WALLA WALLA, Washington – The good news is the Puget Sound women's basketball team had its first game of the 2020-21 season. The bad news is that the Loggers struggled to shoot the ball in a 73-58 loss at Whitman Friday night.

Puget Sound (0-1, 0-1 NWC) shot 29.7-percent from the floor, 23.1-percent from 3-point range, and 40-percent from the free-throw line.

On the flip side, Whitman (3-0, 3-0 NWC)shot 38.5-percent from the floor and 32-percent from distance.

Grace Pytynia-Hillier was the only Logger to score in double figures. She netted 11 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Freshmen Paige Gerhart and Jordyn Reverman both came away with nine points and seven boards.

Although the offense struggled, Puget Sound's defensive intensity often flustered Whitman. The Loggers totaled 16 steals, including four from both Sophie Nilsson and Katie Minnehan.

The Loggers opened the game with an 8-2 run that was capped off by a steal from Kennedy Brown that led to a layup for Gerhart in transition. The Blues made a small run of their own, but a 3-pointer by Georgia Lavinder gave Puget Sound a 14-9 edge.

The Loggers held a 23-20 advantage after the first quarter, but the script started to flip in the second quarter and the Blues took a 44-42 lead into halftime.

These two teams go at it again Saturday, Jan. 30, at 3:30 p.m.