Kochenderfer Earns Ninth Double-Double, but Bearcats Fall to Lutes, 61-53

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Britanny Kochenderfer (Sr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) recorded her ninth double-double of the season for Willamette University with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but Pacific Lutheran University defeated the Bearcats, 61-53, in a Northwest Conference game on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Olson Gymnasium. PLU held the Bearcats to 28.6% shooting in the second half, as the Lutes turned a slim 28-26 halftime lead into their ninth win against three losses. The Lutes also moved to 2-2 in the NWC. Willamette went to 5-8 overall, 0-4 in the NWC.

Kochenderfer has reached double figures in scoring in 12 of 13 games this year and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds 10 times. In her two seasons at at Willamette, she has earned a total of 14 double-doubles, including 13 in Willamette's last 19 games.

Against PLU, Kassin Hopkins (Jr., Connell, WA/Connell HS/Bellevue College) of WU matched Kochenderfer with 12 points. Hopkins was 3 for 6 from the field, all on 3-point shots. She also hit 3 of 4 free throws. Elizabeth Logsdon (Jr., F, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS) tacked on nine points, while providing the Bearcats with seven rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Amanda Carpenter (So., G, Beaverton, OR/Sunset HS) scored eight points and blocked two shots, while Morgan Yamane (Fr., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake HS) hauled down eight boards.

Kristin Sturdivan of Pacific Lutheran led the way for the Lutes with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Emma Janousek supplied 11 points, six assists and four rebounds. Anna Hurd added nine points and four rebounds. Madison Salisbury grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

Willamette outplayed the home team in the first quarter, as the Bearcats hit 6 of 9 field goals (66.7%) and limited the Lutes to 26.3% shooting (5 of 19). Logsdon went 3 for 3 from the field during the quarter and sank 1 of 2 free throws for a total of seven points.

A 3-pointer by Hopkins gave WU with a 5-4 lead with 6:28 on the first-quarter clock. MacKenzie Cooper of PLU hit a 3-pointer 21 seconds later, but the Bearcats tallied five consecutive points for a 10-7 lead after Drew Farmer (Jr., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) made a jumper with 3:05 to go. Hurd scored on a layup for the Lutes, before Logsdon earned five straight points for Willamette on a free throw, a jump shot and a layup. Kylie Rademacher put in a layup at the buzzer to reduce WU's lead to 15-11.

The Lutes opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run for a 22-17 lead at the 5:47 mark. PLU's run included a pair of 3-pointers by Sturdivan, her only long-range baskets of the game. Later, Willamette cut the margin to 24-22 on a 3-pointer by Hopkins with 1:49 left. Each team scored two more times during the half, leaving the Lutes with a 28-26 lead at the break.

Logsdon tied the score at 28-28 just over a minute into the second half when she registered a layup on an assist from Carpenter. Pacific Lutheran broke the tie with a basket and foul shot by Janousek, and grabbed a 34-28 lead on a 3-pointer by Cooper with 7:38 remaining in the third quarter. Willamette countered with a 3-pointer by Kochenderfer and a jumper by Yamane to pull within one point at 34-33. PLU outscored the Bearcats 15-6 over the final six minutes of the quarter for a 49-39 lead.

Hopkins hit a 3-pointer for WU with 8:33 on the clock, and Farmer put through 1 of 2 free throws with 7:36 to go, as the Bearcats reduced PLU's advantage to 49-43. The next basket was a layup by Janousek with 5:33 left, and Salisbury tacked on a layup with 3:14 to play, giving the Lutes a 53-43 lead. Willamette cut the margin to 53-45 on a layup by Carpenter at the 2:20 mark, but couldn't get closer.

For the game, PLU shot 41.0% (25 of 61), including 5 of 14 on 3-point attempts (35.7%). The Lutes made just 6 of 12 free throws. Willamette shot 35.8% overall (19 of 53), but hit only 8 of 28 shots in the second half. The Bearcats were 5 of 19 on 3-pointers (26.3%) during the game. WU sank 10 of 14 free throws for 71.4%.

Willamette will play at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Tipoff for the NWC match-up is set for 6 p.m. (PST).

Big Moment of the Game for Willamette

Elizabeth Logsdon scored five consecutive points late in the
first quarter to give Willamette a 15-9 lead. She sank a
free throw at the 1:43 mark, added a jumper with 1:10 to
go, and tacked on a layup with 16 seconds left. Later, she
scored the first basket of the second half to tie the game
at 28-28. Logsdon connected on 4 of 6 field goals overall.