Feb. 28 NWC Women’s Basketball Wrap (Game stories provided by host SID)

UPS Gains Automatic Berth By Winning Coin Flip

Spokane, Wash. – The University of Puget Sound will receive the Northwest Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament by virtue of winning a coin flip with Whitman College after the two schools finished tied for the NWC title on Saturday night.

The coin flip was made by Chuck Lindemenn, the Northwest Conference Commissioner, on a conference call with Puget Sound Athletics Director Amy Hackett and Whitman Athletics Director Travis Feezel at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time.  UPS called heads and won the toss.

“Our tie breaking procedure failed us. But for the luck of a coin toss, a very deserving Whitman team could have received our automatic bid,” said Lindemenn.  “Both teams deserve a post season opportunity, but if the Northwest Conference can only send one team, we have to find a way our champion will be determined on the court, not based on the luck of a coin flip.”

The Loggers and Missionaries were forced into a coin flip after Pacific Lutheran University, which went into the night in a three-way tie with the other two, lost at Pacific.  Pacific’s win created a deadlock in the conference’s tiebreaking system.

Puget Sound will enter the tournament with a record of 21-4.  The Loggers, under head coach Suzy Barcomb, won their second NWC title with a mark of 13-3.  Whitman has a record of 19-6.  Head Coach Michelle Ferenz led the Missionaries to their first conference title since 1988.  Whitman must wait to see if it is awarded one of six Pool C berths in the NCAA tournament, which are reserved for second place teams.

Puget Sound 68, at Linfield 55

McMinnville, Ore. -- Lindsay May's 29 points vaulted Puget Sound to a 68-55 victory over Linfield and a share of its first Northwest Conference title since 1997. The junior forward sank 9 of 15 shots from the floor and collared a game-high14 rebounds as the Loggers clinched a tie atop the NWC standings with Whitman with a 13-3 record.

UPS, 21-4 overall, won a tiebreaker coin flip over Whitman and will represent the conference at the NCAA Division III tournament.

Linfield ended its season 7-9 in the conference and 10-15 overall.

The underdog Wildcats played with the confidence of a championship team throughout the first half. The lead see-sawed back and fourth, with neither team able to build more than a three-point lead during the first 19 minutes. The Loggers surged in front in the final minute of the half, following a wide-open jumper by Lindsay May and a pair of free throws from reserve Shelby Ramirez. UPS sank 10 of 25 shots in the opening half (.400) while the Wildcats made 9 of 28 (.321). May scored 12 of her 29 points in the half.

UPS began the half with a three-pointer as May continued her scoring barrage, lifting the Loggers to a 12-point advantage, 46-34, with 10 minutes to play. The Wildcats cut the lead back to nine points momentarily, but the Loggers iced the game at the free throw line, sinking 10 of 10 charity tosses in the second half.

Senior center Monica Schwing, one of only four players in Linfield history to surpass 1,000 career points, scored 15 points in her final game in a Wildcats uniform. Brandi Loring added 13 points and Heidi Jurgens dropped in 10.

Linfield seniors Lacey Conroy, Jessica Flammini and Kristen Hand also participated in the final contest of their careers.

At Whitman 68, George Fox 62

Walla Walla, Wash. -- With the game tied at 57 with 3:27 left to play, the Whitman women's basketball team uncorked an 11-2 scoring spurt and polished off a 68-62 victory over George Fox Saturday night in Sherwood Center to claim a share of the Northwest Conference championship -- its first title since the 1987-88 season.

Winning 12 of its last 13 games, Whitman finished with a 19-6 regular season record and a 13-3 mark in the NWC, good enough for a first-place tie with Puget Sound.

Whitman's good fortune turned sour soon after the game's conclusion, when Puget Sound won a coin toss to claim the NWC's automatic berth to the NCAA Div. III playoffs. The coin toss was conducted by the NWC Commissioner's office in a telephone conference call involving the athletic directors from both schools.

Puget Sound earned its share of the NWC title by winning 66-55 at Linfield Saturday evening.

The NCAA Div. III playoffs, which begin next Wednesday, start with a field of 50 teams. Whitman remains eligible for six at-large berths available to conference runner-ups from around the country. A national selection committee will fill the at-large spots on Sunday.

In Saturday's game, first-year forward Sarah Laird scored 15 points, hitting four of eight 3-point shots, to power Whitman's offense. Sophomore Lizzy Washburn added 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 25 seconds left, while sophomore guard Laura Vertatschitsch contributed 11 points five boards and four assists.

Katie Patneaude, another member of Whitman's talented first-year class, just missed a double-double, scoring nine points to go with eight rebounds. Sophomore Megan Higgins and first-year player Shea Morrissey scored eight and six points, respectively, off the Missionary bench.

George Fox (13-12, 7-9) also had three players scoring in double figures. Kim Leith had 16 points, Kellie Thomas had 15 and Liz Clark 12. Darby Cave, a senior and the leading scorer for the Bruins, was in foul trouble much of the game and finished with just six points.

Trailing 30-29 at halftime, George Fox scored the first two points of the second half to take only its second lead of the night. Whitman responded with a 13-5 scoring run to regain control. After Laird hit a 3-pointer to spark the run, Patneaude and Vertatschitsch tallied six points apiece to put the Missionaries in front 43-34 with 14:14 left to play.

A few minutes later, Laird nailed another trey that led to a 52-40 Whitman lead at the 8:32 mark. George Fox refused to go quietly into the night, outscoring the Missionaries 17-7 to pull even at 57-all with 3:27 remaining. After Denise Kirstein, one of two seniors on the Whitman roster, hit one of two free throws, Vertatschitsch drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Washburn scored off an offensive rebound with 56 seconds left to give the Missionaries a 63-57 cushion.

Free throws, five by George Fox and four by Whitman, finished the night's scoring.

Whitman jumped in front early in the first half, grabbing a 20-9 lead after eight minutes of play. Laird and Washburn tallied 16 of the first 20 Missionary points. George Fox closed out the half on a 6-2 roll to trail 30-29 at intermission.

The Whitman women's team, picked in one preseason poll to finish last this season, set school records for most wins in a season (19), most consecutive wins (nine), and highest winning percentage (.760).

At Pacific 58, Pacific Lutheran 56

Forest Grove, Ore. -- Pacific sent their five seniors out with the biggest win of their careers Satruday, playing a dominant first half and then holding on for a 58-56 upset of Pacific Lutheran in Northwest Conference women's basketball action at the Pacific Athletic Center.

After leading 34-20 at the half, the Boxers (12-11, 7-9 NWC) held off a Lutes' team that outscored the Boxers 36-26 in the second stanza and had a chance to tie or win it at the horn.

DeeDee Arnall led the Boxers with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Katannya Kapeli had 12 points and six rebounds in her final game and Tori Nelson capped her career with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Sara Wilcox led the Lutes (18-6, 12-4 NWC) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Kelly Turner finished with 11, while Courtney Johnson was held to only two points, five rebounds and four blocks.

After falling behind 34-20 at half, the Lutes used a balanced attack to slowly chip the lead way through most of the half.

Aundi Kustura cut the lead to 54-43 on a pair of free throws after Lauryn Jones was ejected with 6:30 left. Wilcox added two more from the line to make it a 54-47 game with 5:30 remaining and Mann's lay-in made it a 54-49 game with 4:49 to go.

A pair of traveling calls in the last two minutes kept PLU in the game, and Beth Knudtson's lay-in with 1:06 left brought the Lutes to within four. After a made free throw by Arnall, the Lutes cut the lead to three on a pair of Turner free throws with 17.7 second left. Knudtson cut the lead to two with seven second left. The Lutes got the ball back off Kapeli's missed free throw, but were unable to convert on three late attempts.

The Boxer seniors controlled the tempo at the start, jumping out to an 8-0 lead three minutes into the game. The Lutes cut the lead to two on Johnson's lay-in with 14:46 left, but fell behind again as Pacific built an 18-9 run ending on Arnall's drive and lay-in with seven minutes left.

Kelly Turner ended a six minutes scoreless streak for the Lutes with her lay-in at the 4:40 mark, but the Boxers allowed PLU no closer than 10. Nelson's steal and lay-in with 20 seconds left gave Pacific a 34-20 halftime edge.

Saturday's contest was the final game for five Pacific seniors: Kapeli, Jones, Nelson, Leslie Jeffries and Kristi Poe.