Bearcats Produce Balanced Scoring in 63-43 Victory over Pioneers

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Five Willamette University women's basketball players each contributed eight or more points as the Bearcats outscored Lewis & Clark College in all four quarters on their way to a 63-43 Northwest Conference win over the Pioneers on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Pamplin Sport Center. Danielle Morgan (Sr., F, Lompoc, CA/Allan Hancock HS/California Lutheran Univ.) led the Bearcats with her Willamette career-high of 13 points, while Megan River (Jr., G, Tumwater, WA/A.G. West Black Hills HS) and Carolyn Ho (Jr., G, Parker, CO/Ponderosa HS) added 11 points apiece. Sami Riggs (Sr., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) and Ashley Collins (Jr., P, Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills HS) each tacked on eight points.

Ho provided Willamette with a double-double, as she also grabbed 10 rebounds. It was her second double-double in the last three games. Ho also was credited with three assists, four steals, and a blocked shot. Morgan, in her first season after transferring from California Lutheran University, grabbed her Willamette career-high of seven rebounds. Riggs finished with six boards and four assists, while River and Kaitlin Imai (Fy., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS) joined Ho with three assists.

Willamette upped its record to 11-8 on the season and to 6-4 in the NWC after winning for the fifth time in the last six games. On defense, Willamette tied a season-best by holding Lewis & Clark to 43 points. The Bearcats also held Warner Pacific to 43 points in a 67-43 win on Nov. 15. The Bearcats are 11-0 when limiting opponents to fewer than 60 points.

L&C dropped to 2-17 overall, 1-9 in the NWC. Charlotte Carroll topped the Pioneers with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Natalie Elstone achieved 12 points, nine rebounds, five steals, and two assists. Piper Curry ended the game with seven points.

One of the keys to Willamette's victory was that four Bearcats each provided the scoring lead in one quarter of the game.

In the opening quarter, it was Jasmine Shigeno (Jr., G, Hockinson, WA/Hockinson HS), who hit two 3-pointers for her only points of the game. WU trailed 9-4 following a jump shot by Curry with 3:00 left in the quarter, but the Bearcats countered with a 10-0 run, ending with Shigeno's 3-pointers with 44 seconds on the clock and as time expired.

During the second period, River led the Bearcats with five points. She hit the first basket of the quarter on a 3-point shot, which was followed by a jumper from Collins, as WU expanded its lead to 19-9. The Bearcats eventually held a 21-10 edge, but L&C moved within 21-15 on a free throw by Elstone at the 2:26 mark.

River connected on a jumper with 1:50 left in the half to start a 6-0 run by the Bearcats for a 27-15 lead. Gabby Beltran made a 3-pointer for the Pioneers with eight seconds to go, leaving Willamette with a 27-18 advantage at the break.

Morgan tallied eight points in the third quarter, as the Bearcats outscored the Pioneers 16-11. In 5:25 on the court, Morgan sank 4 of 5 field goals and hauled down three rebounds. She scored all eight of her points in a row after L&C pulled within 29-25 on a layup by Carroll. The eight unanswered points gave Willamette a 37-25 lead with 4:00 on the clock. A bit later, WU was in front 42-27 on a 3-pointer by River. The Bearcats owned a 43-29 lead at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Ho earned nine points. The Pioneers opened with eight points in a row, cutting WU's margin to 43-37 with 7:42 left. Claire Bonnet (Sr., G, Boise, ID/Boise HS) sank a 3-pointer for Willamette 22 seconds later to start an 11-0 run, including two points by Ho. After Curry added a 3-pointer for L&C, Ho supplied every point in a 7-0 run, as the Bearcats grabbed a 61-40 lead.

Willamette's defense limited L&C to 22.4% shooting in the game (15 of 67), including 3 for 18 (16.7%) on 3-pointers. WU hit 43.3% of its shots (26 of 60) and was 6 of 21 on 3-pointers (28.6%). The Bearcats recorded a 41-37 rebounding edge. WU held a 34-24 lead in the paint and a 19-0 margin in bench scoring, led by Morgan's 13 points.

The Bearcats will host Linfield University at Cone Field House on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PST). It will be A Night of Hope, as the Bearcats support brain cancer patients and the Kim's Hope organization.