Balanced Scoring Leads Pacific over Bearcats, 78-56

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

FOREST GROVE, ORE. -- Jojo DeLong (Jr., G, Santa Clarita, CA/Canyon HS) scored a career-high 27 points for Willamette University, but Pacific University shot 48.3% from the field (28 of 58) with nine players scoring at least five points, as the Boxers defeated the Bearcats, 78-56, on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Stoller Center.

Pacific advanced its record to 5-13 overall, 1-9 in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats move to 3-16, including 1-9 in the NWC.

Willamette scored the first three points on a free throw by Katie Kalugin (Jr., G, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) and a layup by Julia Brand (Jr., F, Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School) as the shot clock expired with 18:41 left in the half. Pacific answered with a 15-2 run and led by 10 points with 14:50 on the clock.

The run by Pacific included a trio of 3-pointers. Nani Ostrom hit twice from long range, with Alex Pfefferle adding the third trifecta. Pfefferle scored seven points during the run.

Two baskets by Kalugin helped the Bearcats scored eight of the next 10 points to pull within 17-13 at the 12:00 mark. The Boxers registered five points in a row -- on a running floater in the lane by Sarah Curl and a traditional three-point play by Abby Jones -- to extend the lead to 22-13.

Brand ended the run by hitting two free throws for the Bearcats with 8:55 left in the half, but an 8-2 run by the Boxers increased Pacific's lead to 30-17 with 5:18 to go.

Kalugin tallied 11 points for Willamette in the first half to lead all scorers. Despite Kalugin's double-digit effort, Pacific owned a 39-25 margin at the break. Willamette was 0 for 11 on 3-pointers over the first 20 minutes.

DeLong, who was 0 for 3 on 3-pointers for the Bearcats in the first half, found her long-range shot early in the second half, as she connected on three 3-pointers in the first 5:05 of the period.

DeLong's first 3-pointer cut the lead to 41-30, but Pacific scored four points before her second long-range shot, and the Boxers added four more points before her third 3-pointer. As a result, the Boxers led 49-36 with 14:55 remaining.

The Boxers registered the next seven points to take control of the game with a 56-36 advantage with 11:55 to go.

Willamette never got closer than 18 points the rest of the way, but DeLong kept Pacific from adding much to their lead. She tallied her final 10 points as the clock moved between the 8:28 mark and 4:18 left in the game, allowing her to finish with 19 points in the second half.

DeLong was one of two Bearcats in double figures, as Kalugin scored 15 points, including 11 points in the first half. Brand contributed nine points for Willamette.

Jones topped Pacific with 13 points on 5 of 5 field goals and 3 for 3 free throws. Sarah Curl provided 11 points and Olivia Cook chipped in 10. Jones and Cook each grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, as the Boxers achieved a 40-30 rebounding margin.

WU shot 38.9% for the game (21 of 54) and went 4 of 24 of 3-pointers (16.7%). The Bearcats hit 4 of 13 three-pointers (30.8%) in the second half. Pacific was 8 for 20 from long-range. The Boxers made 14 of 18 free throws (77.8%), while Willamette sank 10 of 14 charity shots (71.4%).

The Bearcats will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 8, when they will travel to McMinnville, Ore., to take on NWC rival Linfield College. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PST).