Fenumiai Hits Clutch Free Throws, Evergreen Wins
Gabi Fenumiai scored a game-high 25 points, including three crucial free throws down the stretch, to lead The Evergreen State College to a 67-64 Cascade Collegiate Conference women's basketball win over the visiting Multnomah Lions on Friday night in Costantino Recreation Center.
There were 15 ties and 16 lead changes throughout the closely played game that wasn't decided until the final 24 seconds. Fenumiai hit the second of two free throws to put the Geoducks (2-6 overall, 1-1 CCC) on top, 65-64, and after a Multnomah miss on the other end, she hit two at the charity stripe with 9.4 seconds on the clock to make it a three-point game.
Multnomah had a good look at a potential game-tying shot, but Ana Wakefield's three-pointer from the right wing came up short and Imani Dunn got the rebound for the hosts, who ran out the clock to finish off the victory.
Neither team achieved a double-digit lead, the Lions getting their biggest advantage at 45-42 on a three-point basket by Milan Wood with 4:25 left in the third period. Evergreen's largest lead of the game, eight points, came at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter when a three by Asiyah Davis made the score 23-15.
Evergreen built a 59-52 lead at 5:24 of the final period of a layup by Autumn Moorcroft, but the Lions scratched their way back into the game to trail by two points after a jumper and free throw by Lacie Kamper and a steal and layup by Miranda Schmillen.
After the Geoducks regained a four-point advantage, Bethany George nailed a three and Schmillen hit a pair of free throws to give Multnomah a 62-61 edge with 1:45 to play. That was the last time the Lions led, however, as Fenumiai hit the crucial free throws at the end.
Fenumiai had a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and she was joined in the double-double column by Moorcroft, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Dunn also grabbed 12 rebounds as the Geoducks dominated in that category, 51-25.
Evergreen shot 50 percent (24-for-48) for the game and had 14 assists, including seven by Moorcroft.
Schmillen had a big game for the Lions with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Multnomah shot 35 percent (24-for-69) overall and had 19 assists on their 24 baskets.
Both teams return to conference action tomorrow night, the Geoducks hosting Warner Pacific and the Lions traveling to Kirkland to play Northwest University.