By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The Willamette University women's basketball team will play their first Northwest Conference tournament game since 2000-01, when the Bearcats take on Whitman College in the NWC Semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 22. Willamette is the #3 seed in the four-team tournament, while Whitman is the #2 seed.
Willamette vs. Whitman - Live Video
Willamette vs. Whitman - Live Stats
Willamette and Whitman will start their semifinal game at 6 p.m. (PST) in the Sherwood Center on the Whitman campus. In the other semifinal game, #1-seeded George Fox University will take on #4-seeded Lewis & Clark College at 7 p.m. in Newberg, Oregon.
The NWC Championship game is set for Saturday, Feb. 24 on the home court of the highest remaining seed. The winner of the NWC Tournament will receive an automatic bid into the 2017-18 NCAA Tournament.
Willamette went 16-9 overall and 12-4 in the NWC during the regular season. The Bearcats and the Blues split their regular season match-ups, with Whitman winning 68-49 in Salem, Oregon, on Jan. 20, and Willamette winning 62-55 in Walla Walla on Feb. 16.
The Bearcats averaged 63.4 points per game during the season, while allowing 62.4 points per game. Willamette sank 192 three-point shots and hsot 33.9% from 3-point range. Willamette Head Coach Peg Swadeneer was selected NWC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.
Kylie Towry (Sr., G, Medford, OR/South Medord HS) of Willamette led the NWC with 17.4 points per game and was named First Team All-NWC. Towry also led the NWC with 68 three-pointers and ranked fourth in the NWC in free throw shooting at 80.2%.
Britanny Kochenderfer (Jr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) averaged 11.4 points per game and led Willamette with 7.2 rebounds per contest. She was fourth in the NWC in rebounds. She was chosen Second Team All-NWC.
Ashley Evans (Sr., PG, Canby, OR/Canby HS) earned 8.7 points per game for the Bearcats. She connected on 61 three-point shots to rank second in the NWC. Towry, Evans and Mary Eckenrode (Sr., G, Higley, AZ/Highland HS).
