By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Seniors Carolyn Ho (G, Parker, CO/Ponderosa HS) and Ava Kitchin (P, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS) led the way for the Willamette University women's basketball team on Saturday, Feb. 17, as the Bearcats outscored Lewis & Clark College 33-12 in the second half for a 71-43 win on Senior Night at Cone Field House. Ho scored a game-high 15 points and hit 7 of 11 field goals to go with six boards, two assists, and two steals. Kitchin recorded her second double-double of the season, as she provided WU with 13 points and 13 rebounds. 

Kitchin also earned a double-double against Whitworth University on Dec. 1 when she tallied 13 points and 10 boards. For the season, Ho is averaging 10.4 points per game and Kitchin leads the Bearcats with 6.0 rebounds per contest.

Willamette completed the regular season with a 17-8 overall record and won the regular season Northwest Conference Championship at 14-2. It is Willamette's first NWC title in women's basketball since the 1995-96 season.

The Bearcats are the #1 seed for the 2023-24 NWC Women's Basketball Tournament and will host the four-team event at Cone Field House on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24. Also competing in the tournament will be Whitman College, Pacific University, and the University of Puget Sound.

Whitman and Pacific tied for second in the NWC regular season standings at 12-4, but Pacific earned the #2 seed on a tie-breaker. Whitman is the #3 seed. Puget Sound, with an 11-5 NWC record, is the #4 seed. The semifinal games will begin on Friday at 6 p.m. with Pacific taking on Whitman, followed by Willamette versus Puget Sound at 8 p.m. The championship game will be played between the two semifinal winners on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. The NWC Tournament champion will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

It is Willamette's third NWC Tournament appearance since 2017-18. The Bearcats will be playing a postseason game at home for the first time since hosting Whitworth University in the semifinals of the 1995-96 NWC Tournament.

The victory over L&C began with the annual Senior Night announcements, as the Bearcats honored the team's six seniors. In addition to Ho and Kitchin, other seniors for the Bearcats are Ashley Collins (Sr., P, Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills HS), Danielle Morgan (Sr., F, Lompoc, CA/Lompoc HS/California Lutheran Univ.), Megan River (Sr., G, Tumwater, WA/A.G. West Black Hills HS), and Jasmine Shigeno (Sr., G, Brush Prairie, WA/Hockinson HS).

On Saturday, River supplied Willamette with five points, five rebounds, and eight assists. Morgan added seven points and five boards, while Collins finished with seven points and four boards. Shigeno connected on two 3-pointers.  

Elyse Waldal (Jr., F, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS/Linfield University) of Willamette scored nine points and hauled down six rebounds. Kaitlin Imai (So., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS) chipped in seven points and six boards.

For the Pioneers, Karli Muka provided 12 points and five rebounds. Lauryn Frederickson supplied L&C with 11 points and seven rebounds. Charlotte Carol finished with eight points and seven boards, while Natalie Elstone earned five assists and four steals.

Lewis & Clark led throughout the first quarter, after Frederickson scored the game's first points on a 3-pointer with 8:54 on the clock. The teams exchanged several baskets before the Pioneers went on a 6-0 run to grab an 11-4 lead with 4:13 left in the quarter. Willamette eventually cut the margin to 13-11 on a 3-pointer by Waldal at the 1:42 mark. L&C held a 16-13 edge at the end of the opening quarter.

The Bearcats outscored the Pioneers 25-15 in the second period to take the lead. WU earned the first three points of the quarter for a 16-16 tie when Imai sank three free throws after she was fouled on a 3-pointer. L&C recorded the next four points, but Willamette responded with a 6-0 run from Ho to create a 22-20 advantage.

WU and L&C remained close until the final 2:08 of the half, when the Bearcats scored seven unanswered points for a 38-31 halftime lead. Collins broke a 31-31 tie with a free throw, then Shigeno hit a 3-pointer with 1:13 left and River converted a 3-pointer with 44 seconds to play. WU shot 50% in the second quarter (7 of 14), including three 3-pointers.

The second half featured a very strong defensive effort by the Bearcats. They limited the Pioneers to just six points in each of the final two quarters, while holding Lewis & Clark to 17.2% shooting (5 of 29), including 0 of 7 on 3-point shots. Meanwhile, Willamette scored 33 points in the second half and shot 40.6% from the field (13 of 32) over the last 20 minutes.

WU put through the first points of the third quarter for a 41-31 lead on a traditional three-point play by Kitchin with 7:47 left. L&C trailed 43-35 with 5:11 to go, but Willamette closed the quarter with a 13-2 run, giving the Bearcats a 56-37 margin. Waldal opened the fourth quarter with a jump shot for the Bearcats, and Willamette went on to outscore the Pioneers 15-6 over the final 10 minutes.