Box Score TACOMA, Wash. – A tough, defensive struggle went to the visitors on Friday as the Puget Sound women's basketball team fell 55-49 to Whitworth. The Pirates (13-5, 6-3 NWC) used a 10-0 run to start the second half to key the win.
With the Loggers (10-8, 3-6 NWC) and Pirates both shooting 30 percent or below, the first half turned out a low-scoring affair. The Loggers had built the early lead and held the Pirates scoreless for the first five minutes.
Turnovers then plagued the Loggers with 13 in the first half and Whitworth took a 23-19 lead into the half.
The game fell into the Pirates hands for good when they came out on a quick 10-0 run to start the second half. The lead jumped quickly jumped to 33-19 and continued to expand.
The Loggers turned up the pace in the latter end of the second half, holding Whitworth without a field goal over the final eight minutes. The lead read as much as 15 points when Kendra Knutsen drained a three-pointer for the Pirates.
That would be their last field goal of the night as the Loggers began to chip away. Emily Sheldon converted a three-point play to spark a 9-0 run that slashed the lead into double digits.
Kelsey McKinnis' three-point with 22 seconds left shrunk the deficit to five points but that would be as close as the Loggers would get as Whitworth held on for the win.
McKinnis' three-pointer also recorded her 1,300th career point, making her the eighth Logger in school history to score at least 1300 points.
The Logger will look to shake off a four-game losing streak tomorrow at 4 p.m. when they host Whitman.
