NWAC basketball tourneys in Everett have new format

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Win or go home.

The Northwest Athletic Conference basketball tournaments, which begins Thursday at Everett Community College, have a new single-elimination format.

First-round and quarterfinal games will be held this weekend, and semifinal and championship contests will be held next weekend.

“I like it. It’s tailored more like the NCAA Division-I tournament and other tournaments at higher levels,” said North Idaho men’s coach Corey Symons. “It puts some pressure on the players, but it’s nice. That’s what college basketball is all about — win to get to the next level.”

Umpqua women’s coach Dave Stricklin said the new setup could make for more championship contenders.

“In the previous format you had to play well for four straight games. A lot of times, I thought the best team didn’t necessarily win — the deepest team won,” Stricklin said. “Now a lot more teams have a shot at the title. I think everybody goes in thinking they can play well for two days, take some time off, then come back and play well for two more games. It’s a lot easier, both physically and mentally, than playing four days in a row.

“Single elimination is great. Nobody wants to lose (a tournament game), then come back and play the next day.”

North Idaho enters the men’s tournament as the No. 1 seed from the East Region and the top-ranked squad in the latest NWAC coaches poll. The Cardinals posted a 25-4 regular-season record in their first season in the NWAC. In previous years, North Idaho was in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

“I like the way we’re playing right now, but we have to continue to do what we’ve been doing. There will be a lot of good teams at the tournament,” Symons said. “We have a lot of offensive talent, so we focus more on the defensive end. People can say what they want (about what team will win the tournament), but we like to be an underdog with a chip on our shoulders.”

The Cardinals have been led by sophomore point guard Sam Dowd, who’s averaging 17.8 points and an NWAC-leading 7.1 assists per game.

“Sam is a good leader for us. He’s really bought into our system,” Symons said. “He can score, distribute and play great defense.”

South Puget Sound (22-5), Clark (17-9) and Shoreline (17-8) are the tournament’s other top seeds. Walla Walla (20-8) and defending champion Spokane (23-6) are other teams to watch out for.

Some of the men’s tournament’s top players include Shoreline’s Dana Abe (21.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg); South Puget Sound’s Luke Chavez (14.8 ppg, 4.2 apg); Umpqua’s Grant Ellison (20.2 ppg); and Big Bend’s Jacob McCord, who averaged an NWAC-leading 26 points and 12.1 rebounds per game and will continue his career at Idaho State.

On the women’s side, Umpqua freshman Jordan Stotler is hoping to conclude a breakout season with a title. The 6-foot-4 Stotler was named as the South Region’s most valuable player after posting 22.2 points and 13 rebounds per game. She set an NWAC single-season record with 123 blocks.

“She can do everything. If you asked me what position she plays, I couldn’t tell you,” Stricklin said. “She can hit the 3. She handles the ball. She can post up. And she’s a bigger force on defense than on offense. She’s as complete a player as there is in the NWAC.”

Stotler’s play has been a big factor in the Riverhawks’ success; Umpqua (27-2) enters the tournament as the top-ranked team in the NWAC coaches poll.

“I think we have as good a chance as anybody to win it,” Stricklin said. “I have to think we’re one of the favorites — but not the only favorite — because of our record, and the fact that we played a good schedule. We’ve beaten several teams in the tournament already.”

Skagit Valley (22-6), Spokane (23-4) and Lower Columbia (26-3) join the Riverhawks as No. 1 seeds. Defending champion Lane (25-4), Walla Walla (21-4) and Peninsula (18-9) are also capable of making deep runs.

Spokane’s Brianna King (20 ppg, 2.5 spg), Bobbi Westendorf of Tacoma (19.9 ppg, 11.7 rpg) and Skagit Valley’s Emily Yost (13.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg) will be some of the top players in action this weekend.