Pirate women struggle to stay with 6th-ranked Blues - D3hoops
SPOKANE, Wash. – Sixth-ranked Whitman controlled both ends of the floor in an 80-43 Northwest Conference women's basketball win over Whitworth on Tuesday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
All-American forward Korin Baker scored 27 points for the Blues, who improved to 15-1 overall and 7-0 in the NWC. The Pirates fell to 6-10, 3-4.
Whitman led 20-12 after one quarter by taking care of the ball. Whitman was 9-18 (50%) from the field, getting off eight more shots than Whitworth because the Blues did not commit a turnover in the period. The Pirates had six turnovers and went 4-10 (40%) from the floor. Baker had 11 points in the opening period.
The Blues poured it on in the second period, outscoring Whitworth 22-8. Carly Martin scored 13 of her points in the period. Her team made 8-12 from the field, including 3-5 from three-point range, to take a 42-20 lead at the break. Mya Bair had nine points at halftime for the Pirates, who only made 2-9 (22.2%) from the floor in the second quarter.
Whitworth was able to stick with the highly-ranked Blues much better in the third quarter, staying even at 17-17. The Bucs made 3-7 from beyond the arc, one each by Addyson Gallatin, Skylar Tuckwood and Ashlyn Neilsen. An Alex Goetz jumper in the final 15 seconds pulled the Pirates within 59-37 after three quarters.
Whitman turned the defense back on in the fourth quarter, holding Whitworth to only four points over the first eight minutes and building a 77-41 lead.
Ashlyn Peterson led the Pirates with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals. Bair finished with ten points, a team-high eight boards and three assists. The Blues held Whitworth to only 15 baskets in 56 shots (26.8%) and forced 17 Pirate turnovers.
Offensively Whitman made 50% (30-60) from the field and outrebounded Whitworth 46-32. Baker added nine rebounds and four blocked shots to her point total. Martin finished with 19 points.
Whitworth will try to break its three-game losing streak when the Pirates host second place Linfield (13-2, 4-2) on Friday night.
