BILLINGS, Mont. – It was another strong game for Princy Paaluhi-Caulk as she scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Western Oregon University women's basketball team at Montana State Billings. The Yellowjackets put together a solid second half to claim the 72-52 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win over the Wolves on Saturday night inside Alterowitz Gym.
Paaluhi-Caulk went 5-14 from the field, 3-7 from three and 5-5 at the free throw line for her game-high 18 points. This comes one game after Paaluhi-Caulk scored a season and game-high 17 points at Seattle Pacific.
Tresai McCarver added eight points, six rebounds and two assists. Makenna Gambee tallied six points and two rebounds. Cali McClave led the team in rebounds with seven and tied for the team-lead in assists with Madisyn Clark with both coming away with three. Cali McClave and Meadow Aragon each added three steals.
WOU (8-12, 4-9 GNAC) opened the scoring 30 seconds in with Cali McClave hitting a three-pointer. McCarver added a three-pointer a few minutes later to push the lead to 6-2.
A pair of free throws by Aragon had the lead out to seven at 15-8 with 3:34 to play in the opening quarter. Montana State Billings (15-9, 9-3 GNAC) closed the quarter strong going on a 9-3 run with Paaluhi-Caulk hitting a triple near the end of the first to keep WOU in front by a point.
Paaluhi-Caulk started the second quarter hitting a jumper 13 seconds in to move the lead to three. After that, the teams traded leads throughout the rest of the first half with WOU still holding a two-point lead at 26-24 on a three-pointer by Clark. A Gambee layup a minute later pushed WOU back in front by one before the 'Jackets finished the opening half on an 8-3 run to take a 35-31 lead into halftime.
WOU tried to chip away early in the third quarter with a pair of free throws by McCarver and then a three-pointer by Caitlin Wheeler before the Yellowjackets broke open a five-point game with a 10-0 run to jump out to a 51-36 lead late in the third.
Paaluhi-Caulk put together another run early in the fourth quarter hitting two free throws and then a long ball cut the deficit back to 11. Following a 5-0 run by the 'Jackets, WOU could only cut the lead back down to 13 before Montana State Billings went on to the 72-52 victory.
WOU went 15-61 (24.6) from the field, 7-25 (28) from three and 15-19 (78.9) at the foul line. The Wolves held advantages in points off turnovers (13-9), second chance points (11-9) and bench points (33-15).
Taryn Shelley went for a double-double to lead the Yellowjackets with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Addison Gardner tallied 15 points and both Kortney Nelson and Cariann Kunkel went for 11 points apiece. Montana State Billings went 23-55 (41.8) from the field, 6-21 (28.6) from three and 20-28 (71.4) at the foul line.
WOU will now return home to host three straight games starting with Central Washington on Thursday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. inside New PE Gym. The Wolves will then face Northwest Nazarene on Saturday which will also be Senior Day starting at 2 p.m. WOU will close the homestand on Monday versus Seattle Pacific starting at 5:15 p.m.
