SPOKANE, Wash. -- Emily Travis hit two free throws with 9.6 seconds left on the clock to lift Whitworth to a 69-67 win over visiting Puget Sound, handing the 24th-ranked Loggers their first Northwest Conference women's basketball loss.
The Pirates improved to 6-7 overall and 2-2 in the NWC, breaking a three-game skid and a four-game losing streak to UPS. The Loggers fell to 10-3, 3-1.
Whitworth outscored UPS 6-0 over the final 2:22, getting a pair of free throws from Emily Guthrie, a put-back layin from Taylor (LaMoreaux) Taylor and the two Travis free throws. The Loggers had two shots at a tying basket in the final seconds.
Four Pirates reached double figures in scoring to overcome the game-high 23 points by Jocelyn Riordan, the Logger's All-NWC guard. Riordan hit 4-5 from three-point range and 8-18 shots overall. Kelsey McKinnis added 12 points for UPS and Sarah Stewart had a game-high 10 rebounds.
Taylor led the Pirates in scoring (16 points) and rebounding (8 boards). Guthrie added 15 points, while Lexi Belcher had 11 and Kayla Johnson had ten points.
Whitworth signaled early that it had bounced back from Friday's dismal loss to Pacific Lutheran by taking a 20-14 lead on the Loggers after a quick 7-0 run begun by a Travis three-pointer. But UPS responded with an 18-4 run to go up 32-24 with just under four minutes to play in the half. The Logger lead reached 37-27 after a pair of free throws by Melissa Cachopo, but Guthrie hit a lay up with 28 seconds left to pull the Pirates within 38-31 at halftime.
Whitworth got back within 41-38 early in the second half on a Taylor basket inside, but UPS retook control and led 54-45 on a three-point play by McKinnis with just over ten minutes to go in the game. Guthrie answered with back to back three-pointers to pull the Pirates back within 54-51 and the Pirates continue a 12-0 run that was capped by a pair of free throws by Johnson that gave the Bucs a 57-54 advantage with 7:09 to play.
The lead was short-lived as UPS scored the next six points to go back up 60-60. When Stewart hit one of two free throws with 2:22 left, the Loggers had a 67-63 lead, but would not score again. Travis hit the winning free throws after Lauren Picha pulled down an offensive rebound earlier in the possession.
Whitworth will head to Oregon next weekend to take on George Fox (Friday) and Willamette (Saturday).