OLYMPIA, Wash. - Despite a valiant comeback effort in the second half, the Corban University women's basketball team came up just short against The Evergreen State College on Friday evening, stumbling to the Geoducks, 59-56. For the Geoducks (2-11, 2-7 CCC), it was their second win of the 2015-16 campaign.
The Warriors fell behind early, and by the end of the first quarter, trailed 21-14. The Geoducks extended their lead to 35-24 at the halftime break, shooting 38.9% from the floor while holding Corban to just a 26.67% effort from the field during the first 20 minutes.
A big third quarter brought the Warriors to within three points heading into the fourth and final quarter, as Corban outscored Evergreen 18-12 in the stanza. A trio of three-pointers and solid free-throw shooting in that third quarter kept Corban close.
A three-point shot from Warrior junior guard Annie Owen (Corvallis, Ore.) with 6:23 left in regulation gave Corban the 48-46 lead, and the Warriors held that lead until Evergreen tied it up and took the lead with 3:20 to go. Junior forward Sadie Pilgeram (Helena, Mont.) immediately answered for the Navy and Gold with a layup on the other end, but then the Geoducks sank a three-pointer to take the lead for good.
The Warriors were eventually forced to play the foul game, but the Geoducks maintained their composure at the line, making all of the key shots from the charity strip down the stretch. With four seconds remaining, Corban did have one final look at the rim, but Warrior senior guard Jade Lowery (Oregon City, Ore.) saw her three-point effort to tie the game miss, resulting in the tough three-point defeat.
One of the keys to the game for Evergreen was its second-chance points, as the Geoducks racked up 16 for the game, while the Warriors did not convert on any second-chance opportunities. Evergreen also capitalized on points-off-turnovers, holding the 19-6 advantage in the category. Corban did get more production from its bench than Evergreen, however, with 14 points as compared to just 10 from the Geoducks' bench.
Lowery led the way with 15 points for Corban, nailing a trio of three-pointers on the night, while Pilgeram totaled 12 points and eight boards. Owen totaled nine points on the evening and also grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds, leading the team in the category. Additionally, senior guard Julia Young (Snohomish, Wash.) notched nine points on the night, going 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Corban (7-9, 2-5 CCC) returns to Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) action tomorrow evening in Kirkland when it takes on Northwest University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
