TACOMA, Wash. -- The Loggers clinch a spot in the Northwest Conference tournament with a win over Willamette, taking down the Bearcats 68-57 at home. 

How it Happened
Puget Sound got the Log rolling early, scoring the first six points of the ball game. Freshman Hailey Quiggle knocked down two of the first three buckets, finding her rhythm early. After layups by Claire Thompson and Autumn Hill, the Loggers took a comfortable 10-3 lead into the first media timeout. Their defense continued to hold strong, but in the final two minutes, a Bearcat run tied the game up at 13 apiece. 

Natalia Sefair-Lopez and Cayton Smith both drilled threes to open the second quarter, and another lay-in by Sefair-Lopez extended the Logger lead to five. After a Bearcat three pulled it close, Mele Sake hit a jumper to continue the Loggers' hot hand. Thompson and Savannah Pohl combined for six points, and a Paige Oh triple gave the Loggers a 32-23 lead. Back-to-back jumpers by Carmen Cruz, and a final three by Hailey Quiggle gave the Logs a 44-31 lead at the half, piling on 31 points in the second quarter. 

The second half was a greater defensive battle, as the teams took turns hitting buckets throughout the quarter. After a 5-0 run by the Bearcats, Sake hit a jumper to put the lead back to double-digits. The defense ramped up, holding Willamette to only four points in the middle 3.5 minutes of the quarter. A Smith layup, and a slew of Logger free throws capped the scoring in the third, making it a 57-45 game heading into the fourth. 

After a quick Sake bucket, the Bearcats went on a 7-0 run to pull within seven. A couple of free throws and a good layup by Claire Thompson pushed the lead to 11, with Oh adding a free throw of her own to make it 64-52. The Loggers played smart from there on out, killing the clock and relying on their defense to close out the game. They burned just over a minute on a singular possession, securing two offensive rebounds in a row to keep control of the ball. In a quick ending, the Loggers only allowed two more field goals the rest of the game, taking this one, 68-57. 

Top Performers
Three players hit double digits, as Sefair-Lopez, Quiggle, and Thompson all finished with 10 apiece. Smith led the team in rebounds, picking up a game-high seven boards. 

What Happens Next
The Loggers set their hopes on the No. 1 seed in the Northwest conference, taking on Pacific on Friday, February 13th. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 pm.