Karissa Harbick (25) sparked the Owls with nine points in a reserve role, as the Owls pulled out a 61-58 win over Northwest tonight at Danny Miles Court. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Oregon Tech Steals One from Northwest
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Megan Whetstone hit the go-ahead jumper with nine seconds to go, while Charity Degman’s triple to tie at the buzzer for Northwest was off the mark, as Oregon Tech stole a Cascade Conference women’s basketball game from the Eagles, 61-58, tonight at Danny Miles Court.
Oregon Tech improved to 15-4 overall and 4-3 in CCC play. NU dropped to 9-7 on the season and will take a 2-4 CCC mark to Southern Oregon University on Saturday. The Owls host Evergreen State tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.
Northwest scored the game’s first six points before Tech’s Megan Whetstone tied the game at 12-all with nine minutes to play in the opening period. Carly McIsaac free throws helped the Owls to their first lead 14-12, moments later.
Tech and NU battled through four more ties before the home team moved up 29-25 on a Tess Armstrong score. NU’s Kalee Fowler would rattle home a trey from the corner as time expired, as the Owls held a 29-28 advantage at the half.
NU continued to hang around and when Jordan Asher connected from long distance the Eagles held a 35-33 lead with 16:08 remaining. Chanara Green free throws three minutes later would give NU their largest lead of the half, 42-36.
Ashleigh Vandenbrink capped an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to help Tech regain a 44-42 lead with 8:47 on the clock.
A pair of Greene freebies for NU with 7:31 to go gave the visitors the lead again, 45-44. The Eagles would maintain the edge over the next seven minutes, moving up 56-52 with 1:21 to play.
A Vandenbrink triple and a pair of free throws cut Tech’s deficit to 58-57, and when Charmaine Bradford missed both ends of her free throw tries for NU, the Owls had last possession.
After a 30 second timeout Tech drew up a set play for Whetstone where she caught, turned and banked in an eight footer with nine seconds on the clock to go up 59-58. A NU turnover resulted in Tech’s Carrie Thibault being fouled on the inbounds where she sank both her tries to make it a 61-58 game.
With 2.2 seconds, and 50 feet from the basket, NU’s Charity Degman was the recipient of an inbounds where she took three dribbles and got off a decent look, but missed just left, as the Owls secured the three point win.
Ashleigh Vandenbrink led the Owls with a team-high 13 points, followed by Whetstone with 10 points and five rebounds. Karissa Harbick and Reb Matteri provided a spark off the bench for Tech, as the duo joined Karly LeVeque to finish with nine points each. Matteri grabbed eight caroms and LeVeque seven in the win for the Owls.
Chanara Greene provided the games only double-double, as the post notched a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds. Charmaine Bradford tacked on 16 points and finished with five boards and four assists in the loss.