Hot Shooting Knights Top Evergreen, 79-65
Warner Pacific scorched the nets from long range, shooting 10-for-22 from outside the three-point line on Friday night in registering a 79-65 win over Evergreen in the Cascade Collegiate Conference women's basketball opener for both teams inside Costantino Recreation Center.
Deepika Kapil tallied 10 points and nine rebounds and Gabriella Bruno added 10 points for the Knights (4-2 overall, 1-0 CCC), while Angela Sikora had 15 points to lead the Geoducks (0-4, 0-1).
Bailey Allen scored a layin with an assist from Kapil on the opening tip for the Knights, who knocked down five triples on nine attempts in racing out to a 26-14 lead after the first quarter. Warner Pacific built its largest lead of the game at 16 points, 72-56, on a layin by Bruno with Allen getting the assist.
After trailing 40-30 at the half and by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, the Geoducks were able to cut their deficit to two points at 58-56 on a three pointer by Sikora with 7:32 left in the game. Warner Pacific, and Samantha Morgan in particular, had an answer.
Morgan scored all nine of her points during a 14-0 scoring run that gave the Knights their 72-56 advantage.
Warner Pacific shot 39.5 percent overall and edged the home team in rebounding, 46-45.
Evergreen finished the game hitting just 32 percent of its field goal attempts (19-for-60), and 30 percent from beyond the three-point line (6-for-20).
Joining Sikora in double figures for the Geoducks were Alexcis Higginbotham with 14 points and Deidra Miller with 13, while Merrily Jones led all players with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Both teams return to conference action tomorrow night, the Geoducks hosting the Multnomah Lions and Warner Pacific playing at Northwest University in Kirkland.