MONMOUTH, Ore. – As it came down to the final minute, Western Oregon women's basketball closed 2015 on a high note, with a 58-57 win against Simon Fraser on Thursday evening.
 
The Wolves improved to 2-9 overall and 1-2 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, while the Clan fell 3-5 and 1-2 in the GNAC.
 
"I am so proud of these girls," head coach Holli Howard-Carpenter said. "They fought so hard for this win. We stayed focused for the entire forty minutes and dug down to get stops and rebounds when we needed them."
 
Emily Howey posted a season-high of 14 points for the night, while Launia Davis had nine points and Natalie DeLonge as well as Ali Nelke each added eight. DeLonge also contributed 10 rebounds, and Sydney Azorr had seven.
 
"Although we didn't shoot it well from the free throw line, Ali knocked them down when it counted," Howard-Carpenter said. "Our bigs really came to play tonight. Emily had a great start and Natalie came in with energy when she got into foul trouble. Jasmine Miller gave us great minutes off the bench, and Launia hit some huge shots that stopped their runs."
 
The Wolves started off the game with a back-and-forth first quarter, ending the period with a tied score of 20-20. In the second quarter, Howey led the charge by scoring the first six points.
 
By the end of the first half, the Wolves shot 54.2 percent from the field with 13 points off of turnovers and 10 second chances.
 
With a seven-point lead going into the second half, the Wolves had control of the game. Over two minutes passed in the third quarter without either team scoring until DeLonge put up two consecutive layups for the first four points.
 
Western Oregon obtained their largest lead of the game in the third quarter at 10 points, but a few miscues and a lower shooting percentage allowed the Clan to take over at 41-40. It was back to a tight game as the Wolves maintained a small lead, but Western Oregon began to regain their momentum.
 
The final minute emerged with intensity as the Wolves lost their lead after a three-pointer from Simon Fraser's Elisa Homer. With two free throws from Nelke, Western Oregon took the one-point lead and held off the Clan.
 
It was a complete team effort as nine of the 10 Wolves who saw time on the court scored at least one basket.
 
Three Simon Fraser student-athletes made it to double digits as Ellen Kett had 16 points, and Homer and Vanessa Gee each had 12.
 
Western Oregon recorded 12 offensive rebounds and 26 defensive rebounds, whereas the Clan totaled 33. The Wolves also had seven steals and two blocks for the night.
 
"For the second game in a row, we've played great team basketball and are starting to understand that's the way to win," Howard-Carpenter said. "It's nice as a coach to be inspired by your team's play on the floor and more importantly, for them to be rewarded with the win."
 
Next up, the Wolves will open the new year with a home game against Western Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m.