The women’s basketball team collected a win as they near the end of a trying season this Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Highline fell to West Region champs Lower Columbia, 57-38.

Lower Columbia lived up to their No. 2 ranking in the NWAC Coaches Poll, dominating Highline in most phases of the game. The Red Devils recorded 43 rebounds to Highline’s 26 and 17 assists to 5.  

Highline held onto the Devils by the tail, with Lower Columbia ahead only 23-21 Lower at halftime. 

The Devils widened the scoring gap in the third and fourth helped by an 11-point contribution from guard Jodi Noyes. Highline struggled to sink shots throughout with single-digit scoring in three out of four quarters. Lower Columbia closed out the game and collected their 11th straight conference win on their road to the NWAC tournament.  

Highline forward Savannah Arneach scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to lead the team. 

Lower Columbia’s Jodi Noyes had the hot hand of the night with 19 points on 9-14 shooting. Jazlynn Novelli added 12 points and Danica Schmidt chipped in 11. 

Later in the week, Highline beat Pierce 54-42, led by a veteran performance from Kylie Lunday. The Thunderbirds dominated in the paint where they scored 32 points to Pierce’s 20 and capitalized on the Raiders’ poor ball handling with 17 points off turnovers. 

Highline led by one in the first. Consistent shooting from Pierce in the second allowed the Raiders to pull ahead 28-22 at the half. Highline caught wind in the second half, amassing a 12-point lead in the fourth at 3:01 on the clock. 

Kylie Lunday was on fire with 29 points on 12-17 shooting, a career high. She also snagged 17 rebounds. She continues to lead the NWAC in rebounds, averaging 13.1 a game. 

The Lady T-Birds played Centralia last night with results unavailable at press time. 

Before the game, Highline honored five graduating sophomores, including Kylie Lunday, Catherine Sunny, Patrea Topp, Misiona Ribeiro, and Mercedes Smith.