Portland, OR | The Multnomah University women's basketball team battled until the very last second but fell just short against The Evergreen State College, 64-63, in a heart-pounding game at home. Despite a strong start and a 15-point lead at one point, the Lions couldn't fend off a determined second-half surge from the Geoducks.  

Multnomah (6-17, 4-13) came out firing, dominating the first quarter with an 18-8 lead. Gracie Browning and Ellie Robertson combined for crucial early buckets that set the tone for the Lions. However, Evergreen (5-14, 5-12) clawed back in the second half with a stellar 71.4% shooting performance in the third quarter.  

Evergreen's Mikail Montez led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Sydney VanNess added 16 points and seven assists, including the game-winning assist on Allison DeBerry's buzzer-beating three-pointer.  

The Lions fought back hard in the fourth quarter, cutting a five-point deficit to tie the game at 61-all after a clutch jumper by Makayla Torkornoo with 27 seconds left. Jersey Huerta added two critical free throws to put the Lions up 63-61 with just three seconds remaining. But DeBerry's heroics at the buzzer sealed the Geoducks' victory.  

Top performers for Multnomah included Browning and Robertson, who each scored 18 points, while Torkornoo chipped in 16, hitting four three-pointers. Browning also led the team in rebounds with 10, marking a double-double performance. 

The Lions return to action tomorrow, February 8, at 3:00 p.m. as they host Northwest University. They'll be looking to bounce back and snap their two-game losing streak in front of their home crowd.