The Pilots started their season on a strong note with their 70-60 win over Western Oregon in an exhibition game Wednesday night.
They gained a lead early on from a three-pointer by sophomore Hannah Mattson and held their lead all night, including a 17 point lead at the half.
The Pilots continued to dominate and seniors Cassandra Brown and Kari Luttinen each ended the game with 15 points.
Freshman Ashley Gray and Sara Zaragoza garnered eight and seven rebounds, respectively, as every player saw playing time.
“I think everyone offers something different and brings something unique to the table and they are fitting in really well,” Luttinen said.
It wasn't just the players’ first time on the court, it was also Head Coach Cheryl Sorenson’s first game as head coach.
“It felt good to be just back on the sideline in general, regardless of what seat I was in,” Sorenson said.
Although the Pilots won, they gave up 20 turnovers, something they will have to focus on improving as the season progresses. The team is now looking toward their first official game of the season, hoping to fix their errors in order to achieve their goal of winning the WCC championship.
“We gotta work on being more aggressive and getting to the foul line, we talked a lot about that and we've gotta take better care of the ball, can't have 20 turnovers and then just being more mentally focused,” Sorensen said.
Molly McSweyn is a sports reporter for The Beacon. You can reach her at mcsweyn18@up.edu.
