WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Hailey Ann Maeda and Chelsi Brewer clicked off double-digit nights for Whitman College but the Missionaries weren't able to overcome inopportune missteps against visiting Pacific (Ore.) University, falling to the Boxers 50-46 Friday evening in Northwest Conference women's basketball action at Sherwood Athletics Center.

Whitman (15-5, 8-4 NWC) spent the entirety of the opening two quarters chasing Pacific (10-10, 5-6), falling behind 12-4 after the initial 10 minutes but clawing back to within a basket, 35-33, entering the halftime break.

The rally continued into the third quarter for the Whitties who grabbed their first lead of the contest, 31-29, eight minutes in, tying the game on a Maeda reverse layup then following up on an Emily Rommel defensive rebound with a layup from Rommel off a sharp feed from Brewer.

Momentum had clearly swung in favor of the Whitman side but a fateful end to the quarter and start to the fourth factored into the outcome at least as much as any other play in the final stanza.

Tied at 33-33 with seconds to go in the third Kathleen Cook tried to push Whitman in front with a short jumper to beat the buzzer. Her attempt slid off the rim and in the rebounding battle Pacific' Karli McHone was fouled. It was the fifth foul of the quarter by Whitman sending McHone to the line with 1.4 seconds showing on the clock. McHone drained both free-throw attempts and the momentum swing was under way again.

Neither team could find the bottom of the basket in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter but a defensive rebound off a Whittie miss turned into a fast break for the Boxers, who not only completed the quick transition with a Kaela Collins layup but she was also fouled on the way up and converted her free-throw chance.

What was a momentum streak from Whitman in the last minute of the third had turned into a momentum-stealing 5-0 run from Pacific early in the fourth.

No Whitman team coached by Michelle Ferenz will ever give up, though, and her charges fought back to steal away the lead three more times after Collins' layup and one.

Maeda provided the lead once with a layup from the left side, Ketner drew a foul and converted one of two chances to break the game's fifth tie two minutes later, and Brewer slashed her way to the basket for a layup to lift the Missionaries to a 44-43 lead with 3:24 to play in the contest.

That would be the final lead for the Whitties, however, as Pacific worked its way back in front on a Sarah Curl jumper a little more than a minute later. Curl sank a pair of free throws 40 seconds later to extend the Boxer lead to three, but a Rommel layup trimmed that deficit providing hope for Whitman.

Twice in the final 55 seconds Whitman would have possession, gunning for the winning basket, but both times a turnover would allow that chance to slip away.

Those final turnovers and the foul, layup, foul and one between the third and fourth quarters were the main culprits in the loss for Whitman.

Statistically they were even with the Boxers from the floor as each team hit 37 percent of their shots on the night, and the rebounding battle was basically a push, 33-31 in favor of Pacific. Whitman forced 22 turnovers and put in 15 points off those miscues, it ruled the paint with 22 points from in close -- compared to just 14 from the Boxers -- and the Missionaries bench poured in 21 points in contrast to just three points from the Boxer reserves.

Maeda finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for Whitman, with Brewer adding 11 points and Alysse Ketner chipping in with nine.

The Pacific triumvirate of Curl (16 points), McHone (14) and Kyla Siri (13) did the damage for the Boxers, nearly out scoring Whitman on their own.

The defeat creates the first two-game losing streak of the season for Whitman, which will have a week off before bouncing back into conference action Friday night at home against Willamette University. Saturday brings third-ranked George Fox University to Sherwood for the home finale of the regular season.