Bearcats to Battle Pioneers at Lewis & Clark on Tuesday

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- After playing the top four teams in the Northwest Conference women's basketball standings, including three nationally ranked opponents, the Willamette University Bearcats will take on Lewis & Clark College on Tuesday, Jan. 13 in Portland, Ore. Game time for the NWC match-up at the Pamplin Sports Center is set for 6 p.m. (PST).

Willamette is 5-8 on the season and 0-4 in the NWC. Lewis & Clark enters the game with a matching 5-8 overall record. The Pioneers are 2-2 in the NWC.

Action from Tuesday's game will be available on Live Video and Live Stats provided by Lewis & Clark.

The Bearcats have two players who are averaging in double figures this season. They are Jojo DeLong (Sr., PG, Santa Clarita, CA/Canyon HS) and guard Kylie Towry (Fr., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS).

DeLong is averaging 13.1 points per game and ranks second on the team with 30 three-point baskets. She has averaged 5.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. She is seventh in the NWC in scoring and leads the Bearcats with 32.5 minutes played per contest.

Towry ranks first in the NWC with 3.2 three-point baskets per game and is second in the conference with 45.7% three-point accuracy. She has connected on 42 of 92 three-point attempts. Towry is averaging 11.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She is shooting 86.7% (13 of 15) at the free throw line.

Katie Kalugin (Sr., G, Woodburn, OR/Woodburn HS) is averaging just below double digits in scoring with 9.7 points per game. She leads the Bearcats with 6.5 rebounds per game.

Also for the Bearcats, Marisa Hamilton (Fr., Beaverton, OR/Southridge HS) has been playing very well in NWC action. She is averaging 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in Willamette's four conference games. She scored a career-high 12 points against George Fox University on Jan. 10. For the season, she tops Willamette with 48.8% field goals shooting.

Willamette ranks first in the NWC with 97 three-point baskets for an average of 7.5 three-pointers per contest. The Bearcats have taken 313 three-point shots.

Lewis & Clark is led by Ayisat Afolabi (So., F) with 13.5 points per game. She is listed fifth in the NWC in scoring. Afolabi has shot a team-high 45.8% from the field and leads the Pioneers with 7.8 rebounds per game.

Casey Zinn (Sr., F) ranks second for L&C in scoring with 8.9 points per contest and is second with 6.7 rebounds per game. Sarah Anderson (Jr., G) adds 7.2 points per game and tops the squad with 25 assists in 13 games (1.9 avg.). Lauren Wood (Fr., F) has provided 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest.

The Pioneers are averaging 51.9 points per game and have allowed 58.3 points per contest. They enter Tuesday's action with a two-game winning streak after defeating Pacific University, 57-55 in overtime, on Jan. 9, and downing Pacific Lutheran University, 67-60, on Jan. 10.

After playing at L&C on Tuesday, the Bearcats will be in action again on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Pacific Lutheran. Game time in Parkland, Wash., is set for 4 p.m. (PST).