Women’s Basketball Falls to Warner Pacific

By Rocky McNeff /// Staff writer

The Pioneers played the Warner Pacific College Knights on Tuesday, Nov. 25 in a back and forth match that ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Pios. Despite the loss, the team played with intensity the whole game, and riled up their opponents after a strong start.

For the first eight minutes, the Pios held the Knights from getting more than two points, and held their largest lead with eight points after Casey Zinn’s (’15) two for two free throw shots. The Knights fought back, and the tables turned as they worked to get back on the board. The Pios handed the reins to their opponents over the next 10 minutes, and the Knights went into half-time with a one point lead (20-19).

Warner Pacific kept the Pios at a distance for the first 10 minutes of the second half until Ayisat Afolabi (’17) made two free throws to tie the game at 35. With the help of a Miyah Leith’s (’18) layup, the Pios took a two point lead and looked to hold it over their opponents. But the grasp of the lead slipped through the Pios’ fingers, as the Knights maintained a steady lead. LC’s struggle to gain control of the game ended in a one-point loss to the Knights, who took the final lead of 48-47.

A game high of 20 points, however, brought Afolabi into the spotlight after the game, along with Lauren Wood (’18) who made two back to back shots in the last two minutes to bring the Pio score within one point of the Knights. Zinn added that no matter the score of any game, she “can always count on [her] team and that they will always fight until the final second.”