Karly LeVeque recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 78-74 win over Northwest. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Oregon Tech Outlasts Northwest, 78-74
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A 16 point advantage early in the fourth quarter sank to just three with under 30 seconds to play, but Oregon Tech was able to outlast a pesky Northwest University team winning by a 78-74 final in Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s basketball action this afternoon at Danny Miles Court.
Oregon Tech improved to 10-2 in CCC play while NU dropped to 4-8 in the conference standings.
Ashleigh Vandenbrink got off to a quick start scoring eight of Tech’s first 10 points, as the Owls and Eagles were locked at 10-all at the midway point of the first quarter.
A Mariah Stacona triple gave NU a brief lead before Tech’s Michelle Cottier scored at the end of the opening quarter putting the Owls up 16-15.
Tess Armstrong came alive for the Owls in the second quarter, scoring nine points in the stretch. Tech outscored the Eagles 22-17 taking a 38-32 lead into the break.
A Karly LeVeque jumper gave the Owls their first double-digit advantage, 46-36, with Megan Whetstone hitting from long range pushing the home team’s advantage to 15 points in the third quarter.
Nohea Waiwaiole hit 1-of-2 freebies to open the final stanza and the Owls held their largest margin of the game, 61-45, with 9:23 to play.
NU’s Brianna Fiso scored with 6:30 to play, as the Eagles cut their deficit to nine, 63-54.
Oregon Tech managed another double figure lead, 70-60, with 1:07 remaining, but missed free throws and five straight possessions with points for NU during a 30 second span cut the Owls lead to 75-72 with 27 seconds to play.
NU would have a chance to tie after Tech missed both of their free throw tries, but two missed jumpers and two missed free throws to get it closer kept Tech up by the same 75-72 score.
Vandenbrink sank both her tries to bump the lead back to 77-72. Charmaine Bradford scored with 15 seconds for NU, but Carly McIsaac hit a free throw with six seconds putting the Owls up four, 78-74, icing the game.
Ashleigh Vandenbrink tied for game-high honors with an 18 point performance, including 4-of-9 from the 3-point line and four of her six made free throws coming with under a minute to play. Karly LeVeque would net 17 points and grab 10 rebounds for a double-double with Megan Whetstone adding 15 points, all in the second half, in the win for Tech.
Brianna Fiso paced the Eagles with 18 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds in a double-double effort. Jordan Asher knocked down 15 points and Charmaine Bradford 14 points, six rebounds and four assists in the loss for NU.
Oregon Tech shot 21-of-56 (37.5%) from the field and hit 30-of-42 free throw attempts. Tech held a 47-44 edge on the boards.
NU finished 29-of-77 from the field (37.7%) and 11-for-15 from the charity stripe.