By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's basketball team will be busy this week with three games in five days. The Bearcats will open the week by hosting Southern Virginia University at Cone Field House on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (PST).
It will be Respect Night at Tuesday's game against Southern Virginia. All Special Olympics athletes, along with their families, will be admitted to the game for free.
Willamette will play the final two games of the week in Southern California. The Bearcats will take on California Institute of Technology on Friday, Dec. 18 in Pasadena, California, starting at 6 p.m. Willamette will play at Whittier College in Whittier, California, on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m.
The Bearcats enter the week with a 4-2 overall record, including 1-1 in the Northwest Conference. Southern Virginia University, currently 1-5 on the season, will play at George Fox University on Monday, Dec. 14. After playing at Willamette, the Knights will conclude their West Coast trip by taking on Linfield College on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Caltech owns a 1-2 record. The Beavers will host University of California, Santa Cruz on Tuesday before facing the Bearcats on Friday. Whittier, which has a record of 1-4, is scheduled to play a home game against Pacific University on Friday, and then host the Bearcats on Saturday.
The Bearcats have scored 67.2 points per contest, while holding opponents to 62.8 points per game. Kylie Towry (Jr./So., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS) leads Willamette with 16.8 points per night and also ranks first on the team with 16 three-pointers. She is shooting 42.1% from 3-point range.
Marisa Hamilton (Jr./So., F, Beaverton, OR/Southridge HS) provides another double-digit scoring average with 11.3 points per game. She has converted 21 of 25 free throws (84.0%). Madi Andresen (So., F, Forest Grove, OR/Forest Grove HS) has contributed 9.0 points per game with 51.2% accuracy from the field (21 of 41).
Ashley Evans (So., PG, Canby, OR/Canby HS) is fourth on the team with 7.8 points per contest. She has connected on 12 three-point baskets and trails only Towry from behind the 3-point arc.
The team's top rebounder is Alex Wert (Jr., F, Spokane, WA/St. George's HS) with 6.5 rebounds per game. Andresen is averaging 5.5 rebounds per night.
Opponents are shooting just 41.8% from the field against Willamette. The Bearcats have limited opposing teams to 30.0% on 3-pointers (27 of 90). Willamette has shot 37.6% (50 of 133) on its own 3-point attempts.
For the season, WU owns a +1.0 rebounding margin per game. The Bearcats have grabbed 35.2 rebounds per contest, while opponents have hauled down an average of 34.2 rebounds.
