EUGENE, Ore. — Coming off a loss against Lewis-Clark State and breaking off their two-game win streak, Bushnell University put everything into its play to take down Walla Walla University 71-46.
The Wolves started great in the first quarter, making the first points of the game with Brooklyn Coe's 3-pointer.
But the Beacons didn’t let them stay in the lead for long, with Maddie Gerhart coming in and making all six of the first points, as Bushnell put up a strong defense against Walla Walla.
The Beacons continued to keep the Wolves on their toes as they ended the first quarter with a 17-14 lead, a strong start after their loss.
From the get-go of the second quarter, the Beacons were hot, extending their lead to seven with 8:45 to play in the quarter. The Wolves struggled to keep up with their pace at the start of the quarter.
Walla Walla was not doing well in the second quarter, with foul after foul called against them, and Coe coming back after getting injured on the court, only for her to get reinjured within 30 seconds. The Wolves were able to get a 3-pointer at the buzzer of the shot clock by Meghan Rasmussen, making it 23-17 with seven minutes left in the quarter.
Rounding out the first half of the game, Walla Walla was at 21 points, and Bushnell led with 35 points, really keeping the tempo high and fast throughout the first half.
“They truly enjoy being around each other. So now, that’s your foundation, and everything can build from that,” coach Chad Meadors said after the game.
That joy came out in the second half.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, both teams were fighting in the game, with Bushnell winning that battle by a score of 61-28 at the eight-minute mark of the quarter. Jaycee Stiegeler and Sabrina Flowers cashed in amazing back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the Beacons’ lead.
The Wolves came back for a while in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points in the six minutes of the game, but just couldn’t make it back after Coe went out in the first half. The limited players on the bench ultimately resulted in their loss. Bushnell came back after Friday's loss, determined and strong. Ready to prove themselves and beat their average points per game by 10.