IRVINE, Calif. – The Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team opened its time at the GNAC/PacWest Challenge on Friday afternoon, as the Falcons made strong halftime adjustments that weren't enough to take down the Cougars.
FROM THE COACH
"We made the adjustments we needed to in the second half," head coach
Karen Byers said. "We were able to get more of the looks we wanted to get. Hailey-Anne is such a competitor. She handles pressure well and takes control when needed. Cascadia has a good game as well. She had some really strong moves to the hoop."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Falcons had a slow start against the Cougars, allowing a 15-2 run to APU over the first 3:10 of the game.
- Layne Kearns hit a pair of free throws that started a quick 8-0 burst for the Falcons.
- The Cougars went on a three-minute 5-1 run to close out the quarter and lead 20-11.
- SPU struggled in the second quarter and were outscored by the Cougars 18-6.
- The Falcons played well in the third quarter, with five different Falcons scoring points.
- Kearns and Cascadia Yates scored five points each in the third quarter.
- SPU went 8-for-13 from the field during that 10-minute span.
- Grace Mertes scored the final seven points of the game for the Falcons.
FROM THE BOX SCORE
- Hailey-Anne Ohta did a little bit of everything for the Falcons on Friday afternoon.
- She led the team with 11 points and had a team-high six assists, while grabbing five rebounds for the Falcons.
- Ohta shot 5-for-7 from the field for the Falcons.
- Kearns finished with nine points while going 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
- Madison Rubino, Yates, and Mertes scored seven points each for the Falcons.
- Rubuno led the squad with six rebounds.
- SPU scored 38 points in the paint against APU.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Ohta was one point shy of matching her career-best 12 points, set on Dec. 21, 2024 against MSU Denver.
- Ohta matched her career-best in assists, tying a six-assist performance against Western Washington from Jan. 11, 2025.
- Yates set a new career-best with seven points against APU on Friday.
- Layla Senderson scored her first career points for the Falcons with a basket in the fourth quarter of Friday's game.
UP NEXT
It'll be another game at the same time, at the same place for the Falcons tomorrow afternoon when they face host-school CUI at 3:00 p.m. at the GNAC/PacWest Challenge.
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