FOREST GROVE – Pacific rode a 22-point performance by Erica Schultz (Jr., Medford, Ore.) to rebound from a three-point halftime deficit and pull out a 61-59 overtime victory over Whitworth Saturday in the Boxers' Northwest Conference women's basketball season finale at the Stoller Center.
Schultz connected on 10 of 19 from the field in the victory, allowing the Boxers to come back from as many as 11 points down in the first half to take a two-point lead late in the second half. After the Pirates forced overtime, Schultz gave the Boxers the lead for good with a jumper with 52 seconds left.
With the victory, Pacific finishes the season at 7-18, 3-13 NWC. Whitworth, who was knocked out of the NWC playoffs by virtue of Whitman's win over the Boxers last night, finishes at 11-14, 7-9 NWC.
Annette Highley (Fr., Juneau, Alaska) came off the bench to add 11 points and Ashley Jacobs (So., Wainmanalo, Hawaii) scored 10. Pacific shot 40 percent from the field for the night (22-55) and out-rebounded the Pirates 41-34, led by nine boards from Paige Jensen (So., Bemidji, Minn.).
Taylor (LaMoreaux) Taylor led three Whitworth players in double figures with 16 points. Emily Travis finished with 15 points and Emily Guthrie added 14.
Pacific found themselves in a hole early as Whitworth built a 13-4 lead five minutes into the game on a three-pointer by Travis, one of seven treys for the Pirates on the night. The Boxers came back to within five points on a pair of Alissa Nergaard (Fr., Convington, Wash.) free throws at the 14:31 mark. Kayla Johnson's jumper with 13:51 to go sparked a 12-5 run for the Pirates, which ended when Guthrie's trey gave Whitworth their biggest lead of the game, 25-14, with eight minutes left.
The Boxers responded with an 8-0 run of their own, coming within three on a running Schultz lay-in with 5:44 left. Kristen Corrales (So., Waimanalo, Hawaii) closed it to within one on a pair of free throws with 55 seconds left, but a late jumper allowed the Pirates a 29-26 halftime lead.
Whitworth opened the second half by building the lead back to eight points when Taylor's lay-in made it a 36-28 game. She then took the advantage back to double digits when two more free throws at the 12:23 mark made it a 41-31 game. The lead was 43-33 when Schultz lit the spark for a 10-2 run, which culminated on a Highley three-point play that brought the Boxers within two, 45-43, with 6:31 left.
Pacific tied the game at 50-50 on a Jensen lay-in with 2:24 to go and then took the two-point lead on a Jacobs' lay-in with 20 seconds left. Jacobs was then whistled for a foul on the next possession and Travis converted two free throws to send the game to overtime.
The extra period was just as tight, with the game not being decided until the final horn. Whitworth owned a one-point lead with 1:27 to go when Schultz converted a lay-in with 52 seconds left for a 60-59 lead. Jensen then made it a two-point edge when she made one of two free throws with 10 seconds to go. Both teams had opportunities to win it at the free throw line in the last seconds, but the teams combined to miss four to allow the Boxers the win.
The game was final one in a Pacific uniform for Jenny Novak (Dexter, Ore.), who joined the team this season after four years with the Pacific women's soccer program.