SALEM, Ore. – The Puget Sound women's basketball team slid to a fantastic 70-50 win at Willamette University in the Northwest Conference Championship semifinals, on Friday night, in Cone Field House. 

Paige Gerhart led the scoring with a team-high 16 points, a game-high 11 rebounds, and five assists while Kennedy Brown followed with 11 points. Paige Oh was 3-for-5 from the field adding 10 points in the win. The Loggers had 21 points off the bench while the Willamette Bearcats had only six. The Bearcats finished with 15 turnovers, similarly the Loggers had 16. 

The Loggers got off to a 18-6 lead in the first period shooting for 50% from the field, while the Bearcats succumbed to a 2-of-14 field goal percentage. 

Willamette balanced out in the second period shooting for 46.2% and outscoring the Loggers 16-14, but the Loggers maintained a double-digit lead going into the second half 32-22. The Loggers had 16 points scored in the paint, while the Bearcats only had six. 

The third period was dominated by the Loggers as they continued to extend the gap, Puget Sound shot for 50% with Addison Reardon going 2-for-2 adding five to the score. The Loggers grabbed 10 points off the bench and continued to climb into the fourth period as the Loggers took their biggest lead yet at 8:20 left in regulation Puget Sound led by 24 points. The Bearcats tried to make a comeback, but the Logger defense would hold them back in consecutive periods, holding the Bearcats to 34.5% shooting overall.  

Katie Minnehan led the defensive push with nine rebounds, four of which were offensive. Autumn Hill blocked three plays adding five rebounds and six points at a 100% shooting rate. 

The Loggers will move on to the NWC finals against Pacific University, February 23, at 6 p.m. at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.