Northwest First half Momentum Too Much for Walla Walla
Morgan Doyle, Sports Information Assistant
College Place, Wash. – The Wolves took on the Eagles and were not able to overcome a large first-half deficit.
Walla Walla started with the lead in this afternoon's game after a three-pointer from Michaela Garcia and a jumper by Emily Downs put them ahead 5-0. The Eagles quickly bounced back and stole the lead with a layup from Miranda Langenhorst and two layups from Kalee Fowler, 6-5. Walla Walla regained the lead in the last four minutes after a jumper from Downs and a fast-break from Carolina Montes, 9-6. The opening quarter was a continuous battle, and with three minutes to go, the score was tied 9-9. The Wolves leaped ahead with a jumper from Morgan Stanyer, but the Eagles quickly followed with a layup from Langenhorst with one minute left, 11-11. Northwest entered the second quarter up by one point after a free-throw from Jessalyn Henry, 12-11.
The Eagles jumped ahead in the first minute of the second quarter with four points from Mariah Stacona. Another layup by Stacona was quickly followed by a three-pointer from Montes. Northwest's lead grew to nine points, but the wolves continued to fight back. Stanyer had a jumper with just under six minutes left followed by a layup from Sarah Halversen to cut the lead to seven. With three minutes left the Wolves caught fire with a three-pointer from Alyssa Blankenship and a layup by Downs, but the Eagles stretched the lead to double-digits. Northwest went into halftime in the lead 40-30.
The gap between the teams continued to grow and with three minutes left in the quarter, a three-pointer from Andie Kristinat put the Eagles ahead 54-34. With two minutes left Halversen made a three-pointer for Walla Walla and the Wolves had the lead under 20 points. Fowler nailed a three-pointer in the last minute of the third quarter and the Eagles entered the fourth quarter up 57-40.
Stacona's three-pointer for Northwest in the first fifteen seconds of the fourth quarter built the lead back to twenty points. With eight minutes left in the game, Halversen drove the lane for a layup and Stanyer attack for another as the Wolves looked to get back into the game. Kaiulani Chamberlain's three-pointer cut the lead to 15 with four minutes remaining. In the last few minutes of the game, a Stacona three-pointer put the finishing touches on the Wolves.
Northwest University took the victory over the Wolves 73-55. The Eagles were led by Kalee Fowler with 24 points and 3 rebounds, Mariah Stacona with 17 points and 5 rebounds, and Miranda Lagenhorst with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Walla Walla was led by Sarah Halversen with 12 points and 4 rebounds, and senior Emily Downs with 10 points.