TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers win a nail-biter against the Whitman Blues, taking down the No. 2 team in the Northwest Conference 48-47.

How it Happened
After Mele Sake opened up the scoring on the first possession, the Blues went on a run to start the game. All of a sudden, the Loggers found themselves down 11-4 after four minutes of play, as the Blues started to shoot lights out. The lead was as large as 12, but the Loggers weren't out of it yet. Savannah Pohl made a layup, and Natalia Sefair-Lopez hit a pair of free throws to make it 21-10 at the end of the first. 

The Loggers pulled it back in the second, relying on their stellar defense to get back in the game. They held the Blues to a total of five points in the second, coming all the way back into the game. Back-to-back threes by Pohl and Brianna Forbess pulled the Logs within seven, starting an 8-0 run. Sefair-Lopez hit another pair of free throws, and Cayton Smith found her way into the scoresheet with a layup as well. After Autumn Hill layed it in, Paige Oh drilled a three to give Puget Sound their first lead since the opening bucket. The Blues tied it up, making it a 26-26 game at halftime. 

The third quarter started with a bang, as the Loggers got a stop, and then Smith found her way to the hoop to give the Loggers the early lead. The Blues then went on a 7-0 run, pulling back ahead by five. A Claire Thompson layup and Hailey Quiggle three tied the game, and another Quiggle bucket kept the Loggers close after a small Whitman run. Hill concluded the scoring in the third, hitting a layup to make it 41-39 Blues. 

Smith got the Log rolling again to start the fourth, hitting another three with just under six minutes to go to make it 46-45 Loggers. The teams then went back and forth with good defensive stops, as the Blues' final bucket came with 7:41 left in the game. Pohl hit a bucket to put the Loggers up 48-47, with neither team scoring in the final three minutes. The Blues had a chance to win it with 15 seconds on the clock, but a massive block by Hill shut the door. The Loggers take this one, 48-47. 

Top Performers
Smith was one point shy of a double-double, scoring 9 points and securing 10 boards for the Loggers. 

What Happens Next
The Loggers host the Whitworth Pirates for senior night tomorrow, February 21st. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 pm.