The Warriors picked up their sixth victory of the 2014-15 campaign. (Photo credit: Doug Pfeiler)
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – There’s no question the Corban University women’s basketball team is experienced in close games. After losing two one-point heartbreakers earlier this season, the Warriors came up victorious in a thrilling 65-63 win over Whitman College in their final game at the KER Classic.
For the second straight contest, junior guard Jade Lowery (Oregon City, Ore.) led the Navy and Gold in scoring with 17 points, and senior center Tara Van Weerdhuizen (Spokane, Wash.) notched her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 14 rebounds. In addition, Lowery was named to the KER All-Classic team after averaging 19.5 points and 2.5 steals in the two-game span.
After falling behind early, the Warriors (6-6, 1-0 CCC) fought back and eventually tied the game at the 8:19 mark thanks to a three-pointer by sophomore forward Sadie Pilgeram (Helena, Mont.). The Missionaries regained a four-point lead (16-12), but then the Warriors responded with back-to-back buckets by Lowery and sophomore forward Payton Wilcox (Salem, Ore.). The two teams were tied at 22 apiece at intermission.
Neither team shot particularly well in the first stanza, as Corban went 7-for-27 (25.9%) from the field compared to a 10-for-40 (25.0%) clip by Whitman. The Missionaries (5-3) held a slight advantage on the glass (28-22), but the Warriors managed to keep pace due to seven made free throws compared to just one by the Missionaries.
The first 10 minutes of the second frame saw one tie and six lead changes, as neither tell could pull ahead by more than four points. Pilgeram’s jumper gave Corban its first lead (32-31) of the half with 15:38 remaining, but Whitman continued to respond.
With the Missionaries leading, 36-34, junior forward Megan Benedict (Lebanon, Ore.) nailed a jumper from downtown at the 12:53 mark to give the Warriors the lead for good. Although Corban notched its largest lead (60-49) following a layup by Wilcox, Whitman came roaring back and eventually pulled to within one (64-63) with 34 seconds to go.
After a Navy and Gold turnover, the Missionaries had a chance to take the lead, but a shot by freshman guard Casey Poe didn’t find the bottom of the net. Corban took a two-point advantage (65-63) following a free throw by Lowery with five seconds remaining, and Whitman couldn’t score on its final possession.
“The ladies dug in and played determined basketball for 40 minutes,” said head coach Dave Bale. “The three’s didn’t fall for us in the first half, but Megan, Sadie, and Jade hit timely ones for us to break open a close game.”
Pilgeram finished second on Corban in scoring with 12 points, including a 2-for-6 effort from beyond the arc. Wilcox registered 10 points, while junior guard Julia Young (Snohomish, Wash.) finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
Whitman was led by senior guard Heather Johns, as she tallied a game-high 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting. Junior forward Hailey Ann Maeda recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and senior forward Heather Lovelace came off the bench to chip in 10 points.
After a dismal shooting performance in opening 20 minutes, Corban shot a blistering 60.0% (12-20) in the second stanza. The Warriors also finished 23-for-27 (85.2%) from free throw line in the triumph. Despite being outrebounded, Corban held Whitman to a 2-for-15 (13.3%) clip from downtown.
“Our free throws saved us down the stretch, as we hit 16-for-18 in the second half,” commented Bale. “We beat a very good team which will help us be ready for next week’s Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) trip.”
The Warriors return to the hardwood on Dec. 19 in a CCC contest against The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. at 5:30 p.m.