Raiders’ Strong Start Slips Away in Fourth Quarter Against Highline

The Pierce Raiders women’s basketball team came out strong Saturday, February 7th, but a late surge by the Highline Thunderbirds resulted in a 46-40 loss.

Pierce set the tone early, edging Highline 10-9 in the first quarter before tightening up defensively in the second. The Raiders held the Thunderbirds to just five points in the period while adding 12 of their own to take a 22-14 lead into halftime.

Highline began to chip away in the third quarter, narrowly outscoring Pierce 12-11. Still, the Raiders carried a 33-26 advantage into the final frame. In the fourth, however, Highline found its rhythm offensively, putting up 20 points while holding Pierce to seven to complete the comeback.

Martha Jessop led the Raiders with 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting performance while adding five rebounds. Jane Wanjiku contributed eight points and four steals, providing energy on both ends of the floor.

Pierce controlled the glass throughout the contest, finishing with 47 total rebounds. Maesha Muaau pulled down eight boards to go along with two points, while Malea Berridge and Tia Schanbeck each grabbed seven rebounds. Schanbeck added six points, three assists, and three steals in a well-rounded effort. Alicia-Ellalynn Soliai chipped in five points and four assists, and Adhau Chol contributed four rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

As a team, Pierce shot 16-of-53 (30.2%) from the field and 4-of-23 (17.4%) from three-point range. The Raiders held a rebounding advantage and recorded seven steals and four blocks defensively but were hampered by 22 turnovers.

Pierce will look to build on its strong defensive stretches and put together a complete four-quarter performance as conference play continues.

Up Next: Pierce will travel to Longview to face off against Lower Columbia on Wednesday, February 11th at 7:30pm.