SALEM, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University women's basketball team, will close out the regular season on Friday night, traveling to the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center to take on rival Corban University. NCU has secured the #8 seed for the upcoming CCC tournament, beginning this Tuesday.

LAST TIME
NCU hosted the Warriors on December 3rd in the first CCC game of the season. Corban took home the victory in that contest, 78-73. After trailing by ten points at the break, the Northwest Christian University women's basketball team made a late charge to get within two points in the final minute but ran out of interstate.

NCU was led by Lori Renner (pictured) who scored 18 points before fouling out. Hope Williams posted a double-double, scoring 17 points with ten rebounds as she shot 8-for-16 from the field. Martha Taylor finished the night with ten points and four assists, adding two blocked shots. Lindsey Shearer led the team with five assists. Northwest Christian shot 40% and hit eight three-pointers.

Corban was led by Katie Steigleman, scoring a game-high 24 points along with team highs of eight rebounds and four steals. Tess Bennett scored 16 points before fouling out and Buhler added 15 points and a game-high five blocked shots. Jennesa Miller led all players with nine assists, but also had nine turnovers in the game. The Warriors had 27 turnovers as a team and out-rebounded the Beacons 38-31.

CORBAN CAPSULE
Among the CCC statistical leaders, Corban leads the league in points per game in conference play with an average of 73.3 points per game but ranks second overall in scoring with an average of 74.3 points per contest. The Warriors are also the leaders in assists (472), assists per game (17.48), and blocked shots (113). Corban ranked sixth among all NAIA Division II teams in assists and assists per game, while sitting among the Top 20 teams in the nation in blocks (15th), total rebounds (19th - 1,140), and blocks per game (20th - 4.19).

Individually, Katie Steigleman leads the CCC in scoring during conference games, averaging 18.5 ppg. Tess Bennett follows in sixth place, at 13.3 ppg. Overall, Steigleman is second in the CCC and 12th in the NAIA D.II in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game.

WHAT IS AT STAKE
The Beacons will be looking to avoid a season sweep to their rivals, something that has not happened since 2007. The teams have split their season series in each of the past three seasons. NCU won't be at risk of looking ahead to the playoffs because their first round opponent is up in the air, and will be until the final regular-season games are played on Saturday night. Concordia, Northwest, and Corban could each win the CCC regular-season championship, with the seedings coming down to tie-breakers.

Corban is currently 12-5 in the CCC and sits just a half game out of first place. A win on Friday night, coupled by at least one loss for both teams ahead of them (Concordia and Northwest), and the Warriors will be looking at a share of their first CCC Championship in four years.