SEATTLE, Wash. – It was a big night for Princy Paaluhi-Caulk as her season-high 17 points helped lead the Western Oregon University women's basketball team Thursday night at Seattle Pacific. Despite the game-high in points, the Falcons were able to hold off the Wolves for the 67-54 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win inside Brougham Pavilion.
Paaluhi-Caulk collected 17 points on 5-10 shooting and 2-4 from three, she also added a 5-6 effort at the foul line in 17 minutes. Tresai McCarver and Cali McClave each added nine points. McCarver tallied three rebounds and two assists, while Cali McClave posted two rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal.
WOU (8-11, 4-8 GNAC) connected right out of the gate with Cali McClave sinking a three-pointer off of an assist by Madisyn Clark just 14 seconds in. After Seattle Pacific (10-12, 6-6 GNAC) came back to tie with a three-pointer, McCarver answered with a jumper 26 seconds later. It was a theme of ties early on with the game being knotted at three, five, seven and again at nine. The Falcons took the lead at 12-9 on a three-pointer by Anna Eddy and kept the lead until a three-pointer by McCarver tied the game back up at 14. SPU used a 6-2 run the remainder of the opening quarter to take a 20-16 lead.
WOU started the second quarter on a 5-0 run to regain the lead. Paaluhi-Caulk started the frame with a jumper and after Clark tied the game with a layup, a free throw by Meadow Aragon pushed the Wolves in front at 21-20. The teams would then tie at 22 and 24 before SPU closed the second quarter just like they did the first finishing the final minutes on a 9-4 run to take a 33-28 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was a defensive battle with Alexis Wright hitting a layup and a jumper by Eddy a minute in being the only points for either team for the next four minutes. All totaled, there would be only 17 combined points scored in the third with 11 going to the Falcons as SPU took a 44-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Wolves tried to cut into the deficit with points from Paaluhi-Caulk, Ana McClave, Cali McClave and McCarver, but WOU wasn't able to get the lead under double-digits with SPU claiming the 67-54 victory.
Nine players scored at least two points for WOU as the Wolves went 21-64 (32.8) from the field, 5-20 (25) from three and 7-12 (58.3) at the foul line. WOU held advantages on second chance points (10-7) and fastbreak points (4-2). The Wolves also won the rebounding battle at 41-37.
Eddy led Seattle Pacific with 14 points, while Natalie Hoff and Malia Mastora added 11 points apiece. Beth Pettingill just missed a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. The Falcons went 24-59 (40.7) from the field, 5-17 (29.4) from three and 14-20 (70) at the foul line. SPU held slight advantages in points off turnovers (13-12), bench points (27-25) and points in the paint (28-26).
WOU will see Seattle Pacific again shortly as the teams will play on Monday, Feb. 21 back in Monmouth.
The Wolves continue the road trip this Saturday playing at Montana State Billings starting at 6 p.m. (Pacific). The Yellowjackets held on for a 52-50 home win Thursday against Saint Martin's.
