Wolves Fall in High-Scoring Affair

www.wouwolves.com

(Monmouth, Oregon) - Four players reached double figures but it was not enough as the Western Oregon women’s basketball team fell to Dixie State 97-85 Friday, in the New P.E. Gym.

With the loss, WOU drops to 0-2 on the year while Dixie State remains undefeated at 2-0.

The Wolves saw four players record double-digits in the scoring column, led by senior guard Sara Zahler’s (Newberg, Ore./Newberg) 20 points. Junior forward Rylee Peterson (Newport, Ore./Newport), and sophomore guards Jamie Richardson (Grants Pass, Ore./Hidden Valley) and Lorrie Clifford (Eagle River, Alaska/Chugiak) added 18, 12, and 10 points, respectively. Peterson grabbed 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Richardson led the team with 5 steals and a game-high 5 assists.

“I give a lot of credit for my performance to my teammates,” Peterson said. “They kept getting me the ball in good spots and I was able to make some things happen. I think we’re getting to the point where we can anticipate what each other are going to do. That was a big part of my success today.”

Western fell behind early but finished the first half on a 12-6 run that cut the deficit to nine. Dixie State responded with a run of their own, outscoring WOU 21-9 in the first 8:11 of the second stanza. The Wolves outscored the Red Storm the rest of the way, but the hole was too large to crawl out of.

“I am proud of the fact that we continued to fight,” WOU head coach Greg Bruce said. “I hope we can get to the point where we are the team that’s fighting off a comeback. This was a great team we faced today; they have a lot of talent and are very well-coached.”

WOU recorded a season-high 85 points and shot 46-percent from the field (29-63), the highest since Feb. 2 of last season (57.8-percent). The Wolves also shot 84-percent from the free throw line (21-25). They forced Dixie State into 30 turnovers, 16 of which were steals.

“I’m confident that this team can score points,” Bruce continued. “We shot it well today, and we got to the line a decent number of times. I was pleased with our press defense today, as well. We forced a fair number of turnovers, but also gave up too many lay-ups. Half-court defense, rebounding, and unforced errors are the areas where we need to make the most improvement, which I believe we will.”

Dixie State was led by sophomore forward Johnna Browns’ 27-point, 11-rebound double-double. Also in double figures were junior guard Sheila Adams (21 points) and senior forward Breann Hill (17 points, 10 rebounds).

Western returns to the court tomorrow where they will face Humboldt State. HSU defeated Saint Martin’s 75-60 in the opening game of the WOU/Phoenix Inn D2 Shootout. The ‘Jacks had three players in double figures, led by junior forward Bree Halsey’s 23-point, 12-rebounds effort.

Source: Western Oregon University