PORTLAND, ORE- The University of La Verne women's basketball squad split a pair of season-opening matchups over the weekend

The Leopards took down Willamette University Friday night 68-65 before falling to Lewis & Clark College (Ore.) 106-75 Saturday. 

A back-and-forth battle with the Bearcats Friday saw 14 ties and 26 lead changes while neither team led by more than eight points.

The Leos got off to fast start with the efforts of senior guard Lindsey Foster, grabbing an 8-2 advantage less than three minutes into the game. Foster scored eight of La Verne's first 12 points. The Bearcats clawed their way back into the match and gained a 31-30 lead going into halftime.

The second half saw more of the same, including a Bearcat eight-point advantage with 11:25 remaining in regulation, but an 8-1 Leo run tied it up at 53-53 less than three minutes later. Trailing 65-64 with 1:40 to go, sophomore center Emily Myers and senior guard Megan Musashi both drained a pair of free throws to secure the 68-65 victory for the Leopards.

Foster led all scorers with 20 points and made it a double-double with 13 rebounds. Myers added 19 points while sophomore guard Shannon Irwin dished out five assists.

The Leopards were 27-of-60 from the field and tallied 13 assists. They held advantages in rebounds (45-36), turnover margin (16-12), and points in the paint (22-18).

Saturday night's game with Lewis and Clark saw La Verne fall into an early deficit that they weren't able to close. They Leos were down 60-43 at halftime and were outscored 46-32 in the second half.

Musashi led the Leopard offense with 13 points. Foster contributed 12 points while Myers kicked in 11 along with five rebounds. The Leos shot 26-of-66 from the field while both teams had 14 assists. The Pioneers held advantages in rebounds (43-36) and turnover ratio (30-24) 

La Verne is scheduled to take on George Fox University Friday at 6 p.m. at Franz Athletic Court.