FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Hitting the road for the first time since early January, the 16th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers held off the upset-minded Pacific Boxers, 67-58, in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Friday night in Forest Grove, Ore.

The Loggers opened up the scoring with a jumper by senior Claire Ely (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) but the Boxers scored 10 straight to take a 10-2 lead with 14:53 left in the first half. Facing an eight-point deficit, the Loggers took over the game for the next seven minutes, going on a 22-4 run to pull ahead by ten points, 24-14, with 7:38 left in the first period. Puget Sound kept the lead right around the 10-point mark the rest of the half at the Loggers took a 30-20 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Loggers used a three-pointer by Jocelyn Riordan (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest) put Puget Sound up by 17 with 11:57 left to play in the game. The Boxers powered back to get back within six points with 8:18 left to play but the maroon and white held off the Boxer charge, winning by the final of 67-58.

Puget Sound was led by 26 points from Ely, who now sits at 961 points for her career. Riordan chipped in 14 points while freshman Kelsey McKinnis (Ashland, Ore.) put up 11 points in the win. The Loggers took advantage of 14 Pacific turnovers, scoring 22 points off giveaways.

The Boxers were led by 14 points from Erica Schultz. Rochelle Reeves-Howe scored 12 points while Paige Jensen brought down a game-high 13 rebounds in the losing effort. Pacific held a 40-22 advantage in the paint but it wasn't enough to knock off the nationally-ranked Loggers.

The Loggers wrap up the first half of Northwest Conference play on Saturday evening when they travel to the Rose City to take on Lewis & Clark. Tip with the Pios is set for 6:00 pm at Pamplin Athletic Center in Portland, Ore.