Klamath Falls, OR - The Northwest women's basketball team fell to Oregon Tech, 82-42, on the road to start the new year.
After having two weeks off for the holidays, the Eagles made their 2025 debut against the Owls. The Eagles wrapped up 2024 with a thrilling 71-60 win over Warner Pac, while the Owls ended 2024 with back-to-back road wins against Bushnell and Corban.
The Owls came into the game second in the conference, and they played like it. The Owls dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Eagles 21-9 and outshooting them 60% to 20%. While the Eagles managed to nail three of their four free throws for the quarter, it wasn't enough to keep up with the home team.
The second quarter was even more lopsided. The Owls' offense and defense shone as they scored 10-16 of their field goals and limited the Eagles to only shooting 1-5. The Eagles were able to draw eight free throws in the quarter and were able to drill five of them. However, it could not compensate for the Owls' suffocating first half.
The Eagles were able to roll out with a better response in the third, swerving their way around the Owls' defense by scoring 13 points, shooting 40%, and going 67% in their free throws. However, the Owls did not let up on offense. They scored 21 points, shot for 47%, and made half of their free throws.
The final quarter saw both teams burn out on offense when the Owls narrowly beat the Eagles 14-12. The Owls shot for 35.3% while the Eagles shot for 26.7%, but the Eagles were able to hit both of their free throws while the Owls missed both of them. In the end, the Eagles simply could not keep up with the Owls who were the far more experienced team.
Kimberly Carrada Sanchez led the team with 13 points, and Kaleah Medeiros followed up with 10 points.
"Today was about how when things get hard, we have to have the ability to rise up and stay in the moment, and when we have faced good teams, that has happened a few times," said Head Coach Randall Edens. "It comes with having a young squad and learning things for the first time. We will get better and learn as a result."
