SPOKANE, Wash. – The Eastern Oregon University women's basketball team suffered their first loss of the 2014-15 season on Saturday evening to Whitworth University, 67-55.
Kelsey Hill led the Mountaineers with 16 points and
Madeline Laan followed with 13 points.
Larissa Quintana rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
The Mountaineers offense came out on fire in the first half as they shot 55 percent in the first half and held the Pirates to 29 percent from the floor.
After a layup by Quintana, the Mountaineers held a 15-5 lead with 11:17 to go in the first half. The Mountaineers continued and after a layup by
Nikki Osborne they led by 14 points, 27-13.
EOU increased their lead to 16 points, late in the first half, but Whitworth scored the last six points of the half and EOU took a 31-21 lead into halftime.
After a hot shooting first half, the Mountaineers offense struggled, shooting 33 percent, and Whitworth warmed up as they shot 56 percent in the second half.
The Mountaineers continued to hold onto their double figure lead early in the second half, growing to as many as 12 points, twice. With EOU ahead, 37-25, the Pirates answered by scoring ten straight points to cut the Mountaineers' lead down to two points, 37-35.
Whitworth's offense remained hot late in the second half as the Pirates went on another run to take a 44-41 lead. After Whitworth took the lead they never gave it up. With five minutes left in the second half, EOU found themselves down 12 points, 57-45.
EOU continued to battle and scored six unanswered points, putting EOU down six points, 57-51. That would be as close as EOU would get and the Pirates stretched their lead back to double figures, defeating EOU, 67-55.
EOU returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 19 when they host Walla Walla University at 6:30 p.m.