with 6:03 remaining, Gordon sparked an 8-0 run with a free throw, a steal and fastbreak lay-up, and a short-range jumper, to give the Bruins a 53-48 lead. The C of I missed nine of their final ten shots to close the game.
Gall scored seven of her game-high 22 points in a 9-0 run early in the game, as the Yotes built their biggest lead of the night at 15-6, just seven minutes into the game. However, GFU (4-2), ranked No. 4 in the WBCA NCAA Division III poll, rattled off ten straight points to retake the lead. The teams would force ten ties and ten lead changes, until the final second half push by the Bruins.
Fox hit 59-percent of their second half field goals in the win, as Gordon and 6-5 post Hannah Munger each had 15 points in the win, with Hayley Cusick adding 13.
Gall added nine rebounds and seven assists in the loss, setting a tourney record with 17 three-point attempts. The senior also became the most prolific three-point shooter in C of I history, as her three triples pushed her career total to 216 – two more than Heidi Goicoechea, a current assistant at Whitworth.
Dayna Drager had seven points, with Tyra Rickman and Katelin Shannon each scoring six for The C of I, as the Lady Yotes mustered a 27-percent shooting clip on the night.
In the early game, the Division III Pirates (2-2) hit ten of their first 13 shots on the afternoon, sprinting to a 26-9 lead, taking a 44-27 lead at the break. The Griffins (10-2), ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Division I, would use a frantic backcourt trap to get back in the game, tying the game on an Allie Eastman steal and lay-up at 60-60 with ten minutes to go.
However, Whitworth would not falter, as a three-point Kayla Johnson play started a 15-4 run that included triples from Emily Guthrie and Emily Travis, that put the game away.
Guthrie had a game-high 21 points, setting a tournament record with seven three-point makes, while Travis added 19 points and nine assists. Johnson and Taylor (LaMoreaux) Taylor each had 17 points in the win.
The Griffins were led by Michelle Pace with 16 points, while Eastman added 15 for the Salt Lake City school.
The Lady Yotes return to action next weekend, opening Cascade Conference play with home games Friday against Northwest and Saturday against Evergreen State. Tip-off for both games is at 7:30 p.m.