Women's Basketball Release
11/7 - NWC POLL: Bruins Rated a Strong Favorite by NWC Coaches to Repeat as Champs
Northwest Conference Women's Basketball Pre-Season Poll
NEWBERG, Ore. - Unlike last fall, there is not much confusion about which team the Northwest Conference coaches think will win the 2005-06 women's basketball title - the George Fox University Bruins, who are heavy favorites after receiving seven of nine possible first-place votes and 86 points in the NWC pre-season poll.
Last year, four different schools picked up first-place votes in a tightly packed pre-season poll. George Fox was not one of them, having been tabbed for fifth, but stunned everyone behind Northwest Conference Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-American wing Kim Leith, who will undoubtedly be the Bruins' "go-to" player again in her senior season. Last year, she was fourth in the conference and 35th nationally in scoring with an average of 18.0 points a game, and led the league while ranking eighth in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.89).
Other returning starters for the Bruins include point guard Tiffany Behary, who averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 assists a game, and post Erin Powers, who had numbers of 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing. The Bruins will need to find replacements for First Team All-NWC forward Liz Clark (10.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and wing Kellie Thomas (10.3 ppg), however.
The Bruins finished 22-6 overall and first in the NWC at 14-2, earning their third post-season appearance in the last six years. After receiving a first-round bye, the Bruins defeated Chapman University and the College of St. Benedict to reach the "Elite 8" before losing to eventual national runner-up Randolph-Macon College in the West/South sub-regional finals. George Fox had 10 freshmen among its 15 players, and with a year's experience under their belts, the Bruins indeed appear poised for another fine year. George Fox was also picked 10th nationally in the D3hoops.com women's basketball pre-season poll.
George Fox head coach Scott Rueck enters his 10th season with the Bruins with nine winning seasons in a row and a record of 165-67 (.711). He was the 2005-06 NWC Coach of the Year for leading the Bruins to the conference crown and final national rankings of 12th in the D3hoops.com poll and 10th in the Women's Basketball Coaches of America poll.
Whitman College, a co-champion in 2003-04, finished second in the poll with one first-place vote and 66 points in the poll. The Missionaries return all five starters, including seniors Lizzy Washburn, Laura Vertatschitsch, and Megan Higgins. Whitman dropped to a fourth-place tie last season after dealing with numerous injuries.
Pacific Lutheran University is third in the poll with the final first-place vote and 60 points. Senior wing Kelly Turner will lead the Lutes, who must overcome the graduation of All-NWC guard Aundi Kustura. The University of Puget Sound followed in fourth place with 52 points. The Loggers will attempt to overcome the graduation of All-NWC post players Lindsay May and Angie Straw.
No team must overcome more than Whitworth College. The Pirates, picked fifth in the poll with 41 points, must replace all five starters from last season, including multiple-time All-NWC honorees Tiffany Speer and Sarah Shogren. Linfield College is sixth in the poll with 37 points. The Wildcats, who were also picked sixth last season, must replace point guard Heidi Jurgens, who graduated.
Pacific University (27 points), Willamette University (23), and Lewis & Clark College (22 points) rounded out the poll in seventh through ninth places respectively. Pacific returns All-NWC forward DeeDee Arnall, while Willamette welcomes back All-NWC post Vanessa Wyffels. The pair finished first and second in scoring in the NWC last winter.
This season the Northwest Conference returns to a conference tournament to decide the automatic (Pool A) bid to the NCAA tournament. At the conclusion of the regular season, the second-place team in the final standings will host the third-place team in a playoff. The winner will then play at the regular-season champion for the NCAA bid.