Thomas Leads Geoducks to Victory in Finale
Uriah Thomas scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on her Senior Night, and point guard Lacey Morris tied a single-game record with 13 assists Saturday night to lead The Evergreen State College to a 90-61 Cascade Collegiate Conference women's basketball victory over the Multnomah Lions in CRC Gymnasium.
Thomas was 12-for-18 from the field, including 4-for-7 from beyond the three-point line, to score a career high and lead the Geoducks (6-19 overall, 6-14 CCC) to the victory in the season finale for both teams. Bethany George came off the bench to score 17 points for the Lions (4-24, 2-18).
"What an amazing way to end her four-year career with the night like tonight," Evergreen head coach Jen Schooler said of Thomas. "What we saw tonight is who I have always known her to be - a relentless competitor. I'm glad everyone got a chance to see her shot because it is beautiful."
The Lions raced out to an early 10-2 lead with Lacie Kamper and Miranda Schmillen both scoring four points, and they opened up a 20-12 advantage on a pair of free throws by George with 2:38 left in the opening half.
Evergreen changed the outcome of the game over the next 7:55, scoring 22 unanswered points to build a 34-20 lead with 4:43 left in the second quarter.
Thomas, a senior post from Chehalis, started the run with eight consecutive points, and she ended it with a layup. In between, Morris hit a pair of free throws, Gabi Fenumiai scored two layups and Victoria Elleby drilled back-to-back three-pointers.
The Geoducks took a 42-34 lead into the half, and Multnomah cut its deficit to 44-37 on Lexie Govert's three ball at the 7:23 mark of the third period, but Thomas hit a jumper and free throw to get the lead back out to double digits, where it stayed the remainder of the game.
Thomas wasn't the only Geoduck to record a double-double as Fenumiai, a junior post from Juneau, Alaska, added 23 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Elleby, a forward and like Thomas a senior playing her final game at Evergreen, finished the game with 14 points, including a trio of three-point baskets, and eight rebounds. Evergreen's other senior, guard Irene Moore, did not play because of injury.
Morris, a junior point guard from Napavine, tied the Evergreen women's basketball program single-game assist record set by Katie Vernon against Cascade College on Nov. 10, 2000. Morris entered the game as the Cascade Conference assist leader and finished the season with 118 total.
Evergreen shot 51 percent overall and 45 percent from beyond the three-point line, and it also enjoyed a big 50-29 rebounding edge. The team compiled 23 assists on its 31 baskets.
In addition to George's 17 points, Kamper finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Govert contributed 12 points. The Lions shot just 33 percent overall, though they found the range for 8 percent accuracy from beyond the three-point lie.