Box Score

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ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Game on the line? Chance to go to the free throw line?
 
Courtney Hollander just might say, "I got this, Coach."
 
Hollander sank two clinching foul shots with 10.3 seconds left on Saturday night, and the Seattle Pacific Falcons came back from seven points down early in the fourth quarter to beat Central Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game, 54-51.
 
Hollanader's two free throws were the last of her team-leading 17 points. The junior forward made it a double-double – her fourth of the season, two of those against Central – with 11 rebounds.

"I have been in a few of those," Hollander said of the pressure-packed scenario. "I think anyone that's competitive is going to like situations like that. It's obviously nerve-wracking, but I think going up there, you just have to be confident and just have to know that your shot is going to go in. That's the only thing that was on my mind."
 
Junior forward Erica Pagano (Happy Valley, Ore.) added 10 points, and senior guard Stacey Lukasiewicz (Centennial, Colo.) chipped in a season-high nine.
 




The Falcons (15-5, 7-5 GNAC) were down 45-38 at the outset of the fourth quarter after Taylor Baird buried a foul line jumper for Central (8-12, 3-9 GNAC).
 
But from there, they put together a 13-2 run, capping it with six in a row – a driving-lay-in by senior guard Rachel Shim, a turnaround five-footer from straight in front of the hoop by Hollander, and a step-around lay-in by Lukasiewicz – to forge a 51-47 lead with 2:59 left in the game.
 
"We had to make a lot of adjustments on the fly, but we were able to do stuff, and that helped us," head coach Julie Heisey said. "We were able to get stops and take them out of what they were doing. Then they weren't getting to the basket and getting those easy lay-ups, and we were able to attack the basket."
 
Central Washington cut it to one at 51-50. Shim then came up big defensively, leaping at the baseline to intercept a Wildcats pass that had been lobbed toward the hoop. She saved into Pagano, who was fouled immediately. Pagano hit one of her two free throws at the 15-second mark for a 52-50 edge. Jasmin Edwards had a chance to tie it for the Wildcats with two free throws, hit the first, but missed the second.
 
Hollander rebounded the miss and was fouled. She swished both of hers with 10.3 seconds left.
 
SPU allowed the Wildcats to bring the ball downcourt, not wanting to foul. Baird drove underneath for a lay-in, but the ball rolled off the rim, and senior guard Rachel Shim secured the rebound, hanging on as the final buzzer sounded.
 
"I'm proud of our kids because we did have to grind it out," Heisey said. "Obviously, we did a good job playing defense – we held them to 51 points (the Wildcats had been averaging 61.3). We really struggled on offense, though. But down the stretch, I was able to call some plays, and we finished."
 
Saturday's game was tied nine times, the last one at 47-47 on that driving lay-in by Shim with 4:11 to go. The lead changed hands 11 times, with Hollander's short make at the 3:42 mark putting the Falcons in front for good.
 
Seattle Pacific shot 40 percent for the game (20 of 50). Central Washington hit 41 percent (20 of 48). The Falcons tied their season low with 10 turnovers, committing just three during the second half.
 
Now with two straight wins after ending a four-game losing streak, SPU plays at Saint Martin's on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., then concludes a four-game away stretch next Saturday at Montana State Billings.
 
"We've come a long way since last Saturday (a 72-59 loss at home to Alaska Fairbanks), but we still have a long way to go," Heisey said. "Every game is hard in our conference, and this is a hard road trip."
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017
Nicholson Pavilion / Ellensburg, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 54, Central Washington 51
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (15-5, 7-5 GNAC)
Jordan McPhee 2-5 1-3 5, Courtney Hollander 5-12 6-7 17, Erica Pagano 3-7 3-4 10, Rachel Shim 2-6 0-0 4, Brianne Lasconia 2-7 0-0 4, Stacey Lukasiewicz 4-7 1-2 9, Jaylee Albert 0-0 0-0 0, Lindsay Lee1-3 0-0 3, Hannah Rodrigues 0-1 0-0 0, Carly Rataushk 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 20-50 11-16 54.
 
CENTRAL WASHINGTON (8-12, 3-9 GNAC)
Taylor Shaw 1-3 0-0 3, Sarah McGee 0-4 0-0 0, Taylor Baird 8-11 1-2 17, Jasmin Edwards 6-8 3-6 15, Sadie Mensing 3-9 0-0 6, Rachel Lorentson 2-6 1-2 6, Beverly Verduin 0-4 2-2 2, Alexia Pana 0-0 0-0 0, Kaelie Flores 0-0 0-0 0, Kortney Garttic 0-3 2-2 2, Qua'Shaya Hammon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 9-14 51.
 
Seattle Pacific                     14             9           15           16           -- 54
Central Washington           14           10           19             8           -- 51
 
3-point goals – SPU 3-15 (McPhee 0-1, Hollander 1-5, Pagano 1-2, Shim 0-3, Lasconia 0-2, Lee 1-2), CWU 2-13(Sha 1-2, Lorentson 1-3, Verduin 0-3, Grattic 0-2). Fouled out – SPU: McPhee. Rebounds – SPU 28 (Hollander 11), CWU 34 (Baird 13). Assists – SPU 12 (Shim 4), CWU 15 (Edwards 5). Turnovers – SPU 10, CWU 15. Total fouls – SPU 18, CWU 18. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 339.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's.
Tuesday, Jan. 31     7:00 p.m.
Marcus Pavilion / Lacey, Wash.