CORVALLIS, Ore. – After an abnormal year where only two teams were allowed to compete in the traditional season and the rest played in the Spring, the Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s basketball schedule is back to as normal as possible.
Bushnell University was picked to take the crown for the third year in a row with 10 first-place votes as the 2021-22 CCC Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll was released Tuesday morning.
The Beacons (142 points) won the 2021 Spring Championship with an 11-2 overall and 9-1 conference record. Bushnell returns all but one starter, bringing back 13 players in total, including 2020 CCC Player of the Year Morgan McKinney and 2021 CCC Freshman of the Spring Aly Mirabile.
Eastern Oregon University grabbed one first-place vote and 127 total points to sit second on the poll after taking second in the spring season. Like the Beacons, the Mountaineers lose just one starter and return a total of 11 players to the mix. 2021 CCC Player of the Spring Beverly Slater looks to lead the Mounties to contend for the title.
Lewis-Clark State College was one of two schools capable of playing during the traditional basketball season and picked up one first-place vote for 114 points to take third on the poll. The Warriors won the 2020-21 playoff to grab the CCC’s bid to NAIA nationals and upset Carroll College to advance to the Round of 16. LC State loses its core group from last year, but still looks to fight for its second CCC title.
Oregon Tech picked up 104 points to sit in fourth on the poll and return all but one starter, including first-team All-CCC selection Abby Kreiser. Southern Oregon University rounded out the top five on the poll with 97 points after opting out of the 2021 season. The Raiders return four starters from the 2019-20 season where they took third in the conference.
Corban University (82 points), Northwest University (70 points), Warner Pacific University (65 points), College of Idaho (56 points) and The Evergreen State College (35 points) fill in spots six through 10 on the poll. Multnomah University (25 points) and Walla Walla University (19 points) close out the final two spots.
The CCC conference season begins on Nov. 23, with the CCC Women’s Basketball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, tipping off on Feb. 22 at campus sites. The championship game will play out on Feb. 28, with the winner grabbing the CCC’s second AQ.
2021-22 CCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Bushnell University (10) |
142 |
| 2. Eastern Oregon University (1) |
127 |
| 3. Lewis-Clark State College (1) |
114 |
| 4. Oregon Tech |
104 |
| 5. Southern Oregon University |
97 |
| 6. Corban University |
82 |
| 7. Northwest University |
70 |
| 8. Warner Pacific University |
65 |
| 9. College of Idaho |
56 |
| 10. The Evergreen State College |
35 |
| 11. Multnomah University |
25 |
| 12. Walla Walla University |
19 |
