Spokane, Wash.– The 2026 Northwest Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament is officially underway after the conclusion of two thrilling semi-final games. In the first matchup of the evening, the Willamette Bearcats took down the Puget Sound Loggers with a final score of 80-75. The regular season champions– the Whitworth Pirates– earned their spot in the championship game, taking down the Lewis & Clark River Otters with a score of 76-60 in the second semi-final match.
The entire match was a back and forth battle between the Willamette Bearcats and the Puget Sound Loggers– the Bearcats pushed through to lead the first half with a score of 38-34. Bearcat Kellen Sande racked up a team-high 26 points, while also grabbing 8 assists and 3 rebounds. Teammate Tanner Overby also scored in the double digits for the Bearcats (20), while snagging 4 steals on defense.
The Loggers had a strong final push in the second half, racking up 41 points to the Bearcats’ 42, narrowing their lead. Hugo Rutherfurd put up a team-high of 22 points for the Loggers, while grabbing a team-high of 8 rebounds. Teammate Zane Miller also made an impact for the Loggers, accounting for 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
The Whitworth Pirates started off strong in the first half, leading the game 9 points by the end of the first quarter. Ben Nyquist proved to be a dominant force for the Pirates, putting up 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals on the evening. Teammate Stephen Behil also made his impact– putting up 12 points and 9 rebounds on the evening.
The Lewis & Clark Otts kept the game within close range– with Yigit Arcan and Andre Treadwell leading the charge. Arcan put up 18 points for the Otts, while Treadwell protected the boards, putting up a team-high rebound count (9), while also tacking on 14 points for the Otts.
Willamette (16-10, 10-6 NWC) will face off against Whitworth (20-5, 13-2) for the title on Saturday at 5:00 p.m PST in Spokane, Washington at the Whitworth Fieldhouse. Watch live on
FloSports.