By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's basketball team will take on George Fox University on Saturday, Feb. 24 in Newberg, Oregon, in the 2018 Northwest Conference Tournament Championship game. The winner will claim the NWC Tournament title and will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Tournament. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (PST).

Willamette earned the right to take on GFU in the NWC Championship game by defeating Whitman College, 55-52, in Walla Walla, Washington, in the NWC semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 22. Whitman entered the game ranked #13 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll. George Fox, ranked #14 by D3hoops.com, downed Lewis & Clark College in Thursday's other semifinal game, 80-41.

The Bearcats are 17-9 overall and went 12-4 in the NWC to finish in third place in the regular season standings. George Fox, now 23-3 on the season, won the NWC regular season title with a 15-1 record. During the regular season, the Bruins defeated the Bearcats twice, edging out Willamette 79-76 in Salem on Dec. 2 and winning 81-50 in Newberg on Feb. 17.

Since then, the Bearcats have won three consecutive games -- all on the road -- including two victories over Whitman. The Bearcats outscored the Blues 62-55 in Walla Walla on Feb. 16 before returning for Thursday's triumph in the semifinals. Willamette has won seven of its last eight games.

Kylie Towry (Sr., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS) , who was named First Team All-NWC, leads the conference with 17.5 points per game and 71 three-point baskets. She ranks fourth in the NWC in free throw percentage at 80.5% (99 of 123). She is averaging 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Towry is Willamette's career scoring leader with 1,420 points and is first all-time with 290 career three-pointers.

Britanny Kochenderfer (Jr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HSIdaho State Univ.) was chosen Second Team All-NWC. She is averaging 11.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the NWC with 7.3 rebounds per game. She had provided the Bearcats with 37 three-point baskets and leads the team with 24 blocked shots. Ashley Evans (Sr., PG, Canby, ORCanby HS) scored the game-winning 3-pointer with 16.6 seconds left against Whitman on Thursday. She has contributed 8.7 points, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Evans is tied for third in the conference with a +1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Bearcats are averaging 63.1 points per game. Willamette has allowed opponents just 62.0 points per contest.

George Fox has four players who are averaging more than nine points per game. Kaitlin Jamieson (Sr., F/P) is providing the Bruins with 11.8 ponts per game and is shooting 54.4% from the field. She also averages 7.1 rebounds per game.

Emily Spencer (So., PG) and Tavin Headings (Jr., W/F) are both averaging 9.3 points per game. Spencer leads GFU with 3.3 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. Headings is first on the team with 44 three-point baskets. Haylee Hutzler (Jr., W/F) has earned 9.1 points per game and is shooting 80.7% at the free throw line.

All four of GFU's top scorers produced double-digit averaged in NWC regular season games. Jamieson led the way with 12.4 points per game.