OLYMPIA, Wash. – Overcoming a nine-point halftime deficit, the Montana State-Northern Skylights played to a 52-50 win over the host Evergreen Geoducks in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Thursday night at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

The Skylights (4-3) used a pair of three-pointers to jump out to a 6-0 lead but the advantage didn’t last long as the Geoducks (1-3) pressured MSUN to 17 first-half turnovers, converting for 20 points off giveaways as the Geoducks took their first halftime lead of the season into the break at 29-21.

Montana State-Northern quickly fixed their mistakes at halftime and was able to pull even with 11:44 left in the game on a free-throw by Taylor Cummings.  Evergreen fought back as the two teams exchanged leads for the next nine minutes.

The Skylights used a layup by Nikki Tresch to take a 52-50 lead with 2:26 remaining and both teams went cold the rest of the way as neither team was able to get a basket, including an attempt at the buzzer by Jessica Denmon (Oak Harbor, Wash./Skagit Valley CC) that clanged out for the Geoducks as they lost the tight game to the Skylights.

Evergreen was led by 12 points from junior Danielle Swain (Rainier, Wash./Black Hills HS), who also added nine rebounds, five steals and a block on the night.  Senior Jessica Edge (Lake Stevens, Wash./Skagit Valley CC) added 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench.  The Geoducks turned the ball over just 12 times on the night, compared with 21 for MSUN.

Montana State-Northern was led by 15 points off the bench from Kacie McKeon.  Tresch finished with 14 points in the win.  The Skylights shot 38.6% on the night, making 17-of-44 attempts from the field.

The Geoducks will take a bit of a break as they don’t hit the hardwood until Dec. 14 when they head over the mountains to take on Central Washington in an exhibition.  Tip with the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. at Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg, Wash.

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OLYMPIA, Wash. – Held to just 25.5% shooting on the night, the Evergreen Geoducks couldn’t find a way to keep up with the Pacific Boxers, falling 57-31 in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Tuesday night at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

Both teams struggled to find their touch early as neither team was able to get into double-digits until a jumper by Aunhea Walla put Pacific up, 10-5, with 7:22 to go in the first half.  The Geoducks eventually found their shot and kept it close for a bit, trailing just seven at the break at 22-15.

In the second half, it was the Boxers who came out fighting, pushing the lead deep into the teens and hitting 20 on a jumper by Kaila Johnson that gave Pacific a 37-17 lead with 13:24 left to play.  Evergreen managed to keep things even for most of the remainder of the game but the differential was too large to overcome as Pacific earnd the 57-31 non-conference win.

Evergreen was led by nine points and 10 rebounds from junior Danielle Swain (Rainier, Wash./Black Hills HS), who also added four blocks in the loss.  As a team, the Geoducks forced 23 Pacific turnovers but struggled to capitalize, scoring just eight points off turnovers.

Pacific was led by 16 points from Paige Jensen, who also added nine rebounds to just miss the double-double.  The Boxers shot 51.3% on the night, making 20-of-39 attempts.  Pacific also did a good job controlling the glass, outrebounding the Geoducks, 37-26.

Evergreen will look to bounce back on Thursday night when they play host to Montana State Northern in another non-conference tilt.  Tip with the Skylights is set for 6 p.m. at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

Box Score

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Erasing a 10-point halftime deficit, the Evergreen Geoducks opened up the 2012-13 Cascade Conference season with a win, holding off the Northwest Eagles, 55-46, in a CCC women’s basketball game on Saturday evening at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

The Geoducks (1-1, 1-0 CCC) got off to a quick start, building a 7-3 lead over the Eagles (0-6, 0-1 CCC) but Northwest fought back, scoring 12 unanswered points to pull ahead by eight at 15-7.  Evergreen continued to struggle shooting, making just four-of-29 attempts for 13.8%, as Northwest took a 27-17 lead into the break.

In the second half, it was a completely different team coming out for the green and white came out focused, using a 13-2 run to open the half and take a one-point lead with 13:16 left to play.  Northwest took the lead back but couldn’t build much of a lead as Evergreen retook the lead for the final time with 6:29 left to play on the first of three free-throws by junior Sammi Clark (Monroe, Wash./Edmonds CC).  The Geoducks finished the game strong, making 51.7% off their second-half shots, as they earned the 55-46 win.

Evergreen was led by 17 points from junior Danielle Swain (Rainier, Wash./Black Hills HS).  Clark finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on the night.  Jessica Denmon (Oak Harbor, Wash./Skagit Valley CC) added 10 in the win.

Northwest was led by 11 points off the bench from Alyssa Dario.  Corinne Burke had a game-high nine assists to go with seven rebounds.  The Eagles were 16-of-50 on the game for 32.0%.

Evergreen is back in action on Tuesday night when they play host to Pacific University of Oregon in a non-conference tilt.  Tip with the Boxers is set for 6 p.m.

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Tournament MVP Trishi Williams had 15 points and six steals, leading nationally ranked Western Washington University to a 66-54 victory over The Evergreen State College in the final game of the 16th Annual Lynda Goodrich Women’s Basketball Classic which ended Saturday at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.

Center Britt Harris had team-highs of 17 points and six rebounds for the Vikings, who improved to 4-0 and are ranked No.9 in this week’s USA Today Sports/ESPN NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.

The triumph marked the 450th career victory for WWU coach Carmen Dolfo.  Dolfo, who is in her 22nd season, has a record of 450-169, all with the Vikings.

The contest was a non-counting exhibition for NAIA Evergreen, which was led by the game-high 20 points of center Danielle Swain.

The Geoducks led much of the first 10 minutes, and had a 23-20 lead with 6:21 left in the first half, but WWU went on an 11-2 run the rest of the half and held a 31-25 advantage at halftime.

The margin got as close as five in the second half, and the Vikings led by just eight, 49-41, before going on a 7-1 run to take a 56-42 lead on a Jenni White (So., Spokane/East Valley) 3-pointer with 7:50 remaining.  The margin remained in double figures the rest of the way.

Kayla Bernsen had 10 points and five rebounds for WWU on 5-of-5 field goal shooting. The Vikings shot a season-low 37.1 percent (23-of-62) from the field, but were 16-of-20 (80.0 percent) on free throws.

It was the 10th straight victory in Goodrich Classic games for the Vikings, who have won 29 of 32 tourney games overall, and have now won or tied for 14 of the 16 tournament championships.

Harris joined Williams on the all-tournament team, as did Jessica Denmon of Evergreen, Chelsea Haskey and Brooke Paulson of St. Martin’s, and Torrie Cahill of Carroll.  Saint Martin’s defeated Carroll, 59-48, in Saturday’s other contest.

WWU opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play next week, entertaining Western Oregon on Thursday (7 p.m.), Nov. 29, and Saint Martin’s on Saturday (7 p.m.), Dec. 1.

Story Courtesy of Paul Madison, WWU Sports Information

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