SALEM, Ore. -- The Loggers stage a second-half comeback, taking down the Willamette Bearcats 62-46 to move to 4-0 in Northwest Conference play. 

How it Happened
The Loggers jumped ahead right away, as Claire Thompson caused a turnover and made a quick layup to kick off the scoring. The teams then went back and forth, as Mele Sake and Savannah Pohl scored on consecutive possessions to tie the game at eight apiece. The Bearcats pulled ahead from there, extending their lead to as big as six with 2:26 remaining in the first. A Grace Lee layup and Paige Oh buzzer-beater brought the lead back to three, as the Loggers found themselves down 15-18 heading into the second quarter. 

The Loggers' defense started to pick up in the second, as both teams finished the quarter with single-digit scoring. Oh and Thompson made a couple of buckets to keep the Loggers within striking distance, and Carmen Cruz got her first points of the ball game to pull Puget Sound within two. A tip in by Pohl with 2:43 remaining proved to be the final bucket of the first half for the Loggers, as the Bearcats took a 23-27 lead into halftime. 

Lee kicked off the second half with a quick two, starting a Logger 8-0 run to begin the third quarter. Cruz was the star of the show, scoring an impressive eight of the Loggers' 16 points in the period. Sake and Thompson also scored a pair of buckets, as the Loggers started to pull away. A 5-0 Willamette run, including a layup at the buzzer, made it 39-36 ball game with one quarter to go. 

Autumn Hill found her rhythm in the beginning of the fourth, picking up two rebounds and four points in the first two minutes of the fourth. An Oh layup helped give the Loggers a nine-point lead, as they kept their foot on the gas pedal. A Grace Lee layup pushed the lead to 13, as the Loggers were able to cruise to the finish line. Six straight made free throws by Natalia Sefair-Lopez capped off the game, as the Loggers are perfect through the start of conference play. 

Top Performers
Lee had a near double-double, scoring seven points and picking up 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive side of the glass. Cruz finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds, while Sefair-Lopez went a perfect 10-10 from the line. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Willamette is such a good 3pt shooting team," said Logger head coach Casey Kushiyama. "They got off to a hot start, and I thought our kids did a great job of being resilient. I'm proud of the way we defended after the 1st quarter, and really liked the way we executed on offense in the 2nd half."

What Happens Next
The Loggers come back home to face the Linfield Wildcats on Friday, January 16th. First tip is scheduled for 5:30 pm.