Jones and Higginbothm Lead Evergreen Win
Cayla Jones hit two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining and Jahpera McEachin blocked a potential game-tying three-point attempt in the closing seconds as The Evergreen State College defeated Northwest, 74-71, in a Cascade Collegiate Conference women's basketball game played Tuesday night inside Costantino Recreation Center.
Jones recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Alexcis Higginbotham tallied 23 points and nine rebounds to lead the Geoducks (7-6 overall, 5-4 CCC) to the victory. Mariah Stacona led the Eagles (6-12, 3-6) with 30 points, seven assists and seven steals.
The Geoducks shot 69 percent in the first quarter, including 3-for-4 from beyond the three-point line, to take a 23-18 lead after 10 minutes. Northwest, behind the hot three-point shooting by Stacona and Andie Kristinat, rallied to take a 38-36 edge at the half.
The final two quarters were close throughout with neither team leading by more than five points. Evergreen went on top 69-66 on a Kaelin Williams-Kennedy three ball with 4:39 to play, but Kalee Fowler answered at the other end one minute later to tie the score.
Though the Eagles led for only 5:09, they took a 71-69 advantage with 2:44 to play on a Stacona jumper. Evergreen responded by scoring the game's final five points, all by Jones. She buried a three-point shot with 2:10 remaining to give the hosts a 72-71 lead, and the next time down the floor McEachin got the first of her big blocks on a Stacona jumper.
The hosts got the rebound and worked the clock down before Jones made the crucial free throws in the waning seconds.
The Geoducks shot 48 percent from the field (28-for-58) and 43 percent from long range (10-for-23), and they continued their season-long excellent free throw shooting by going 8-for-9. Evergreen enjoyed a significant 39-25 rebounding edge and had 20 assists on its 28 field goals, including seven by Jones.
Northwest, which got 13 from Kristinat and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Miranda Langenhorst, ended the game at 47 percent (27-for-58). The Eagles shot 37 percent (10-for-27) from beyond the three-point line.