|
Rk.
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
2017-18 NWC Record
|
|
1
|
George Fox
|
63 (7)
|
15-1
|
|
2
|
Whitman
|
57 (2)
|
14-2
|
|
3
|
Puget Sound
|
47
|
7-9
|
|
4
|
Willamette
|
42
|
12-4
|
|
5
|
Whitworth
|
31
|
5-11
|
|
6
|
Linfield
|
24
|
5-11
|
|
T-7
|
Lewis & Clark
|
22
|
9-7
|
|
T-7
|
Pacific Lutheran
|
22
|
1-15
|
|
9
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
16
|
4-12
|
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate number of first-place votes.)
HILLSBORO, Ore. – George Fox has been selected as the team to claim the NWC women's basketball crown in the 2018-19 season, as voted on by conference coaches. The Bruins received 63 points and seven first-place votes in the poll.
The Bruins finished the 2017-18 season ranked 18th-nationally in the D3hoops.com Coaches Poll and 14th-nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll after finishing the season with a 25-4 overall record and 15-1 conference record. The team finished as regular-season conference champions and won the NWC Championship outright to earn the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Championship. The Bruins took down Saint Benedict in the first round, 79-63, before falling to Wartburg, 82-58, in the second round.
Entering the 2018-19 season ranked 10th-nationally in the D3hoops.com Coaches Poll and 9thin the WBCA Coaches Poll, The Bruins return All-NWC Second Team selection Emily Spencer (Woodinville, Wash.) and All-NWC Honorable Mention selection Haylee Hutzler (Clackamas, Ore.) as the team seeks another NWC Championship title and NCAA run.
Whitman received 57 points and two first-place votes to rank second in the poll. Despite falling to Willamette in the NWC Championship Semifinals, the Blues, who finished the 2017-18 season ranked 23rd-nationally in the D3hoops.com Coaches Poll and 24th-nationally in the WBCA Coaches Poll, earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Blues fell in the first round to East Texas Baptist, 65-59, to close out the season with a 22-5 overall record and 14-2 conference record. The Blues return All-NWC First Team selection Makana Stone (Coupeville, Wash.) for the 2018-19 season as the team pursues another NCAA appearance.
Puget Sound ranks third in the poll, earning 47 points. The Loggers ranked fifth in NWC standings with a 7-9 conference record at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, finishing 12-13 overall. After graduating just one last season, the team returns 2018 All-NWC duo Jamie Lange (Lake Tapps, Wash.), a First Team selection, and Elizabeth Prewitt (Snoqualmie, Wash.), a Second Team selection, to lead the Loggers.
Willamette earns 42 points to rank fourth in the poll. The Bearcats ended last season ranked third in conference standings with a 12-4 NWC record, finishing 17-10 overall. The team took down Whitman in the NWC Semifinals, 55-52, to advance to the Championship, where they fell to George Fox, 60-50. 2018 All-NWC Second Team selection Britanny Kochenderfer (Klamath Falls, Ore.) returns this season to help guide the Bearcats on another NWC Championship pursuit.
Whitworth ranks fifth in the poll, collecting 31 points. The Pirates finished 10-15 overall and 5-11 in conference play to rank sixth, tying with Linfield, in 2018 NWC final standings. Returning for the Pirates this season are 2018 NWC Freshman of the Year Camy Aguinaldo (Honolulu, Hawaii) and All-NWC Honorable Mention honoree Madison Moffat (Ellensburg, Wash.).
Ranking sixth with 24 points is the Linfield Wildcats. The team ranked seventh alongside Whitworth in the 2018 NWC final standings, finishing the season 5-11 in conference play and 9-16 overall. Kory Oleson (West Linn, Ore.) was an All-NWC Second Teams selected after leading the Wildcats in points per game with 14. With just one senior, Oleson returns a junior for the 2018-19 season to help lead the Wildcats.
Lewis & Clark and Pacific Lutheran tie for seventh at 22 points each. The Pioneers ranked fourth in 2018 NWC final standings, finishing the season 9-7 in conference play and 14-12 overall. The team advanced to the NWC Championship, where they fell to eventual champion George Fox, 80-41, in the semifinal round. Welcoming eighth freshmen to the roster, the Pioneers seek to pursue another NWC Championship run in the 2018-19 season.
The Lutes wrapped up the 2018 season ranked ninth in NWC standings with a 1-15 conference record, finishing 5-20 overall. All-NWC Honorable Mention selection Madison Salisbury (Puyallup, Wash.) will return to the Lutes roster as a sophomore for the 2018-19 season.
Rounding out the poll with 16 points is Pacific (Ore.). The Boxers finished the 2018-19 season 5-19 overall, ranking eighth in NWC final standings with a 4-12 conference record. The Boxers will return top-scorer Jenee Brown (Kailua, Hawaii), who finished the 2017-18 season with 251 total points.
NWC women's basketball teams will continue with regular-season contests, with conference play beginning on Tuesday, November 27th.
Twitter: @northwestconf | Instagram: @northwestconf | Facebook: /northwestconf