MONMOUTH, Ore. (Interstat) — Western Oregon survived a late Willamette charge and earned a 68-64 women’s NCAA Division II victory at the Physical Education Building on Monday, improving to 1-0. Willamette, a visiting non-divisional opponent, trimmed a nine-point deficit to two in the final seconds before Miquedah Taliman made two free throws with two seconds remaining. The announced attendance was 60.

Jayleen Bello, Western Oregon’s top star, finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes. The guard delivered the decisive fourth-quarter stretch, hitting a layup and free throw to push the Wolves ahead 62-57, then adding two free throws later. Zada White added a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. Bello and White combined for 41 points and 12 rebounds. Jaelyn Jackson contributed nine points, seven rebounds and one assist. Zoey Davis had six points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Taliman had four points, two rebounds, three assists and one block, while Siena Musson added four points and six rebounds and Danae Asiata had four points and three rebounds. All 68 Western Oregon points came from those seven players.

Western Oregon scored 68 points from 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 88.5. The Wolves collected 11 offensive rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and nine turnovers. They scored 28 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers. Willamette scored 18 points in the paint and 16 points off turnovers.

The game stayed tight early. White opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Willamette answered with Sydney Chesnut’s 3-pointer and Jordyn Reed’s layup. Bello tied it at 5, and the lead changed hands several times in the first quarter. Davis made two layups, White converted a fast-break jumper and a three-point play, and Daisy Boling-Schmidt kept Willamette close with a layup and free throw. Willamette’s Mattie Thompson scored on a layup and a jumper off a turnover during the opening quarter. Western Oregon led 38-33 at halftime after White hit a 3-pointer late in the second quarter.

Willamette stayed within reach in the third quarter. Kait Carns made a 3-pointer, Reed added a hook shot, and Selena Espinoza hit a 3-pointer to give Willamette a 45-42 lead. Bello responded with a layup and two free throws, and Asiata made a layup as Western Oregon regained a 48-47 edge. Kait Carns made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left in the quarter to put Willamette ahead 51-48.

Western Oregon pulled away in the fourth. White made a jumper, Kait Carns answered, and Bello converted a layup and free throw to tie it at 53. Jackson hit a 3-pointer, White made two free throws, and Bello scored a layup and free throw to push the Wolves ahead 62-57. The Wolves made their final push behind Bello and White. White’s driving layup with 1:43 left made it 66-57. Willamette did not quit. Aspen Vanderveen made a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left and followed with a jumper off a turnover with 17.2 seconds remaining. Kait Carns made a floating jumper with 3.1 seconds to play, cutting the Western Oregon lead to 66-64. Taliman then sealed it at the line. The result marked Western Oregon’s first win of the season.

Western Oregon’s next 10 scheduled games are against Fresno Pacific, UC Merced, Walla Walla, Pacific (OR), Point Loma Nazarene, Chico State, Saint Martin’s, Linfield, Flagler and Florida Southern. The Wolves will host Fresno Pacific, UC Merced, Walla Walla and Pacific (OR) before games against Point Loma Nazarene and Chico State in Nampa, Idaho. They then visit Saint Martin’s and Linfield before facing Flagler in Lakeland, Fla., and Florida Southern.