PORTLAND, Ore. – With the final spot in the playoffs on the line during Senior night, Multnomah (8-20, 6-14 CCC) commanded an early lead and held off attacks from Evergreen (7-20, 6-14 CCC) to take the victory, 83-75. Standout performances came from Seniors Lacie Kamper with 15 points with 8 rebounds and Miranda Schmillen who led all scorers in the contest with 27.
In a matchup deciding the final spot in postseason play, both teams left all they had on the court. The game started off evenly matched, with both teams exchanging points. Miranda Schmillen did not waste any time filling up her stat line, scoring 9 in the opening quarter. The Lions entered the second quarter with a three-point lead, 18-15.
The second quarter was all Multnomah with the Lions outscoring the Geoducks, 23-12. After a couple early baskets from both sides, the Lions went on a 13-0 run to stretch their lead to 33-18 at the 4:34 mark. Multnomah shot 62.5% from the field during the quarter, leading to a 41-27 deficit at the half.
After an offensive loaded third quarter with both teams shooting above 50 percent, the Lions looked to close out the game. A staggering 11-2 foul ratio throughout most of the fourth gave Evergreen the chance to cut into the Lion's lead. Holding on to a 76-73 lead with 43 seconds remaining, Senior Schmillen stepped up by knocking in a clutch and-one to pull Multnomah ahead by six. Multnomah would close out the game and advance to the Cascade Conference playoffs by a score of 83 to 75. Along with Schmillen and Kamper's efforts, three Lady Lions (Faith Kraatz, Ana Wakefield & Bethany George) produced 9 points of offense. Autumn Moorcroft controlled the Geoduck's offense with 21 points for a team-high.
What's Next?
With the win, Multnomah (8-20, 6-14 CCC) head to the Cascade Conference Playoffs to face the top seed on Tuesday at 7 pm. The Lady Lions will either face Eastern or Southern Oregon, depending on the final standings. Live stats and streaming will be provided by the home team.