Puget Sound Escapes Cone Field House with 79-73 OT Win versus Bearcats

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Drew Farmer (Jr., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) of Willamette University tied the game on a layup at the buzzer in the fourth quarter, but University of Puget Sound outscored the Bearcats 10-4 in overtime to claim a 79-73 win Northwest Conference women's basketball action on Saturday, Feb. 9. With the win at Cone Field House,Puget Sound improved to 18-4 on the season. The Loggers moved to 11-3 in the NWC. Willamette ended the evening at 10-13 overall, 5-9 in the NWC.

Willamette's Britanny Kochenderfer (Sr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) took a potential game-winning 3-point shot with just over two seconds left in regulation. The ball bounced off the rim and was grabbed by Farmer, who caught the ball and shot in virtually one motion to beat the clock. Time expired as the ball went through the net.

Puget Sound scored the first basket in overtime on a layup by Mara Henderson with 4:10 left in the five-minute extra session. Jamie Lange tacked an a layup at the 3:09 mark to give the Loggers a 73-69 lead.

Elizabeth Logsdon (Jr., F, McMinnville, OR/McMinnville HS) of Willamette missed a pair of free throws with 2:10 remaining, but Kochenderfer grabbed the second rebound and was fouled. Kochenderfer hit both free throws to cut Puget Sound's lead to 73-71. The Loggers increased their advantage to 75-71 on two free throws by Lange with 1:34 on the clock.

WU pulled within 75-73 on a jumper by Kochenderfer with just over a minute remaining. Lange was 4 of 4 at the line for Puget Sound in the final 18 seconds to clinch the win.

After Lange sank two free throws with 18 seconds left, Amanda Carpenter (So., G, Beaverton, OR/Sunset HS) of Willamette missed a 3-pointer that would have reduced the lead to a single point. Lange hauled down the rebound, was fouled, and hit the final two free throws with nine seconds to go.

Lange led all players with 33 points and 20 rebounds. She was 15 for 20 at the free throw line. Henderson tacked on 15 points for the Loggers, while Elizabeth Prewitt scored 12 points. Josephine Huletz contrbuted six rebounds.

Kochenderfer scored 21 points for the Bearcats, including three 3-point baskets. Farmer accumulated 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Logsdon produced 12 points and six boards. Carpenter and Madison Ballard (Fr., G, Monroe, OR/Monroe HS) each tallied 11 points. Ballard was an efficient 4 for 5 from the field, including 3 for 3 on 3-pointers.

Late in regulation, the Loggers held a 67-64 lead following a jumper with 1:49 left. Carpenter made two free throws for the Bearcats at the 1:44 mark, and Farmer sank 1 of 2 free throws with 1:10 left to tie the game. Henderson put through two charity shots with 18 seconds to play, as Puget Sound took a 69-67 lead. Willamette called timeout and advanced the ball. Farmer's rebound and layup at the buzzer kept the game going.

For the game, Willamette shot 42.6% from the field (29 of 68) and converted 8 of 20 three-point shots (40.0%). The Bearcats sank only 7 of 16 free throws (43.8%). Puget Sound was 25 of 33 (75.8%) at the line. The Loggers hit 44.1% of their field goals (26 of 59), but made just 2 of 9 three-point tries (22.2%). Puget Sound lost the ball 10 times, while the Bearcats committed nine turnovers.

The first quarter featured five ties and one lead change. Puget Sound led by four points several times in the quarter, but Willamette owned a 21-18 lead following a layup by Logsdon with 55 seconds remaining. Kirstin Hafeman sank a 3-pointer for the Loggers with 12 seconds left to tie the score.

Willamette surged out to 30-22 lead at the end of a 9-1 run to open the second quarter. Carpenter scored five points during the run. A bit later, Willamette took a 38-28 advantage on a 3-pointer by Kochenderfer with 4:47 on the clock. Puget Sound got as close as six points at 40-34 with 54 seconds to go when RaeAnn Allen made 1 of 2 free throws. Ballard hit a 3-pointer for WU with three second left to give Willamette a 43-34 halftime cushion.

A 3-pointer by Kochenderfer just 13 seconds into the third quarter increased WU's margin to 46-34. The Loggers answered with a 6-0 run, but Willamette eventually grabbed a 54-43 lead on a layup by Farmer at the 4:40 mark. Puget Sound outscored WU 9-2 over the remainder of the quarter to pull within 56-52.

Willamette will play at George Fox University on Friday, Feb. 15. Game time in Newberg, Oregon, is set for 6 p.m. (PST).

Big Moment of the Game for Willamette

Drew Farmer grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a
layup as time expired in the fourth quarter to send the game
into overtime. Farmer made a great play. After arriving at
the perfect spot to grab the rebound, she was able to secure
the ball and shoot in nearly one movement, which allowed
her to release the layup before the buzzer sounded.