Whitworth 55, at Whitman 36

Walla Walla, Wash. – (From Dave Holden, Whitman SID) Whitworth survived an off shooting night by its leading scorer in posting a 55-36 victory at Whitman in Northwest Conference women's basketball action Tuesday night in Sherwood Center.

The visiting Pirates upped their record to 9-6, 4-2 in the NWC, while the Missionaries fell to 5-8 on the season and 1-4 in conference play.

Whitworth's Erica Ewart, who began the week as the NWC's leading scorer, managed just four points Tuesday night, more than 13 points below her average. But with Tiffany Speer notching a game- high 15 points and Sarah Shogren adding 10 off the bench, the

Pirates had more than enough firepower.

Whitman got 10 points apiece from Sunny Gulberg and Ashley Wright, but the Missionaries shot just 32 percent from the floor while turning the ball over 29 times.

Whitworth led 21-15 at halftime and pulled away to a 36-22 advantage with 12:29 left to play. With freshman Lindsey Gehrig nailing Whitman's only 3-pointer of the night and Gulberg and Wright combining for nine points, the Missionaries closed the gap to 41-34 at the 6:34 mark. From that point on, however, it was no contest as Whitworth closed out its victory with a 14-2 run.

With freshman reserve Anna Stephenson snaring eight rebounds, Whitman outrebounded the Pirates 38-25. Kim Evanger and Denise Kirstein each grabbed six boards for the Missionaries. Shogren led Whitworth with five rebounds.

At Willamette 77, Lewis & Clark 69

Salem, Ore. – (From Cliff Voliva, Willamette SID) Kasey Sorenson came off the bench to score 22 points as she led the Willamette University Bearcats to a 77-69 win over the Lewis and Clark Pioneers Tuesday night in Salem.

Rosie Contri (18 points, 6 rebounds) and Wenchi Liu (17 points, six assists) joined with Sorenson as the Bearcats (7-9, 2-5 NWC) overcame 23 points from the Pioneer’s Lindsay Sweetland and 21 from Nneena Lewis. Lewis and Clark fell to 7-7 overall, 1-4 in the NWC.

The Bearcats jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first six minutes as Nancy Weyler and Contri each scored four points. But Sweetland, who scored 17 in the first half, hit a pair of three-pointers as the Pioneers pulled to within two at 23-21 with just under nine minutes in the first half.

But Sorenson and freshman Danielle Page sparked a Bearcat rally that saw Willamette take a 42-33 lead in to the locker room.

In the second half, the Pioneers pulled to within two on a Lewis jumper with 15 minutes to play. No more than six points separated the teams until the ‘Cats, led by Liu’s three-pointer and a steal and lay-up, went on an 11-0 run to give the Bearcats a 73-60 lead with just under three minutes to play.

Sorenson was a perfect 10-10 from the line as the NWC’s best free throw shooting team converted 13 of 16 from the stripe.

While the Pioneers out-rebounded Willamette 32-30, the Bearcat bench outscored the Pioneers 30-0.