11/10 - NWC POLL: Bruins Picked for 4th in Pre-Season Northwest Conference Poll
2006-07 NWC Women's Basketball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll
NEWBERG, Ore. - With the return of two starters who received All-Conference recognition last year, the George Fox University Bruins have been picked to finish fourth in the 2006-07 Northwest Conference women's basketball chase as predicted in a pre-season vote of the league's nine coaches.
George Fox received 58 points in the balloting, only one point behind third-place Lewis & Clark College. The Bruins are coming off a 19-6 season and a tie for third in the NWC at 10-6. Scott Rueck, the 2004-05 NWC Coach of the Year when he led the Bruins to a 22-6 record and the 'Elite 8' in the NCAA Tournament, has forged a record of 183-67 (.716) in his 10 years at George Fox.
Three starters are gone for the Bruins, including All-Conference First Team and NCAA Division III All-West Region Third Team wing Kim Leith, the Bruins' all-time leader in three-point field goals (205) and free throw percentage (.811) and fourth all-time scorer (1,348 points). This year's squad still has a solid nucleus, however, with All-Conference Second Team wing Robin Taylor and All-Conference Honorable Mention forward Katy Campbell returning. Taylor averaged 13.2 points per game and led the league in field goal percentage (.525), while Campbell averaged 8.6 points and was seventh in the league in rebounding at 6.4 boards a game.
Led by last season's NWC Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, defending champion Pacific Lutheran University is a heavy favorite to repeat its title. The Lutes, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament's third round while finishing 24-4, received seven of nine possible first-place votes and 79 total points in the poll. Wing Nikki Johnson returns to defend her selection as the conference MVP, while Gill Rigell earned his second career selection as NWC Coach of the Year.
The University of Puget Sound, last season's runner-up, is also second in this year's poll with one first-place vote and 63 points. The Loggers were an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, finishing 23-6 after making the second round. UPS will have to overcome the graduation of its all-star back court of Sarah Carnahan and Kilty Keaton.
Lewis & Clark is third in the poll with one first-place vote and 59 points. The Pioneers, who only two seasons ago finished 1-15 in conference play, improved to 8-8 in the league last season and 12-12 overall. Second Team All-NWC forward Crystal Castle and honorable mention All-NWC forward Allison Farr return for the Pios.
Behind George Fox, Linfield College with 44 points and Whitworth College with 42 were fifth and sixth in the poll. Both teams finished 7-9 in conference play last season and just above .500 overall. The Wildcats bring back honorable mention All-NWC guard Ashley Covey to lead a veteran lineup. The Pirates must replace four starters for the second straight season.
Whitman College, a conference tournament participant last season, is seventh in the poll with 36 points. While All-NWC forward Lizzy Washburn has graduated, honorable mention All-NWC guard Katie Patneaude returns for the Missionaries.
Willamette University with 17 points and Pacific University with 14 round out the poll in eighth and ninth places. The Bearcats hope to improve on last year's 0-16 conference record, while the Boxers will have to overcome the graduation of All-American post DeeDee Arnall.
Once again, the Northwest Conference will use a three-team 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 game on Feb. 22. The winner of that game will play at the regular season champion for the NCAA bid on Feb. 24.
The 2006-07 season gets under way on Friday, Nov. 17. George Fox hosts the Oregon Institute of Technology in its opener on Nov. 17 at 6 p.m., followed by the men's opener at 8 p.m. against Corban College.