SPOKANE, Wash. --
Amaya Afatasi (Sr., PG) from The Evergreen State College scored 10 points against Carroll College (Mont.) in the Northwest Crossover Classic on Sunday, Oct. 25, but the Geoducks lost to the Fighting Saints 88-30. Carroll entered the game ranked #24 in the Gared NAIA Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
The win improved Carroll to 2-0 on the season. Evergreen fell to 0-2 overall. The Northwest Crossover Classic featured six teams from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, including Evergreen, and six teams from the Frontier Conference, including Carroll. All 12 teams played on Friday and Saturday. The tournament was played at the Errol Schmidt Athletic Center.
Afatasi led Evergeen with her 10 points as she connected on 3 of 5 field goals and 4 of 5 free throws.
Sahara Soufi (Jr., G) scored five points, while
Natalie Patton (Jr, G/F),
Keira Slippern (Jr., F), and
Chantel Jones (Fr., G) each finished with four points. Patton topped the Geoducks with five rebounds, with
Jesselle Victo Castillo (Sr., PG) adding four boards. Jones earned three steals.
Jillian Kanduch was Carroll's leading scorer with 21 points. She also led the Saints with five assists and four steals. Kanuch was 7 of 12 from the field, including 5 for 9 on 3-point attempts.
Makayla Coleman scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Carroll. Paeten Gunlock also scored 12 points. Maddy Moy accumulated six rebounds. Gunlock, Gracie Millimen, and Sadie Smith each recorded three steals for the Saints.
Carroll surged out to a 6-0 lead on a 3-point basket by Kennedi Niemann and a traditional three-point play by Moy. After Slippern hit 1 of 2 free throws for the Geoducks, Kanduch added a 3-pointer and a layup for Carroll to give the Saints an 11-1 advantage with 5:42 left in the first quarter. Evergreen cut the margin to 11-4 on a 3-point shot by Soufi at the 4:52 mark. Carroll gradually expanded the lead and owned a 31-8 margin at the end of the quarter.
Afatasi put through a pair of free throws for Evergreen to open the second quarter, but the Geoducks couldn't get closer. The Saints gained a 22-12 scoring edge during the quarter to hold a 53-20 lead at halftime. Carroll continued to increase its lead during the final two quarters.
Both teams excelled at the free throw line. The Saints were 13 for 13 on free throws, while Evergreen hit 11 of 15 free throws (73.3%).
Evergreen's next regular season game will be Friday, Nov. 6, when the Geoducks host Northwest Indian College. Tipoff at the Costantino Recreation Center is set for 7:30 p.m. PDT.
