SPOKANE, Wash. -- University of Montana Western built a 17-5 lead in the first quarter and went on to defeat The Evergreen State College 71-43 on the first day of the Northwest Crossover Classic on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Errol Schmidt Athletic Center.
Keira Slippern (Jr.) and
Jesselle Victo Castillo (Sr., PG) provided Evergreen with double-digit scoring.
Slippern scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, and earned four steals for the Geoducks. Victo Castillo finished with 13 points, two steals, and two assists.
Sahara Soufi (Jr., G) added seven ponts, four steals, and three rebounds.
Natalie Patton (Jr., G/F) and
Jazmin Moctezuma (Jr., G) each hauled down five boards for Evergreen.
Bailee Sayler tallied 13 points for the Bulldogs to go with six rebounds and four assists. Kyle Pancost scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Ava Bellach accumulated eight points and eight rebounds for UMW. Tayva Phillips led the Bulldogs with three steals.
Montana Western improved to 2-0 on the season, 1-0 in the tournament. Evergreen fell to 0-1. The Northwest Crossover Classic features six teams from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, including Evergreen, and six teams from the Frontier Conference, including UMW.
The Bulldogs scored the first 10 points of the game, including two baskets by Sayler. Slippern put Evergreen on the scoreboard by sinking two free throws at the 2:08 mark. UMW put in the next five points before Victo Castillo pulled the Geoducks within 15-5 on a 3-point shot with 25 seconds left. Pancost scored on a tip-in for UMW at the buzzer.
UMW gained a slim 19-17 scoring advantage in the second quarter. The Bulldogs began the quarter with a 17-10 run to grab a 34-15 lead on a free throw by Marisa Snider with 1:48 on the clock. Evergreen answered with a 7-0 run that ended with a 3-pointer by Soufi with 10 seconds left in the half. Brooke Deyak of UMW sank a pair of free throws with one second remaining to give the Bulldogs a 36-22 lead at the break.
In the third quarter, Montana Western gained a 19-9 margin on the scoreboard to increase its lead to 55-31. The Bulldogs earned a smaller 16-12 edge in the fourth quarter.
UMW shot 40.6% for the game (28 of 69) but hit just 3 of 23 three-point attempts (13.9%). Evergreen was 14 of 49 from the field (28.6%), including 4 of 12 (33.3%) from 3-point range. At the free throw line, the Bulldogs were 12 for 18 (66.7%) and the Geoducks went 11 for 22 (50.0%).
Evergreen will take on Carroll College (Mont.) in the last round of the Northwest Crossover Classic on Sunday, Oct. 25. Game time is set for 2 p.m. PDT.
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