SALEM, Ore. - Alida Bower scored a career-high 26 points to lead Whitworth University to an 86-77 win at Willamette University in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game on Saturday night at Cone Field House, giving the visiting Pirates a weekend road sweep of NWC contests.

Bower scored a career-high 26 points

Bower (Jr., F, Onalaska, Wash.) made 9 of 15 shots, including four three pointers, and four of six free throws for her 26 points. She added six rebounds and three steals. Bower's previous career high of 25 points came against the same Willamette team in last season's finale in the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

Natalie Orrell (So., F, Wenatchee, Wash.) added 15 points and seven rebounds, while Cassie Snyder (Sr., G, Spokane, Wash.) added her own Pirate career high with 14 points to go along with five assists and three steals.

Laura Payne and Molly Fillion scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Bearcats (2-9 overall, 0-2 NWC). Tracie Nygaard had a game-high 11 rebounds.

Much like they did in the previous night's win at Linfield, the Pirates jumped to a big early lead. Whitworth led 19-4 after three straight three-pointers by Bower. The Bucs went on to lead 44-33 at halftime and Bower had 12 of her points.

After Whitworth led by as many as 17 points (71-54) again in the second half, the Bearcats rallied to within 75-66 on a three-pointer by Payne with 3:22 to play. But Bower hit a free throw and Tiffany Corigliano (Jr., P, Nine Mile Falls, Wash.) scored a put-back basket with 2:20 to play to help the Pirates regain control. The Bearcats made a three-pointer just before the buzzer to pull the final margin within single digits one final time.

Whitworth (7-4 overall, 2-0 NWC) opened its Northwest Conference schedule with two road victories for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Pirates have won three games in a row. The team returns to the Whitworth Fieldhouse next weekend to host Lewis & Clark College on Friday and Pacific University on Saturday.