MONMOUTH, Ore.—Western Oregon scored 25 points in the second quarter and 21 in the fourth to pull away from visiting UC Merced 74-55 in the GNAC-CCAA Crossover on Saturday afternoon at the Western Athletic Center.
The loss was the first of the season for UC Merced (2-1), while the Wolves improved to 2-1 with the non-conference victory.
The Wolves nailed 10-of 25 three-point attempts, including 5-of-9 in the second quarter.
WOU didn't start out so warm They trailed after one quarter 16-11, hitting just three of 20 shots from the field.
But they turned things around quickly in the second period. Trailing in the opening moments 19-11, the Wolves outscored the Bobcats 25-13 right up to halftime, using long range accuracy to take a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.
"Making those five 3-pointers in the second quarter helped us go from playing catch-up to taking the lead into halftime," said head coach Jessica Peatross. "I want us to keep trusting each other and taking those shots with confidence. I liked how we responded after scoring just 11 in the first quarter."
Up 36-32 at the break, they led 53-45 at the end of three quarters, and the burst for 21 fourth quarter points and held UCM to 10 for the final 74-55 margin.
"Holding them to just 10 points in the fourth quarter, that's the part I'm proud of," Peatross added. "We started to rebound and defend better in the second half. We got stops and finished the game."
The Wolves had plenty of offensive standouts as well.
Zada White had a team-high 17 points, hitting 4-of-9 treys.
Zoey Davis added 15 and
Jaelyn Jackson had 11.
Jaylo Bello had nine assists, nine points and three steals.
On the defensive side, Malaya LeSuer had monster game on the boards with 14 rebounds, six on the offensive side of the court.
"UC Merced is a solid team out of the CCAA," Peatross said. "They got up on us to start the game and again early in the second quarter, and I liked how our group stayed composed and worked its way back. To respond the way we did and come away with a 74–55 win was a good step for us.
"With a new group, playing Fresno Pacific and UC Merced on back-to-back days gave us a good test early in the season. I like how we responded to adversity. Those are experiences we can build on as this group keeps learning each other & playing together."
The Wolves will remain home this week with a pair of games, taking on Walla Walla on Tuesday at the WAC, start time is 6 pm. On Saturday (Nov. 21) they will host Pacific University at 4 pm.
