TACOMA, Wash. - Freshman Kelsey McKinnis (Ashland, Ore.) hit
seven three-pointers en route to 27 points, including the
game-winner, as the 22nd-ranked Puget Sound Loggers snuck past the
Whitman Missionareis, 68-66, in a Northwest Conference women's
basketball game on Saturday evening at Memorial Fieldhouse in
Tacoma, Wash.
McKinnis took control of the game early, scoring 16 of the
Loggers first 18 points as Puget Sound held a 18-11 lead with 9:08
left in the first half. The Missionaries chipped away at the
Logger advantage, pulling even with 1:16 left and then used a
jumper by Rebecca Sexton to take a two-point lead at halftime,
31-29.
In the second period, Whitman continued to be in control as the
Loggers struggled to find shots. After the Missionaries built
a six-point lead, the Loggers finally found a way to get back into
the game, pulling ahead once again with 10:02 left on the clock
courtesy of a three-pointer by sophomore Jocelyn Riordan (Lake
Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest). The teams continued to battle
for the remainder of the half as Puget Sound earned a slight
advantage as time wore down.
The game reached a crescendo in the final minute as Whitman's
Michell Krall hit a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left to
play to put the Missionaries up by one point, 66-65. Senior
Claire Ely (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) missed a jumper with 13
seconds left by Natasha Ludwig (Hilo, Hawaii/Waiakea) was there for
the offensive rebound and kicked the ball out the McKinnis, who hit
the game-winning three pointer from the top of the arc.
Whitman had one more chance to get the upset but the
three-pointer by Kelly Peterson was no good as the Loggers improved
to 5-1 in conference place.
The Loggers were led by the 27 points from McKinnis, who came
within one three-pointer of tying the school record of eight, held
by Annie Pettigrew in 1989-90. Riordan finished the night
with 17 rebounds while Ludwig brought down 10 rebounds in the
victory. The Loggers reigned supreme from outside the arc,
making 11 three-pointers as they earned the two-point win.
Whitman was led by 20 points from Sexton, who also added a
team-high seven rebounds. Peterson added 16 points in the
losing effort. The Missionaries shot well from the field,
making 25 of 53 attempts for 47.2%, about eight percent better than
normal.
The Loggers hit the road next week, traveling to Oregon to take
on Pacific on Friday and Lewis & Clark on Saturday.
