SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University cut a 23-point deficit to just one but came up just short in a 67-62 loss to UC Santa Cruz in Wednesday's non-conference women's basketball game at Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The Pirates (1-6) outscored the Banana Slugs (6-7) 41-23 in the second half.
Whitworth jumped out to a 9-4 lead thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Ashlyn Peterson. UCSC fought back and made five consecutive field goal attempts during a 12-4 run to erase what would be the Bucs' last lead of the day. A layup from Emilie Ngo put the Banana Slugs up 24-19 at the end of the first frame.
UCSC took control in the second quarter, outscoring Whitworth 20-2. Peterson's layup at the 2:41 mark was the Pirates' only basket of the quarter as the Banana Slugs took a 44-21 lead, their largest of the game, into halftime. Whitworth shot 28.1% from the field in the first half and made three of 17 three-point attempts. UCSC shot 54.3% (19-35). Peterson led the Pirates with 10 points at the break.
Whitworth flipped the script and opened the third quarter on a 12-3 run thanks to five offensive rebounds and a pair of forced turnovers. A layup from CC Size trimmed the deficit to 47-33 at the 6:36 mark. A pair of Peterson free throws brought the Pirates to within 12 before a three-pointer from Alyssa Jackson pushed the Banana Slug lead to 57-40 heading into the final quarter.
Similarly to the third quarter, Whitworth came out swinging in the fourth and cut the UCSC lead to 57-48 after a layup from Size. Peterson followed with seven straight points and another Size basket capped a 17-1 run that brought Whitworth to within one (58-57) at the 4:05 mark. The Banana Slugs responded with a pair of stops and regained a two-possession lead with a layup from Claire Galbo. The teams traded baskets before Alex Goetz nailed a long distance shot to cut the deficit to two with 39 seconds left. Whitworth forced a turnover but followed with a turnover of their own and had to foul. Ngo made three throws in the final 15 seconds to secure the win. The Pirate defense held the Banana Slugs to just three field goals and forced five turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Whitworth shot 35.7% (25-70) from the field and 19.4% (6-31) from beyond the arc. UCSC made 42.9% (27-63) of its shots and 54.5% (6-11) of its three-pointers.
Peterson led all scorers with 21 points and added five rebounds. Size scored 11 points and Goetz had 10 with six assists. Ava DePew also dished six assists and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Ngo and Alexa Litchev both finished with a double-double to lead the Banana Slugs. Ngo led the offense with 18 points and 10 assists. Litchev scored 17 points and her 14 rebounds helped UCSC gain a 46-39 advantage on the glass.
The Whitworth women head to Honolulu to play St. Norbert and Albion in the Hoops in Hawaii Classic on Sunday and Monday.
