WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Walla Walla Women's Basketball team celebrated senior night by pushing No. 22 Oregon Tech to the limit, but the Owls survived in overtime 72-70 in a Cascade Conference contest at Windemuth Court on Saturday.

Before the game the Wolves honored seniors Chariah Daniels and Jordan Green-Wallace who played their final game at home.

The loss dropped the Walla Walla season record to 7-19 overall and 4-16 in conference play.

Green-Wallace had nine points, and five rebounds in 35 minutes of play. Daniels played all 45 minutes and finished the night with eight points, five rebounds and five assists. Freshman Jaylo Bello led Walla Walla with 21 points with six 3-pointers. Allison Haslam added 15 points and Natalee Trevino finished with 11 points. The Wolves had 20 points off 22 forced turnovers and assisted on 15 of 21 made field goals.

Alexis Elquist and Jozie Ramos each finished with 22 points to lead Oregon Tech. Elquist did it on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor and added 10 rebounds. Ramos was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line and finished with a game-high 11 boards. Brooke Anderson and Maddyson Tull added 11 points apiece in the victory.

The win improved the Owls' record to 17-8 overall and 13-7 in CCC action.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Oregon Tech scored on the first possession of the game on a Ramos layup. Haslam responded a minute later with a 3-pointer. The two teams traded the lead back-and-forth with neither team able to pull away by more than a point before Anderson made a 3 and gave OIT a four point advantage. Bellow made back to back 3-pointers and Daniels scored inside and Walla Walla led 15-11 with 2:49 to go in the first quarter.

Anderson responded with a jumper and a layup to tie the game. Sidney Folkenberg was able to score inside for the Wolves before Tull hit a free throw for the Owls to close out the scoring in the opening quarter. Walla Walla led by one, 17-16 after the first.

A steal by Chelsea Ching allowed Kaitlyn Wright to score on the fast break and give OIT the lead. Bello answered with a 3-pointer. After a Tull layup it was Haslam with a 3 and Folkenberg with a layup. Elquist stopped the run for a moment with a jumper. Green-Wallace hit a free throw, Trevino connected on a 3-pointer and Green Wallace was successful on a shot inside to push the Wolves lead to 31-22.

The Owls were able to cut the lead to five before Walla Walla went on another run. Bello hit another from beyond the arc, Haslam scored inside and Folkenberg drained a pair of free throws to give the Wolves their largest lead of the game at 12. A jumper by Oregon Tech before the end of the half made it a 38-28 lead for WWU at halftime.

It was OIT that jumped on the scoreboard early in the second half. Ramos converted an and-1 and two possessions later Elquist scored inside to cut the Walla Walla lead to five. Green-Wallace hit a free throw, but the Owls made back-to-back baskets to make it a one possession game.

After a timeout, the freshman Bello was at it again with a 3 and Daniels drained a jumper. Green-Wallace converted a strong and-1 and Bello made a pair of free throws and Walla Walla took a 49-43 lead into the fourth quarter.

The two teams traded buckets early in the fourth with the Wolves maintaining a multiple-possession lead. Halfway through the final quarter it was Haslam with a free throw and a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession thanks to a Folkenberg steal and Daniels assist. The Wolves led by eight with 4:49 to go.

Ramos converted on a pair of free throws and scored a jumper on the next possession for Oregon Tech. Anderson hit a jumper and Ramos scored again to cap off an 8-0 run for OIT and tie the game 59-59 with 2:26 left.

Daniels gave the Wolves the lead with a pair of free throws. Ramos scored inside and converted the and-1 with 43 seconds to go to give the Owls their first lead since the first minute of the second quarter. Bello was fouled pulling in a defensive rebound and made the second of two free throws to force overtime.

Oregon Tech took an early four-point lead with free throws by Ramos and an Elquist jumper. Trevino of Walla Walla and Ramos of OIT both made a pair of shots at the charity stripe. Haslam drained a big 3 to cut the lead to one with 1:48 to go. The Owls pushed the lead back up to five before Bello hit her sixth 3 of the game to make it a 72-70 OIT lead with 40 seconds to go. Walla Walla forced a turnover, but the team was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.

UP NEXT

The Wolves will conclude their season on the road with a pair of conference games. Walla Walla will travel to Eugene, Ore. to take on Bushnell at noon on Friday and then travel to Salem, Ore. to face Corban at 7 p.m. on Saturday.