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Mountaineers
Can't Comeback this time, lose
68-66
December 5, 2003
Box
Score
WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Eastern Oregon's
Candice Davis scored a career-high 31 points, but she was the
only Mountaineer in double-figures as the EOU offense could not
generate comeback needed to defeat Whitman College, eventually falling
to the host club, 68-66, in the first round of the Wildhorse Casino
Resort Classic.
Eastern Oregon fell behind early; as
much as 10 points at 23-13, but the Mountaineer's found the spark and
went on a 12-0 run to take a 2 point lead on a three-point play by
Davis. Davis scored all 12 points during the run including seven
from the free throw line.
The two teams would then battle back
and forth for the remainder of the game. Whitman would lead by
no more than five points, while Eastern Oregon's best margin would be
four.
Both squads tightened up down the
stretch as there were only three field goals in the final 3 minutes of
regulation.
With Eastern leading 64-63, Whitman's
Katie Patneaude drained a three-pointer to give the Lady Missionaries
a two point lead at 66-64 with 3:03 left. After two missed shots and a
turnover by each team, EOU's Davis hit her 31st point of the game on a
jumper, tying the game at 66-66. That would be the 11th and
final tie.
After a missed shot from both teams and
Whitman with the ball, Eastern put up a solid defensive stand, but
could not come up with a defensive rebounds, as they watched Whitman
take four shots and get four offensive rebounds, eventually putting
the fourth put-back in to take a 68-66 lead with 28 seconds left.
Eastern would have their chances to tie
or take a lead. A three-point attempt by Tricia Haddock
would be blocked out of bounds giving Eastern the ball back with 10
seconds left.
Michelle Kinley's shot attempt
with 8 seconds would be blocked, but that rebound fell to Haddock, who
got the ball to Davis with 5 seconds, but her shot would not the the
mark as the ball would go out of bounds and over to Whitman with 5
seconds left and the game essentially over.
Tricia Haddock was next highest scorer
on the team with 9, followed by Jamie Jo Cant's 8 points.
Haddock the Cascade Collegiate Conference leader in assist average had
6 dishes in the game.
Eastern kept close by hitting 16-of-18
from the charity stripe versus Whitman's 8-of-16 free throws.
The Mountaineers shot 42% from the
field (23-54) and 4-of-9 from behind the three-point arc.
Eastern Oregon will face Walla Walla
College on Saturday at 8 PM in the finale of the Wildhorse Classic.
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