PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing against current NAIA and future Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) member Concordia University (Ore.), Western Oregon University's women's basketball fought hard before falling in the game's final minutes, 72-69, Tuesday inside Cavalier Gymnasium.

The Wolves (0-3) had a four-point lead (65-61) with just under three minutes to play before Concordia (2-0) used a game-ending 11-4 run en route to earning its second straight win to open the 2014-15 season.

"I have to credit Concordia for the fight they showed down the stretch, they played hard," said Head Coach Holli Howard-Carpenter. "We were able to shoot the ball a little better, especially from the three-point line, but it wasn't enough tonight."

Western Oregon was led offensively by senior Dana Goularte with game-high totals of 20 points and 11 rebounds en route to registering her first double-double of the season, while sophomore Jordan Mottershaw chipped in with 14 points as the duo combined to shoot 12-for-28 from the field. Freshman Sami Osborne came off the Wolves' bench to provide eight points, while junior Angie Titus and freshman Sydney Azorr scored six points each for WOU. On the boards, Goularte was aided by Mottershaw with nine rebounds to go along with a three-assist effort from Titus and Azorr.

Concordia had four players score in double figures led by Sierra Dean with 16 points, while Briannah Smith and Janae Klarich provided 15 points each to go along with a 13-point effort by McKenna Daly. Jordyn Peacock, Smith, and Klarich led the Cavaliers with six rebounds each, while Lexi Campbell handed out a game-high four assists for Concordia.

Over the opening seven minutes, Western Oregon quickly built an 11-point lead (18-7) on a three-pointer by junior Katie Goddard with 12:37 on the clock. Concordia would then use a 13-4 run over the next seven minutes and pulled within two points (22-20) on a three-pointer by Klarich with 5:26 left. Over the final five-plus minutes of the first half, the host Cavaliers used a 13-7 run en route to grabbing a 33-29 lead at halftime.

The second half would begin with Western Oregon using a 13-2 run en route to earning a 42-35 lead on a lay-in by Mottershaw with 15:45 remaining. The Wolves would continue to hold the lead over the next four minutes pushing its advantage to as much as eight points (51-43) on a lay-in by Goularte with 11:28 on the clock. Over the next two minutes, Concordia put together a 7-0 run to pull within one point (51-50) on three-pointer by Dean with 9:28 left. A three-pointer by Azorr one minute later put Western Oregon ahead 54-50, as the two teams traded runs back-and-forth until there was just under three minutes left and the Wolves clung to a 65-61 lead after a jumper in the paint by Titus with 2:49 remaining. Neither team would score again until there were 98 seconds on the clock, as Concordia began its game-ending run on a three-pointer by Klarich that pulled the Cavaliers within one point (65-64). Western Oregon would not relinquish its lead until there was 36 seconds on the clock when Smith converted an old-fashion three-point play that gave Concordia the lead for good at 70-69. The Cavaliers' Campbell would score the final points of the game via a pair of free throws, as Concordia held onto the 72-69 victory.

As a team, Western Oregon combined to shoot 26-for-68 (38.2%) from the field to go along with a 9-for-19 (47.4%) showing from beyond the three-point line and an 8-for-13 (61.5%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Concordia was a combined 25-for-68 (36.8%) from the field, 8-of-25 (32.0%) from long distance, and 14-of-17 (82.4%) at the charity stripe.

"Jordan and Angie really carried us in the second half, they hit some much needed shots and got some key rebounds," commented Howard-Carpenter. "Michelle gave us solid minutes at the point guard position and I was really proud of how Sami and Sydney played down the stretch."

Western Oregon returns to action on Saturday, November 22, against Humboldt State University beginning at 2:00 p.m. inside the New PE Building in Monmouth.