Salem (12-8) - For the second time in program history, the Warriors took Willamette University in women's basketball. The Bearcats beat the Warriors in the first game of a series of three games on three consecutive nights for the Warriors 78-59.

The Bearcats would ease their lead to lead to double digits after ten minutes of play and would not lose their double digit lead for the majority of the half. The Bearcats largest lead of the half was at sixteen, at 39-23 with 2:17 left, on a Katelyn Nordlien layup. Cassie Davidson would hit a three pointer as the half ended to cut the Bearcats lead at the half to 41-28.

In the second half, the Bearcats would continue to expand their lead into the double digits. The closest that William Jessup would get is eleven with 19:33 left in the game on a Kaitlin Lewis jumper. The Bearcats would have their biggest lead of the game at twenty one with 48 seconds left in the game on a Katie Kalugin layup to make the score 78-57. The Warriors would add two free throws for the final 78-59 tally.

For William Jessup, Cassie Davidson led the Warriors with a game-high eighteen points. Nordlien had seventeen points for the Bearcats off the bench. Maria Viola and Alyssa Wright had fourteen points apiece for William Jessup in the loss. Rebecca Josephson had fourteen points and Jojo DeLong had nine points apiece for Willamette.

William Jessup shot 40.7% (22-54) from the field, 40% (4-10) from the three point line and was 91.7% (11-12) from the free throw line. Willamette shot 46.4% (26-56) from the field, 11.1% (1-9) from the three point line and 73.5% (25-34) from the foul line. William Jessup's defense forced twenty five Willamette turnovers scoring twenty points off those turnovers while Willamette's defense forced twenty five turnovers by William Jessup scoring twenty three points off of those turnovers. Willamette outrebounded William Jessup 46-23 and had nine more assists (16-7) than did William Jessup.

The Warriors' next game is tomorrow as they take on Northwest Christian University.