MONMOUTH, Ore. – It was a Senior Day game to remember and the game would be decided in the last few possessions. With the Western Oregon University women's basketball team honoring four seniors before the game, WOU held a late lead on Northwest Nazarene before the Nighthawks went in front with 13 seconds left and then survived a game-winning shot attempt to take the 64-63 win over the Wolves Saturday in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action inside New PE Gym. WOU honored seniors Amber Winkler, Kaelin Williams-Kennedy, Casandra White and Makenna Gambee.
Entering the fourth quarter, WOU (8-14, 4-11 GNAC) held a 50-46 lead. Northwest Nazarene (15-8, 9-6 GNAC) made a strong push in the final frame and used a 14-4 run over the first four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 60-54 lead.
It would stay that way for the next two minutes before WOU broke the run with a layup by Cali McClave at the 3:26 mark. Following two free throws by the Nighthawks, the Wolves put together a clutch 7-0 run when they needed it most.
Trailing 62-56 with three minutes to play, Princy Paaluhi-Caulk started the final stretch hitting a pair of free throws. Meadow Aragon collected an offensive rebound and putback a minute later to trim the deficit to two. Following a defensive stop, Paaluhi-Caulk tied the game at 62 with a minute to play hitting a jumper in the paint.
Out of a timeout, Northwest Nazarene missed on their attempt and WOU secured the rebound with 40 seconds to play. Tresai McCarver drove and was fouled with 31 seconds left. McCarver would split the free throws to move WOU out to a 63-62 lead.
The Nighthawks used their final timeout to come up with what turned out to be the winning basket. Erin Jenkins found Teagan Thurman inside who made a move and was able to hit on a jumper in the paint for the 64-63 lead with 13 seconds left.
WOU called timeout and turned to Paaluhi-Caulk. With time ticking down, Paaluhi-Caulk drove to the left of the paint and took a shot near the baseline that just rimmed out. With still a few seconds left, the teams battled for the loose ball which resulted in a jump ball with 0.8 seconds left. NNU had possession and they threw the ball out to midcourt to run off the rest of the time and hold on for the one-point victory.
Early on, NNU held an 8-4 lead in the first quarter. The Wolves responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead with Gambee closing the run with a layup at the 3:27 mark. The teams traded leads before NNU took a 15-14 lead into the second quarter.
The Nighthawks had the lead out to nine near the midway point of the second. The Wolves roared back closing the half on a 16-4 run to take a 34-31 lead at the break. At one point during the run, Cali McClave connected on a pair of three-pointers, while Winkler added a triple as well. Paaluhi-Caulk added a pair of baskets and Aragon capped the run with a free throw right before halftime.
The momentum carried right into the second half with the Wolves going on a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 41-31 just under two minutes into the third quarter. Cali McClave started the second stanza with a layup and after Madisyn Clark hit on a long ball, Winkler closed the run with a layup.
NNU began to chip away answering with a 7-0 run to pull to within three at the 2:31 mark. WOU had the lead back out to nine before the Nighthawks got it down to four when Lydia Nieto hit an off-balanced three at the third quarter buzzed to leave WOU with a 50-46 lead going to the final frame.
Cali McClave and Paaluhi-Caulk led the Wolves with 13 points apiece. Cali went 5-13 from the field, 3-9 from three, while adding three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 30 minutes. Paaluhi-Caulk went 5-10 from the field, while adding three rebounds and two assists. Aragon reached double-figures with 10 points and made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. She also dished out three assists, had two steals and a block. Gambee added eight points and Winkler with seven. Winkler also sent back three blocks. WOU went 24-63 (38.1) from the field, 6-24 (25) from three and 9-13 (69.2) at the foul line. The Wolves held advantages in second chance points (10-8) and fastbreak points (15-9).
Nieto and Thurman led the Nighthawks with 12 points apiece. Thurman just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Jordan Pinson added 10 points. Nyalam Thabach and Ashlynn Sylve were just short of double-figures in scoring with nine points apiece. NNU went 25-63 (39.7) from the field, 8-15 (53.3) from three and 6-8 (75) at the foul line. The Nighthawks held a 37-25 edge in bench points.
WOU will close the home portion of the regular season this coming Monday when they host Seattle Pacific starting at 5:15 p.m. inside New PE Gym.
