PORTLAND | In front of a packed house Saturday afternoon, the Warner Pacific University Women's Basketball team (13-14, 11-11) dropped their final home game of the 2021-22 Regular Season to the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers (21-9, 18-4), with a final score of 49-63.
 
Before the start of tonight's matchup between the Knights and Mountaineers, six seniors on the WPU Women's Basketball team were recognized for their final home game at C.C. Perry Gym, in front of friends and family alike that have seen them preserve through every challenge in their collegiate basketball careers. Those senior included guards Labrea Denson, Lynden Harry, Kylie Guelsdorf, Anna Farner, Courtney Jackson, and forward Hannah Myers.
 
With as many seniors on the floor as possible to start the game, Warner Pacific jumped out of the gate to bounce back and forth with a very competitive Eastern Oregon squad, holding slim leads over the Mountaineers on multiple occasions throughout the first quarter before EOU scored on back-to-back baskets to end the opening period, leading the Knights 20-17.
 
It wasn't before the 2:22 mark in the second quarter that the physical Eastern Oregon team managed to eclipse a double-digit lead over the Knights, as Warner Pacific executed at a fairly consistent basis to keep within striking distance for a majority of the first half. However, the Knights scored just four points in the entire second quarter, resulting in a 10 point Mountaineers lead heading into the midway break.
 
In an attempt to lead WPU back into a Senior Night comeback for the ages, Harry exploded out of the locker room by hitting back-to-back three-pointers cutting a once double-digit EOU lead to just seven points, causing immediate concern for Mountaineer fans.
 
Nevertheless, the comeback run would be short lived, as the Knights began to shoot themselves in the foot while attempting to keep pace with Eastern Oregon, missing out on multiple offensive opportunities that should have been converted. Over the course of the third quarter, EOU would stretch their lead all the way to 18 points in an attempt to close this game out early.
 
The Knights would crawl back to within 10 points once again with less than five minutes remaining in the contest, but a three-pointer to answer by Eastern Oregon followed by missed conversions on the offensive end for Warner Pacific finished out the regular season finale, as Knights' Head Coach Matt Gregg opted to allow his seniors their final substitution off the court to a standing ovation.
 
Harry finished as the leading scorer for the Knights on Senior Night, scoring 14 points to be the only Warner Pacific player in double-figures, and adding four rebounds on the weak-side of the basket. Myers finished with nine points, five rebounds, and a pair of assists.
 
Mountaineers' forward Haley Robinett recorded a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes played under the basket for Eastern Oregon, while guard Taylor Stricklin scored a game-high 18 points and hauled in six boards in a game-high 37 minutes played.
 
The Warner Pacific Women's Basketball team now eyes the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, where they will travel to La Grande, Ore. to battle this very same Eastern Oregon University team next Tuesday, February 22^nd at 7:00pm PDT.