Jan. 12, 2008

Bearcats Use Late Rally to Top Lutes, 67-64

Kyle Haag - 16 points

Box Score

PARKLAND – The Willamette Bearcats rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final six minutes of the game to defeat Pacific Lutheran, 67-64, in a Northwest Conference women’s basketball match up tonight in Olson Auditorium.

Both teams came into tonight’s game looking for their first conference win. PLU drops to 7-6 overall and 0-4 in the conference. This is the first time the Lutes have started 0-4 in conference since the 1993-94 season. Willamette moves to 1-3 in conference play and 3-10 overall.

The first half was close until Kyle Haag drained two three-pointers to put the Lutes up 16-11. The Bearcats battled back and pulled within one, 22-21, off another three by Laura Payne. Battling back and forth the two teams went into the locker room with PLU up 36-34. The Lutes shot well in the first have making 16-of-24 field goals. Individually, Haag made 4-of-5 from behind the arc.

The Lutes began to pull away in the second half after two consecutive threes by Amy Spieker put PLU on top 62-52. Emily Voorhies made a layup to give the Lutes a 12-point lead, but the Bearcats rallied back. The final six minutes of the game saw Willamette go on a 15-0 run, including a three pointer by Molly Fillion that gave the Bearcats their first lead since the 16:57 mark in the first half. Clutch free throws by Fillion gave the Bearcats a 67-64 lead with eight seconds to go. Trinity Gibbons put up a last second three ball that would have forced overtime but it spun around the inside of the rim and out.

Pacific Lutheran was 11-of-34 from the field in the second half. The Achilles heel for the Lutes was their free throw shooting as they were 3-of-12 from the line. Kyle Haag was the top scorer for PLU with 16 points. Amy Spieker also had a good game, making 3-of-4 three pointers and scoring 13 points.

Willamette was led in scoring by Payne, who scored a game-high 19 points. Molly Fillion grabbed eight rebounds for the Bearcats.

The Lutes are back in action next week as they host Whitworth at 6 p.m. Friday.

- PLU -