PORTLAND, Ore. - Setting up a first-place showdown next Friday night with George Fox, the 16th-ranked Puget Sound Loggers took down the Lewis & Clark Pioneers, 74-49, in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Saturday in Portland, Ore.

After exchanging baskets early in the game, the Loggers used an 8-0 run to go up by seven points, 13-6, with 14:00 left to go in the first half.   Puget Sound pushed the lead into double-digits with 8:43 left to go when freshman Kelsey McKinnis (Ashland, Ore.) hit a three-pointer to put the maroon and white up, 20-8.  The lead hit 20 points with 5:15 left to go in the opening period on a jumper by Claire Ely (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) and the Loggers continued to cruise as they headed into halftime up 36-18.

The Loggers continued to hold off the Pios in the second half, picking up their biggest lead of the night with 9:57 left to play as McKinnis hit a jumper that put Puget Sound up by 27 points, 56-29.  L&C was able to get the lead back down into the teens momentarily but McKinnis hit a three-pointer just 30 seconds later to push the lead back into the 20s as the Loggers cruised the rest of the way to the 74-59 victory.

The Loggers were led by 23 points from Ely, who is now at 984 points in her career.  Jocelyn Riordan (Lake Forest Park, Wash./Shorecrest) put up 20 in the win while McKinnis added 14 points.  Puget Sound forced 22 turnovers on the night while committing just nine of their own.

The Pioneers were led by 12 points from Megan Spence, who also added seven rebounds in the loss.  After shooting just 26.1% in the first half, the Pios hit 52.2% of their second half shots but it wasn't enough to stop the hot-shooting Loggers.

Puget Sound will next be in action on Friday night when they play host to George Fox with a share of first place in the conference on the line.  Tip with the nationally-ranked Bruins is set for 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma, Wash.