WALLA WALLA, Wash. -
Carly Martin scored a team-high 22 points,
Korin Baker added 16 more and a game-high 12 rebounds, but it came in defeat as the Whitman College women's basketball team fell 58-53 to Pacific (Ore.) in Northwest Conference on Friday night at the Sherwood Center.
Pacific, led by Brilie Kovaloff's 28 points, outshot the Blues (9-3, 1-2 NWC) in three pointers, coming on in the final quarter and hitting 67% from beyond the arc and putting 23 points up on the board in the period. The Boxers were also able to get to the free throw line significantly more to the tune of a 23-9 free throw advantage.
The opening quarter featured a tight contest despite the Blues holding the Boxers scoreless through the first 5:32. Meanwhile, Baker had her stroke going, hitting her first three shots to help Whitman to a 6-0 lead. After knocking down a pair of free throws and connecting from the floor for Pacific's first bucket, Shaade Williams whittled the lead to one point. The Boxers grabbed their first lead, but a pair of baskets inside of a minute from both Martin and Kalia Coverson put the Blues up 14-10 by quarter's end.
Whitman found its groove with an impressive second quarter. Martin came alive, hitting back-to-back shots including a three pointer to give her team a 23-15 lead with 2:41 to play until halftime. Martin again hit from the floor to push the lead to 10 points, but Pacific scored the final four points of the quarter as the Blues headed to the locker room up 26-20.
The Blues led the entire third quarter but it was a battle throughout. Baker put Whitman up by eight points with a basket on her team's first possession, but the Boxers were able to draw fouls in the paint and worked themselves back to make it a two-point game with 7:02 to play. A Baker bucket pushed the lead back up to six points but, after a Kovaloff three pointer, the Boxers had cut the lead to 32-31 with 5:22 remaining. The teams played even down the stretch of the third quarter as Whitman carried a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
After chasing the lead all game, the Boxers made it all the way back when Kovaloff drilled a three pointer to tie the game at 40-40 just under two minutes into the period. The run continued as Sydney Gray connected on a wide open corner three to put the Boxers up 45-40 with six minutes to play. The Blues battled down the stretch but were unable to regain the lead in suffering the loss
Whitman closes out its NWC home-opening weekend on Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. tip against Lewis & Clark.
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