FOREST GROVE, Ore. – On Senior Night it was a junior who led the Boxers as Kyla Siri finished with 17 points, while Olivia Cook posted a double-double in Pacific's 71-57 loss to the Puget Sound Loggers.
Prior to the opening tip the Boxers recognized the six member senior class for their contributions to Pacific University women's basketball and the school. The six seniors recognized were: Cook (Sr., Beaverton, Ore.), Jonica Durbin (Sr., Seabeck, Wash.), Kaila Johnson (Sr., McKinleyville, Calif.), Abby Jones (Sr., Haines, Alaska), Kelsey Misseldine (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) and Nani Ostrom (Sr., Juneau, Alaska).
Puget Sound kicked things off less than a minute into the evening's festivities with a 3-point make by Emily Sheldon, followed by a pair of made free throws from Cook. The Loggers pushed on with six-straight points off of layups to take a seven-point lead and force a Pacific timeout.
The Boxers returned from the 30-second break with Misseldine assisting on a 3-pointer from Sarah Curl (So., Portland, Ore.). After two scoreless minutes, followed by a 3-pointer from Puget Sound's Amanda Forshay, Pacific rattled off four-straight points to pull within three of the visiting Loggers.
Puget Sound responded to Pacific's four-point run with an eight-point run of its own to push out to an 11-point advantage with nine minutes remaining in the opening half.
Pacific cut its disadvantage to seven with a Siri (Jr., Spring Creek, Nev.) layup to put the scoreline at 22-15 Puget Sound ahead.
A Puget Sound 3-pointer returned the margin to double digits, but Curl and Cook scored on back-to-back Pacific possessions to bring Pacific back within six with 2:54 on the clock.
Four-straight from the Loggers was answered by a Curl 3-pointer as Ostrom passed on a 3-pointer of her own and found her teammate for a make. A Puget Sound free throw and layups by each team wrapped up the half with a 32-24 Loggers advantage.
After falling behind by double figures early in the second period, Pacific made a move on the Loggers with 13:41 left in regulation when Johnson hit a 3-pointer to pull within seven of the visitors.
Ostrom followed with a jumper, before Siri and Cook scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Boxers within one at 43-42. The score soon turned Pacific's way when Curl hit a jumper at 10:42 to give Pacific its first lead of the evening.
The Boxers' lead reached three on two occasions after a layup from Johnson and a jumper from Curl, before a layup from Allie Wyszynski and a pair of made free throws from Sheldon put the Loggers ahead 49-48. The Loggers run reached 13 points and left Puget Sound with a 10-point advantage with 5:30 remaining in regulation.
Siri helped pull Pacific back within single digits, but a Forshay layup and free throw makes from Ashley Agcaoili put the Loggers advantage back to double figures, where it would remain for the final minute of play as the Loggers left the Stoller Center with a 71-57 victory.
Siri finished with a season-high 17 points, while also recording four rebounds and two assists. Curl tallied 14 points as she reached double digits for the 15th time this season.
Cook tallied her 10th career double-double and fifth of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
With their performances on the offensive end Cook and Curl surpassed 700 and 500 career points, respectively.
Puget Sound entered the evening the No. 23 team in the country according to D3Hoops.com, while receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Loggers were led by a 33-point showing from Sheldon, who also snagged eight rebounds in Puget Sound's victory.
Pacific heads to Lewis & Clark on Saturday for a 4 p.m. scheduled tipoff at the Pamplin Sports Center.