SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth women's basketball team returns to Oregon for a pair of Northwest Conference games this weekend. The Pirates play at Linfield University on Friday (6:00 pm) and at Pacific University on Saturday (4:00 pm). Both will be carried live on KSBN radio 1230 am and on the web at KSBN.net.
Both schools require proof of vaccine and also wearing of masks to attend any indoor athletic event. Please plan accordingly. Fans unable to attend the games can find live links on the Whitworth women's basketball schedule.
The Pirates: Whitworth (8-11 overall, 3-7 NWC) lost at first place Whitman last Tuesday, then defeated Willamette on Friday.
Whitworth gave league-leading Whitman College its closest challenge of the season by a Northwest Conference opponent before losing 69-63 last Tuesday night. The Pirates pulled within four points late in the game, but could not complete a comeback from a 14-point deficit. Olivia Mayer had 17 points and six rebounds to lead the Bucs in both categories. Quincy McDeid added 13 points, while Madison Hagen scored 11 off the bench. Whitman remained unbeaten in NWC play and swept the season series with the Pirates.
The Pirates trailed by a point at halftime, then took a ten-point lead in the second half before holding on to defeat visiting Willamette 66-63 on Friday night. Whitworth evened the season series with the Bearcats. Whitworth shot 46.2% (24-52) from the field and 75% (15-20) from the free throw line. The Pirates also held a 32-27 edge in rebounds. Mayer led the way again with 16 points and six rebounds, while McDeid had 15 points and five boards. Kimberly Dewey finished with ten points.
The Opponents: Linfield University is 0-16 overall and 0-8 in the NWC. The Wildcats are coming off a 64-60 loss at Lewis & Clark on Friday and an 81-50 setback to Puget Sound at home on Saturday. A pair of freshmen continue to lead Linfield. Gillyan Landis averages 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Emma Schmerbach averages 9.1 points and 5.0 rebounds and lead the team in assists (28) and steals (22). Whitworth defeated Linfield 81-64 in Spokane on Jan. 18 in a game that was originally scheduled for January 9th. Olivia Mayer had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Pirates, while Madison Hagen added a dozen points.
Pacific University (12-5 overall, 6-2 NWC) remains in the NWC playoff hunt, despite having both games postponed last weekend by COVID-19 protocols. The Boxers will play a makeup at PLU on Tuesday (Feb. 1) then will host Whitman on Friday night. Camy Aguinaldo (Gr., G) continues to make a huge impact with averages of 19.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game. Junior guard Brilie Kovaloff adds 16.9 ppg and makes 38% of her three-point attempts. Pacific defeated Whitworth 67-57 in Spokane on January 9th in a game postponed by two days due to significant snowfall and road closures. Olivia Mayer had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Pirates, while Kimberly Dewey scored 12 points.
Road Trifecta: During its Thanksgiving trip to California, Whitworth won three true road games in a row for the first time since the Pirates won their first six road games in a row on the way to a 14-0 start during the 2014-15 season.
Dorney Does it: Megan Dorney has developed into Whitworth's leader on the court this season. She leads the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg) and makes 55% of her field goals. Defensively, she leads the team in steals (13). Unfortunately for the Pirates, Dorney has been out of action with an injury and hasn't played since the Dec. 30 game at Central Washington. Hopes are she will return soon.
Talia's Time: Senior guard Talia Brandner's Pirate career came to an unfortunate end when she suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first half of Whitworth's game against Whitman on December 7th. One of the team's best three-point shooters, Brandner finished her Pirate career making 35.4% from beyond the arc. She totaled 558 points, 175 rebounds and 104 assists in 64 games.
NWC Preseason Poll: Whitworth is fifth in the NWC preseason coaches poll this season with 33 points. The Pirates just missed the conference playoffs in fifth position in both 2019 and 2020. There was no conference tournament in 2021 due to Covid-19. Whitman leads the poll with eight first place votes and 64 points. Pacific (Ore.) is second with one first place vote and 50 points.
NCAA Championship is Back: The NCAA Division III tournament is back in 2021-22 after getting cancelled last season. The first two rounds will take place March 4-5 on campus sites, as will the rounds of 16 and 8 on March 11-12. The Division III final four will be held at the A.J. Palumbo Center March 18-19 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On the Air Again: Many of Whitworth's games are once again carried live this season on KSBN 1230am in Spokane. The broadcast schedule includes non-conference games in California and all Northwest Conference contests. The relationship between Pirate athletics and KSBN goes back to 1994, a span of more than 25 years. Bud Nameck is in his seventh season as the voice of Whitworth basketball. Nameck has more than 30 years of experience calling college basketball at Gonzaga University and Washington State.
The Coach: Joial Griffith is in her fourth season as the women's basketball coach at Whitworth University in 2021-22. She has guided the Pirates to a record of 31-27 in her two years, including two fourth place finishes in the Northwest Conference and a 4-4 mark during the COVID-19 schedule of 2020-21. Griffith took over for long-time Whitworth head coach Helen Higgs, who resigned after 24 seasons as the winningest coach in Pirate women's basketball history. Griffith spent one season with the Williams (Mass.) Ephs' women's basketball program. Prior to her year at Williams, she was the assistant coach at Claremont-Scripps-Colleges in Southern California, near where she grew up. The Athenas made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances during her two seasons, finishing 20-9 in 2017 and 23-6 in 2016.
Looking Ahead: Whitworth will head west to play at Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound on February 11-12.
