Eugene, OR – The Linn-Benton Women’s Basketball team won their opening game of the season versus Pierce College on Friday, November 17, with a final score of 62-52.
Trailing 19-9 after the opening quarter and 44-43 after three, the Roadrunners ran away from the Raiders in the fourth quarter, out-scoring Pierce 19-8.
It was the season opener for both teams, and LB was able to capitalize on its new players, sporting a 1-0 record overall while conference play starts Saturday, November 18, against Centralia in Eugene at 1:30 p.m. The Raiders fell to 0-1 on the season.
Pierce took the early lead in the game with a layup by Leslie Luna and extended their lead to 8-0 before the Beaks got on the board with a layup by Brooklynn Walters. In the first quarter, the Raiders were able to extend their lead to as much as 13, when Pierce’s Keshara Romain made a layup to extend their lead to 19-6. After one, it was 19-9 in favor of Pierce.
The second quarter saw the Roadrunners get back into the game with consecutive layups from Muriel Jones-Hoisington followed by another from BettyAnn Wilson. Having cut the lead down to nine points at 26-17, the Roadrunners started a run with a free throw from Jones-Hoisington complemented by a steal and layup from Wilson.
Following a block by Walters with 3:55 left in the half, Natalia McBride scored on an assist from Jones Hoisington while Wilson capitalized on a steal with another layup to cut the lead to 26-24. LB’s Laney Snelling would give the Beaks their first lead of the game at 27-26 when making a layup with 2:01 left in the first half.
With a series of free throws from the Beaks, they would enter the second half with a 30-28 lead.
The third quarter would see the Raiders continue to fight, but the game stayed close, and the third quarter ended with a one-point game favoring Pierce at 44-43.
In the fourth quarter, the Beaks clamped down on defense, notching a steal on the quarter’s opening possession when BettyAnn Wilson took the ball away from Pierce’s Leslie Luna. While the Roadrunners did not score on that possession, it paved the way for more defensive plays, as well as McBride taking the lead at 45-44 with a layup.
A three-point shot from Luna gave Pierce the lead again at 47-45 with 7:12 left in the game, but the Beaks tied it on the next play following a layup from Jones-Hoisington. Walters gave LB the lead with a layup and the Roadrunners never looked back.
After Luna’s three-point shot, the Raiders would only manage five more points in the game, as part of LB’s 17-5 run to end the game.
Natalia McBride was LB’s leading scorer for the game with 14 points while also putting five rebounds, two blocks, and three steals into the stat sheet. BettyAnn Wilson scored 13 points, notched six rebounds, two assists and five steals. In addition to this, Brooklynn Walters managed 10 points, four rebounds, and two steals while Muriel Jones-Hoisington was Linn-Benton’s leading rebounder for the game in nabbing 11 rebounds, 11 points, five assists and three steals.
It was a promising start to the season for the Beaks, who are looking to build upon last season’s loss in the opening round of the NWAC tournament.
The Roadrunners will next take on Centralia when they open conference play in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 18 at 1:30 p.m.