Back-to-back champions has a nice ring to it. It was a long road to get there, but the final result for the 2020-2021 Bushnell University women's basketball team was just that, a second straight Cascade Collegiate Conference championship.
 
This time, the Beacons claimed the CCC "Spring" Championship, having been unable to play during the regular basketball season. Lewis-Clark State was named the CCC winter champions back in February, earning a title that was contested by just two schools, LC State and The College of Idaho.
 
Schools in Oregon had to wait a while longer for the OHA to clear teams to get back into the gym and play, but once they did, it was full steam ahead for the Beacons. "I will never forget that first day of actual practice," said Head Coach Chad Meadors. "After months of non-contact, finally being able to get on the court for real was quite an experience. The really-this-is-happening look on our players faces was priceless and the excitement level was unimaginable."  
 
The Beacons can take pride in doing their part to get the CCC Oregon schools back on the court, having been strong advocates in newspaper columns, radio interviews, and at the door of the Governor's office, which culminated in the decision being made in February.
 
"Our players never gave up hope," said Meadors. "We had some tough moments throughout the year where uncertainty got the best of us but each time our players bounced back with added resilience. They pushed and advocated for a season and their persistence and pursuit paid off."
 
Without a post-season, the goal was simple: fight through a ten-game gauntlet against the five other CCC schools in Oregon, two games against each in the form of double-header weekends, and come out with the best record. First, what better way to start things off than with a pair of bonus non-conference games against the Beacons biggest challengers, perineal powerhouse Eastern Oregon University on a neutral floor.
 
The season opened on March 12 with the Beacons falling to the Mountaineers in Portland, 69-64. They bounced back the next night and defeated EOU 68-65. After that game, coach Meadors said, "Before last night, we had 380-something days that we hadn't played and it is just amazing to be back on the court. There is no substitution for playing games and we got to play a really good team out of the shoot."
 
The following weekend, Bushnell hit the road for Klamath Falls. The first CCC games were against Oregon Tech and the Owls snuck away with an 84-77 overtime win in the conference opener. Meadors said, "We put ourselves in a big hole early and didn't do a good job of coming out ready to battle."
 
Far from hitting the panic button, the Beacons responded with authority the next night. They defeated OIT 68-57 and went on to won seven more consecutive games by an average of 26 points. The team was 9-2 overall and 7-1 in the Cascade Conference, with just two games remaining: A pair at home against none other than the undefeated-in-conference Eastern Oregon Mounties.
 
The situation was simple: Sweep the weekend to win the CCC Spring Championship. The team came through an instant-classic battle on Friday night with a 76-72 victory. Kaylen Kamelamela scored a career-high 26 points including 14 points in the fourth quarter.
 
That set up a winner-take-all final game on Saturday, a game the Beacons won, 81-67. A relentless and stifling defense resulted in 13 steals for the Beacons, who finished the season on a ten-game winning streak.
 
Coach Meadors said, "It has just been such a pleasure to coach the group of kids that we have here at Bushnell. They care for and trust in each other and it really shows out on the floor. The depth that we have was clearly on display throughout the course of that last game. We have developed a robust group of players who are really talented.
 
"I love calling my players 'champs.' This season more than any, they overcame so much and grew as a team and as strong young women in a time that was limiting to the functions of a team. To overcome those obstacles and to win on the floor, dominate their academics, and crush life off the floor, they are true champions and I am so proud to be their coach."

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#6 - Leadership in the Pandemic
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#2 - Women's Basketball Repeats as CCC Champs
#1 - Character Focus Never Falters