WALLA WALLA, Washington – The Puget Sound women's basketball team nearly overcame a slow first quarter, but the Loggers lost at No. 7 Whitman, 72-66, in a Northwest Conference Semifinal game Thursday night.

The Loggers (13-13, 7-9 NWC) trailed 15-5 after the first 10 minutes, but the offense began to click in the second quarter. Puget Sound opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run, and the period ended with Grace Pytynia-Hillier hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Loggers' deficit to 38-30 at halftime.

The Loggers trailed by nine points, 54-45, at the end of the third quarter, but Katie Minnehan did all that she could to will Puget Sound to a fourth-quarter comeback. Minnehan scored the Loggers' first seven points of the fourth, cutting Whitman's lead to 54-52.

However, the remarkable run was cooled off with a 3-poiner by Whitman (24-2, 15-1 NWC). Samantha Swartout's jumper with 1:40 on the clock made it a 66-62 game, but the Blues made their free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Minnehan scored a team-high 19 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. Pytynia-Hillier netted 16 points off the bench, and Gia Sorn finished with 14 points and seven boards.