Nov. 7, 2006

Lutes Favored to Repeat as NWC Champions

Complete Poll

Led by last season’s Northwest Conference player of the Year and Coach of the Year, defending champion Pacific Lutheran University is a heavy favorite to repeat its NWC women’s basketball championship, according to the preseason poll of conference coaches.

The Lutes, who advanced to the NCAA tournaments third round last winter while finishing 24-4, received seven of the nine possible first-place votes and 79 total points in the poll. Senior wing Nikki Johnson returns to defend her selection as the conference’s MVP of 2005-06. Gill Rigell earned his second career selection as NWC Coach of the Year last winter.

Along with Johnson and Rigell, the Lutes return a strong supporting cast of Kezia Long and Trish Buckingham. Long, who started in 22 games last season, averaged 14 points and just under 10 rebounds per game. Buckingham started every game last season and averaged 8.8 points a game with 3.5 rebounds.

Puget Sound, last season’s runner up, is also second in this year’s preseason poll with one first-place vote and 63 points. The Loggers advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before they lost to the Lutes ending their season. Lewis & Clark is third in the poll with one first place vote and 59 points. The Loggers handed the Lutes one of their two losses last season in conference play.

George Fox is ranked fourth in the poll with 59 points. Linfield (44 points) and Whitworth (44) were fifth and sixth in the poll, respectively. Whitman received 36 points to finish seventh in the poll. Willamette (17) and Pacific (14) wind up the poll in eight and ninth places, respectively.

The Lutes get their season under way on November 17 at the UPS Tip-off Classic where they will play the California Lutheran Regals.

- PLU -