The fifth annual classic returns this weekend.
LA GRANDE, Ore. -- The fifth annual Aramark Holiday Classic welcomes a pair of talented teams to join the Eastern Oregon University women's basketball team this weekend in La Grande.
NCAA Div. 3, Willamette University, and No. 8 in NAIA Div. 2, The College of Idaho, come to the Quinn Coliseum in search of victories. This year's classic will only feature two games, one Friday night and the other Saturday evening.
Willamette will begin its 2009-10 season at the classic. The Bearcats return six players from last season's 4-18 finish. WU finished 3-13 in the Northwest Conference which is home to defending NCAA Div. 3 national champion, George Fox, that ended 2008-09 with a 32-0 record. Willamette lost First Team All-West selection, Molly Fillion, to graduation. She led the NWC in scoring and rebounding.
The Bearcats were selected eighth out of the nine-team conference in the preseason league poll this year. Head coach Anne Lapray enters her first season with a mix of returning players and newcomers. Juniors Alex Zennan and Erin Barclay, and sophomore Maya McFaddin provide experience in the backcourt for the Bearcats. Zennan averaged 12.7 points per game last season, which was seventh in the conference.
In the paint, Willamette returns junior Keilyn Fujioka, senior Nicki Clowdsley, and sophomore Kaileigh Westermann. Clowdsley averaged 4.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a junior.
The College of Idaho was selected as the preseason favorites in the Cascade Collegiate Conference for the first time in the program's history. The ‘Yotes received four first place votes in the poll after two straight years picked second in the preseason poll.
It is the 12th-straight time that the Lady ‘Yotes have been ranked in the Top-25, dating back to last December. It marks the first time that The C of I has begun the season in the Top-25 since 2001 and is the highest preseason ranking for the Lady ‘Yotes since they were No. 6 to start the 2000-01 season – when they advanced to the NAIA Division II national title game.
The College of Idaho has had a rough start to its 2009-10 season. The ‘Yotes began their season with an exhibition loss at Northwest Nazarene University. COI then traveled to Salt Lake City to meet a trio of NAIA Div. 1 opponents beginning with No. 23 Carroll College. The C of I controlled the tempo of the game and defeated the Saints, 79-64. But the ‘Yotes then dropped the final two games of the Westminster Tournament with a 93-91 loss to Westminster, and a 78-67 defeat to Montana Western.
All-American guard, Nicole Gall, enters the classic averaging 19.67 points per game. The junior was selected the preseason conference player of the year after averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season. Nicole Bruce was named to the league’s preseason first team and averages 12 points per contest after three games.
Eastern Oregon University features three All-CCC preseason selections, Salena Leavitt, Tana Stickney, and Ashlee Michelson. The Mountaineers had mixed results from two road trips. EOU went 0-2 in Montana (losses to Montana Tech and Montana Western), but 2-0 in California (wins over Hope International and San Diego Christian College) to begin the season.
Both games will be video streamed through PennAtlantic.com and live stats can be followed on EOUSports.com.