By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth University women's basketball team looks to get back in the win column when they open Northwest Conference play this weekend. The Pirates host Pacific Lutheran on Friday at 8:00pm before playing Lewis & Clark on Saturday at 6:00pm.
Check the Whitworth women's basketball schedule for live links to this week's games.
Tickets: Digital tickets are required for entrance to the Whitworth Fieldhouse for all fans. Tickets can be purchased in advance using the Hometown Ticketing App. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for senior adults, non-Whitworth students and children. Whitworth students, as well as faculty and staff, get free admission by using an ID number.
The Pirates: Whitworth (3-6) was unable to secure a win in December after a home loss and a tough three-game road trip in California.
The Pirates were defeated by Mary-Hardin Baylor on December 13th in their second game at Whitworth Fieldhouse. After a 40-23 deficit at halftime, Whitworth fought back and took a one-point lead in the third quarter after several three-point baskets. The lead slipped away as the Crusaders started the fourth quarter with 12 unanswered points to secure a win. Ashlyn Peterson led the Pirates in scoring with 14 and had five assists. Julianna Jeross made her first start of the season and put up nine points. Whitworth shot 29.7% from the field.
On December 16th, the Pirates fell to La Verne 84-71 in the first of three games in three days in California. Whitworth trailed early after the Leopards made their first three shot attempts and stifled the Pirates' offense. The Bucs battled back with a 19-5 run in the third quarter but could not overcome La Verne's efficient three-point shooting (42.9%). Alex Goetz scored a season-high 19 and had four steals. Mya Bair and Julianna Jeross each added 13 points. Whitworth shot 42.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
Chapman handed the Pirates a 76-67 loss on December 17th. Whitworth began the game on an 8-1 run after three-quick buckets from Keely Maves. The Panthers regrouped and took a seven-point lead at halftime. Another Pirate run closed the gap to just one point with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter. The Bucs could not break through after Chapman made key three-pointers to stretch its lead. Ashlyn Peterson led Whitworth with 18 points and six assists. Jeross and Maves each scored 12 while Mya Bair had 11 points and six rebounds. The Pirates shot a season-high 42.1% from three-point range (8-19).
The Pirates suffered a 63-60 loss to Cal Lutheran to close the road trip on December 18th. Whitworth led by 10 in the third quarter but could not maintain the lead as the Regals gained momentum. CLU went up by three late in the game before the Pirates earned a chance to tie after a forced turnover. Addyson Gallatin fired a three-point attempt from the top of the key as time expired, but it would not fall. Peterson led Whitworth with 17 points while Jeross scored 15 and Gallatin had 10. The Pirates shot 31.7% from the field and made 11 three-pointers.
The Opponents:
Pacific Lutheran heads to Spokane with a 3-6 overall record. The Lutes closed their non-conference schedule with a 64-60 win over Vancouver Island University on Monday night. Junior guard Syndey Reisner leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game. Senior guard Kasidy Javernick can make life difficult for opposing offenses, ranking third in the NWC in steals per game (2.6). PLU leads the NWC in combined team rebounds at 41.5 per game but ranks last in team field goal percentage (32.5). Whitworth swept the season series with the Lutes last season.
Puget Sound opens NWC play with a 1-8 record. The Loggers visit Whitman on Friday before playing Whitworth on Saturday. UPS lost its last two games while competing in the Hoops in Hawaii Classic, with the latest matchup being a close 64-62 loss to Centre College. After graduating three All-NWC honorees last season, the Loggers are led by senior guard Addison Reardon who is averaging 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Freshman Carmen Cruz has shown the ability to score in bunches after scoring 36 points in 22 minutes against Northwest University on November 27th. Cruz also leads the Loggers in three-point percentage (37.3) and three-pointers made (19). UPS won both matchups against the Pirates last season.
From Downtown: The Pirates have not been shy putting up shots from beyond the arc this season. The Bucs average 29.7 three-point attempts per game, ranking 10th in all of Division III. They are making these shots at a 28.8% clip and their 8.6 three-point field goals rank second in the NWC. Julianna Jeross leads Whitworth with 22 three-pointers made, followed by Ashlyn Peterson with 16. Mya Bair leads the Northwest Conference in three-point field goal percentage at 50% (12-24).
Lone Vet: With the Pirates' new look roster, junior guard Mya Bair is the only player to have previously started a game in a Whitworth uniform. Bair started 24 of 25 games for the Pirates in the 2023-24 season while putting up 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Her energy, effort and experience show on both sides of the ball while leading a fresh team looking to make its mark. This season, she is averaging 9.4 points, a team-leading five rebounds, 2.9 assists and two steals per game.
The Maestro: Pirate freshman Ashlyn Peterson has shown her ability to orchestrate the offense in her first five career games. Peterson's 5.1 assists per game is 15th in Division III and leads the NWC. Along with her ability to distribute, she lead the Pirates in scoring at 13.9 points per game and boasts a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio that ranks sixth in the NWC.
Efficiency: Whitworth junior Keely Maves has made her presence felt in the paint and scored in an incredibly efficient manner to start the season. She is averaging 7.8 points per game on 50% shooting from the field, ranking eighth in the NWC. Mya Bair is shooting 48.4% from the field, which ranks 11th in the NWC.
The Coach: Kenny Love is in his third season as the Whitworth women's basketball coach. He moved over from the men's coaching staff in 2021 where he was an assistant coach since 2017. Love has a career head coaching record of 22-37 at Whitworth. Love himself is a former Pirate player who earned first team All-NWC recognition three times and was the 2015 NWC Player of the Year.
Looking ahead: Whitworth will continue NWC play at Whitworth fieldhouse against Willamette on January 10th at 8:00pm and Lewis & Clark on January 11th at 6:00pm.
