Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer
Six women’s basketball teams will be eligible for the GNAC conference championships at the end of the season that are to be played from March 1-3, and there’s only one spot available. The playoffs are now in sight for the Western Oregon women’s basketball team.
The reason the team is in this position right now is because of a strong showing last week. After squeaking out a 65-62 win against Concordia on Feb. 13, the team was able to generate newfound momentum. Facing a schedule filled with must-win situations, last Saturday’s game on Feb. 17 against GNAC championship qualifier Montana State Billings may have been the biggest win of the season. While trailing by seven at the start of the fourth quarter, with the season possibly on the line, the Wolves responded forcefully. Outscoring the Yellowjackets by 19 in the final 10 minutes, the team secured a 77-65 win.
Though the Wolves do have a shot at making the playoffs, they do not control their own destiny. A couple key games this week around the conference will be another deciding factor. Four teams are currently battling for the final spot with two games left. As it stands right now, if Western Washington wins both games next week, the three teams sitting one game back have zero shot of the final GNAC conference tournament.
The Wolves’s next game will be on the road against the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Feb. 22. After starting 16-3, the Falcons have hit a rough patch, going 3-3 in the month of February. On Feb. 24, the team finishes out the regular season against Saint Martin’s. This game may be the biggest one of the season. If everything falls correctly for the Wolves, the game against the Saints (3-15 conference record) will serve as a win or go home situation in their last chance to grab the 6th GNAC conference championship spot. With a conference record of 7-11, Western is currently trailing Western Washington by one game for the last conference tournament spot. With three other teams tied with the Wolves, the last few games will be crucial to earn a spot to play in the GNAC championships.Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu
Photo by: wouwolves.com
