Geoducks Chop Down Loggers, 74-66, For Milestone Win

PARKLAND, Wash. –  Junior KJ Hong (Federal Way, Wash./Shoreline CC) went off for 25 points as the Evergreen Geoducks earned the 200th win in program history, knocking off the Puget Sound Loggers, 74-66, in a non-conference men’s basketball game on Saturday afternoon at Olson Auditorium in Parkland, Wash.

The Geoducks (1-4) took the early lead as Hong hit his first six shots, including five from behind the arc, for 20 first half points.   Evergreen’s early lead hit double-digits with 11:25 to play on a free throw by junior Lucky Lagerberg (Olympia, Wash./South Puget Sound CC) that put the Geoducks up, 25-15.  The Loggers tightened the gap slightly before half but Evergreen still led, 35-28.

Evergreen continued to pressure UPS as the Geoduck lead hit 20 on a lay-up by Jakob Herron-Berentsen (Sacramento, Calif./Grays Harbor CC) with 11:49 left to go in the game.  The Geoducks pushed the lead to 27 with 9:20 left to play but the Loggers stormed back, pulling within nine on a Riggs Yarbo lay-up with 52 seconds left to play.

The Loggers fought back to get within six but Travis Wagner (Federal Way, Wash./Green River CC) hit a pair of free throws with five second left to earn the 74-66 win.

Evergreen was led by 25 points from Hong, who was eight-of-nine from the field, including six-of-seven from behind the arc.  Wagner and freshman Frankie Johnson (Renton, Wash./Hazen HS) each added 11 points while Cody Peters (Coupeville, Wash./Western Oregon Univ.) brought down 11 rebounds for the Geoducks, who held a 51-50 advantage on the boards.

Puget Sound was led by 11 points each from Yarbro and Derek Jobe.  Rex Holmes added 10 points in the losing effort.  The Loggers were 24-of-77 from the field for 31.2%, including just three-for-30 from three-point range.

The Geoducks open up the Cascade Conference season next Saturday when they play host to Northwest.  Tip with the Eagles is set for 7:30 p.m. at CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash.

Box Score

Lutes Earn 76-45 Win Over Geoducks

PARKLAND, Wash. – Senior forward Travis Wagner (Federal Way, Wash./Green River CC) put up 18 points but the Pacific Lutheran Lutes earned a 76-45 win over the Evergreen Geoducks in a non-conference men’s basketball game on Friday night at Olson Auditorium in Parkland, Wash.

The Lutes built a strong lead in the first half, holding an eight-point lead with 7:05 left to play in the opening period but the Geoducks fought back and kept the differential in single digits heading into halftime, 35-28.

The PLU lead continued to grow in the second half as the Lutes pushed their advantage to double-digits with 17:18 left to play and it never got better for Evergreen.  A 45-28 rebounding edge helped Pacific Lutheran earn the win on their home floor, earning a 76-45 win over the Geoducks.

Evergreen was led by 18 points from Wagner, who connected on seven-of-11 shots, including four baskets from behind the arc.  Wagner also added a pair of blocks on the night as the Geoducks recorded four rejections on the game.

Pacific Lutheran was led by 19 points and 10 rebounds from Cameron Schilling.  Andrew Earnest added 13 points in the win for the Lutes, who made 31 of 65 attempts for 47.7%.

The Geoducks will be back in action on Saturday afternoon  when they take on Puget Sound in a neutral site game, beginning at 4 p.m. at Olson Auditorium in Parkland, Wash.

Box Score

Saints Pull Past Geoducks, 53-45

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Center Ciara Pedroni had a game-high 14 points and added nine rebounds as Saint Martin’s University held The Evergreen State College scoreless for the first eight minutes and went on to a 53-45 victory in first-day action Friday at the 16th annual Western Washington University Lynda Goodrich Women’s Basketball Classic being held at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.

It was the second straight victory for the Saints, who also got 13 points from Brooke Paulson.

The game was a non-counting exhibition for Evergreen, which is 0-1 in official contests. Sadee Jones led the Geoducks with 12 points.

Saint Martin’s grabbed a 10-0 lead, with Pedroni scoring four of the first six points, as Evergreen didn’t reach the scoreboard until a Jessica Edge 3-pointer with 11:14 left in the first half. The Saints, who themselves experienced a scoreless drought of nearly seven minutes in the opening period, held a 21-17 lead at halftime.

The Geoducks scored the first six points of the second half to take a 22-21 lead, their only advantage of the contest, with 17:48 remaining. But the Saints responded with seven straight points, all by Paulson on a 3-pointer and two fast-break layins, regaining the lead, 28-22, with 16:18 left, and staying in front the rest of the way.

The Geoducks, which shot just 32.2 percent (15-of-46) from the field, pulled within three points on four occasions, but never got closer.

Saint Martin’s meets Carroll College MT at 12 noon in final-day play Saturday, and Evergreen plays host WWU at 7:30 p.m.

Story courtesy of Paul Madison, WWU Sports Information

Box Score

Illness Forces Postponement of Linfield Game

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A sudden outbreak of food poisoning among the Linfield College women’s basketball team has forced the postponement of next week’s non-conference game with the Geoducks in Olympia, which was scheduled for Nov. 29 at CRC Gymnasium.

The Wildcats were forced to cancel games this week at Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Tech.  Linfield also announced their Northwest Conference opener against Willamette, which was scheduled for Tuesday, will also be postponed.

A makeup date for the game between the Wildcats and the Geoducks is not yet available.  If the two teams cannot find a mutually agreeable date, the game will not be made up.

Linfield Release

Loggers Hold Off Geoducks, 72-65

TACOMA, Wash. – A strong second half wasn’t enough to propel the Evergreen Geoducks past the Puget Sound Loggers, falling 72-65 in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma, Wash.

After struggling to find their shot early on Tuesday against Saint Martin’s, the Geoducks came out strong against the Loggers.  Evergreen managed 13-of-25 shooting in the first half for 52.0-percent, including six from behind the arc.  Puget Sound shot well themselves, making 44.8-percent, including nine-of-11 on free throws and a 19-9 rebounding edge to take the 38-33 lead into the break.

Evergreen continued to battle back in the second half, eventually tying the game at 56-56 with 6:53 left on a jumper by Danielle Swain (Rainier, Wash./Black Hills HS).  Senior Jessica Edge (Lake Stevens, Wash./Skagit Valley CC) gave the Geoducks the lead on the next possession, dropping in a layup with 6:03 left to play.  The two teams traded the lead a few times down the stretch but the Loggers found a way down the stretch, earning the 72-65 win.

Evergreen was led by 20 points and 12 rebounds from Swain.  Jessica Denmon (Oak Harbor, Wash./Skagit Valley CC) added 13 points.  After having just nine rebounds in the first half, the Geoducks finished with 37 rebounds on the night.

Puget Sound was led by 27 points from Kelsey McKinnis, who was 12-of-12 from the charity stripe.  Katy Ainslie added 14 in the win while Sarah Stewart chalked up 12 points for UPS.  The Loggers had a slight advantage on the block with five, compared with four for Evergreen.

The Geoducks are next in action on Friday at Noon when they take on Saint Martin’s in Bellingham, Wash. as part of the Lynda Goodrich Classic, hosted by Western Washington University.  The game will be a counter for SMU and an exhibition for Evergreen.

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