Fourth seeded Bellevue College women’s basketball took first seeded Lower Columbia to a 50-50 tie through three quarters before falling 72-63 in the sweet sixteen round at the NWAC Championships.
The Red Devils, the West Region champions and ranked sixth overall in the NWAC TicketSmarter Coaches’ Poll, were about to be stunned as the Bulldogs outscored the Red Devils 18-10 in the third quarter to tie it up. But in the fourth, the ‘dogs shot only 31% on four-for-13 shooting while Lower Columbia relied on the hot hand of Reigha Niemeyer, who made 16 of LC’s 22 points in the quarter on five-of-six shooting, including four-for-five from three point range.
In the pivotal third quarter, Bellevue took advantage of cold shooting by Lower Columbia and had a team effort in the catch up process as Jordyn Smith, Kristina Blauman, Mary Davis, and Alicia Morrison all made key buckets to close the gap before eventually tying it at 50.
Blauman had 12 points and seven rebounds, both team highs to lead the ‘dogs.
After an 0-6 start with a relatively new squad, the team shocked many NWAC onlookers by opening up 3-1 in North Region play before clinching a playoff berth in mid January, highlighted by the dramatic triple overtime win at Whatcom on Feb. 17. The Bulldogs wrapped up with a 7-7 region record and were 11-19 overall.
Last Updated March 9, 2024
