Sarah Eischen scored 12 points for CU
Concordia Defeats Warner Pacific 68-59
BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. – Rachel Scarpelli led Concordia with 15 points as the Cavaliers defeated visiting Warner Pacific 68-59 in a Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s basketball game Friday night at Cavalier Gymnasium.
Concordia’s 11th-straight win improved the Cavaliers’ record to 11-3 overall, 3-0 in conference play. Warner Pacific fell to 6-6 overall, 1-2 in the CCC with the loss.
Turnovers proved to be a struggle in the contest, as the teams combined for 64 turnovers in the contest, an average of one turnover for every 37.5 seconds of play. Sixteen players turned the ball over at least once, and 13 gave the ball away on at least two occasions.
The Cavaliers scored the first six points of the game and led from the opening minute to the final buzzer, although the Knights kept it close throughout. Concordia shot 60 percent (15-of-25) from the field in the opening period to go into the break with a 34-23 lead, its largest of the game to that point.
Warner Pacific struck quickly to start the second half, scoring the first seven points of the period and nine of the first 11 to pull within four points at 36-32 with 17:35 left to play. Concordia answered by scoring the next eight points and pulled ahead by a game-high 15 points at 49-34 on Megan Padilla’s layup with 11:54 remaining. The Knights pulled back to within single-digits and put pressure on the Cavaliers with 2:13 to play and the lead down to 62-55, but that would be the closest Warner Pacific would get.
Concordia finished the game shooting 57.1 percent from the field while holding the visitors to a 41.7 mark. Scarpelli led a group of four Cavaliers players who reached double-figures in the scoring column, while Miranda Holenstein led all scorers with 19 points for Warner Pacific.
Danielle Clauson filled up the stat sheet with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go with nine rebounds, seven steals, three blocks and two assists. Sarah Eischen scored 12 points and Megan Padilla added 10, each on 5-of-7 shooting.
“It was a good team effort – we were able to withstand runs and we did a good job of holding on and pulled it off,” CU head coach Aaron Christian said. “There were a lot of travel calls both ways and we’ve got to shore up some things, but a win is a win.”
Kelsey Mattsen scored 13 points and Cameryn Calhoun added 10 and a game-high nine assists for the Knights.
Concordia returns to action Dec. 28, when the Cavaliers host Lewis & Clark in a non-conference game scheduled for 7 p.m.