CCC Women's Basketball Tournament Preview

Megan Morris puts the ball up over two defenders from the College of Idaho on February 16, 2018. The Lady Owls won that game 73-47 securing the the #3 seed in the CCC Tournament. (Image by, Brandon Gailey / Klamath Falls News)

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The 2018-19 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Women’s Basketball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, is right around the corner, beginning with four quarterfinal matchups slated for tomorrow night.

The top-four seeds (based upon finish in the regular-season standings) will host quarterfinal round matchups at 7 p.m. local time, with the highest remaining seeds hosting the lowest remaining seeds in each of the subsequent rounds.

#8 Multnomah at #1 Eastern Oregon – La Grande, Ore.

Multnomah (11-17, 7-13 CCC) will look to pull off an upset in La Grande, coming into postseason play as the conference eight seed. Led by fifth-year head coach Tim Bieri, the Lions boast a number of talented players. Followers of the tournament should keep an eye on Sequoia Wheeler in particular, who has established herself as one of the conference’s most talented shooters, averaging 15.9 points per game as a constant threat from deep.

Eastern Oregon (25-3, 19-1 CCC) enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after dropping just one game during its 2018-19 conference regiment. Currently ranked No. 9 in the NAIA, the Mountaineers are led by one of the nation’s top all-around players, Maya Ah You Dias. The reigning CCC Player of the year tops all scorers in the CCC with 22.6 points per game, while also averaging 9.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

The Mountaineers swept the teams’ two regular-season duals, defeating Multnomah 77-57 in game one and 84-38 in the latter face-off.

#7 Northwest at #2 Corban – Salem, Ore.

Northwest (11-19, 8-12 CCC) comes into the tournament as the seventh seed, hoping to play spoiler in Salem against No. 2-seeded Corban. The Eagles, led by head coach Ken Crawford, will undoubtedly look to utilize Miranda Langenhorst, who has proven to be one of the CCC’s most dangerous weapons throughout the 2018-19 season. Langenhorst blends size with scoring, leading the conference in rebounding (10.9 per game) and ranking eighth in scoring (12.8 PPG), the only member of the CCC to average a double-double.

Corban (16-4, 22-8 CCC) is ranked No. 19 in the NAIA, thanks in large part to a strong core of talented veterans. The Warriors are led offensively by one of the CCC’s top scorers, Jordan Woodvine. The junior guard is averaging 17.8 points per game, the second-highest mark in the conference. Treasure Farmer, the CCC’s leader in assists (5.4 assists per game) should also play a key role as Corban’s offensive facilitator in the upcoming matchup.

The Warriors and Eagles matched up twice during the regular season, with Corban sweeping the regular-season series. On December 29, the Warriors downed the Eagles in Kirkland, 79-66; Corban completed the series sweep with a 59-50 win on January 26.

#6 Warner Pacific at #3 Oregon Tech – Klamath Falls, Ore.

Warner Pacific (15-12, 11-9 CCC) enters the tournament as the sixth overall seed, though the Knights possess the conference’s second-highest scoring offense, averaging 72.8 points a game. The Knights, helmed by Matt Gregg in his 11th year, are spearheaded offensively by dual threat Deepika Kapil. Kapil is a proven scorer, averaging 11 points per game in 2018-19, and an elite rebounder, notching an average of 7.7 boards.

Oregon Tech (22-8, 16-4 CCC) possesses a suffocating defense, limiting opponents to a CCC-best mark of just 60 points a game. One of the hottest squads in the NAIA, the Lady Owls enter postseason play on a scorching tear of 12-straight wins. Defense is key to the Owls’ success, as not one member of the Oregon Tech roster stands in the top-20 of the conference in scoring. Instead, the Owls elect for a more balanced offensive approach, with Nohea Waiwaiole (10.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG) and Abby Kreiser (10.1 PPG) leading the way.

Warner Pacific claimed game one of the season series, defeating the Owls 62-58 on December 30. The Owls began their 12-game win streak not long after, claiming game two in another close contest on January 25, 65-63.

#5 College of Idaho at #4 Southern Oregon – Ashland, Ore.

In a battle of two of the CCC’s biggest institutions, College of Idaho (15-13, 11-9 CCC) will look to come out on top of the must-watch matchup. Alyssa Case and Madison Holly are the Yotes’ two top scorers, with both averaging 11.4 points per game. Case is also one of the CCC’s top rebounders, notching 7.7 per contest during the season. Yote guard Mackenzie Royce will look to facilitate the offense, coming into postseason play averaging 4.5 assists during the campaign.

Southern Oregon (16-10, 12-8 CCC) claims the third-best offense in the conference, tallying 72.5 PPG in 2018-19. Destinee Jones and Syd Fryer are both top-10 rebounders in the CCC, averaging 6.6 and 6.3 boards per game, respectively. Ariel Augustine ranks fifth in the conference in points per game, finishing the regular season with an average of 14 PPG. The Raiders have four representatives in the top-20 of the CCC in scoring, making them one of the deepest and most balanced offensive lineups in the conference.

The two teams split their two regular season battles in 2018-19, with Southern Oregon claiming game one in Caldwell and College of Idaho taking game two on the road in Ashland.

A complete schedule for the upcoming tournament can be seen below, all quarterfinal games will tip off at 7 p.m. local time.

Quarterfinals – Tuesday, February 19 (All times 7 p.m. local)

#8 Multnomah at #1 Eastern Oregon
#7 Northwest at #2 Corban
#6 Warner Pacific at #3 Oregon Tech
#5 College of Idaho at #4 Southern Oregon

Semifinals – Friday, February 22

Highest remaining seeds host lowest remaining seeds

Championship - Monday, February 25

Highest remaining seed hosts lowest remaining seed (Broadcasted on ROOT Sports)

Press release provided from the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

Lady Owls Host Quarterfinal Game

WHAT
#3 Oregon Tech Lady Owls
vs
#6 Warner Pacific Knights

WHEN
7:00 PM, Tuesday,
February 19, 2019

WHERE
Danny Miles Court, Oregon Tech

TICKETS
General Admission, $8
Reserved, $13
Student, $2
Senior/Military/Alumni, $5
Purchase Tickets