This week in Beacon athletics, men's and women's basketball starts Cascade Conference action, Grant Kaminer competes in the NAIA Marathon Classic, and the Fortnite playoffs roll on.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday 12/6 vs. Multnomah Campus of Jessup University, 5:30 pm
Saturday 12/7 vs. Warner Pacific, 3:00 pm
 
THIS WEEK: Bushnell opens up their Cascade Collegiate Conference slate against the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University and Warner Pacific University.
 
LAST WEEK: The Beacons (1-4) finished off their gauntlet of a non-conference schedule in Montana, where they fell at the hands of No. 9 Carroll, 71-45, and No. 6 Providence, 62-48.
 
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK: The Beacons have been picked to finish sixth in the Cascade Conference this season. The CCC front-runner, Southern Oregon, is undefeated (6-0) and ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Coaches Poll. Lewis-Clark State is also 6-0 and currently ranked No. 14. Oregon Tech (4-2) is receiving votes in the national poll.
 
The Beacons are currently 11th in the CCC in scoring, averaging 58.4 points per game, and tenth defensively, allowing 69.6 points per game during their tough non-conference schedule.
 
Ayden Krupke leads the team, averaging 14.6 points per game which ranks third in the CCC.
 
MULTNOMAH: The Lions are off to a 3-4 start to their season and won their conference opener against Warner Pacific last week, 73-51. They are riding a three-game winning streak after dropping four straight to begin the season.
 
Averaging 61.9 points per game, MCJU ranks seventh in the conference offensively. They allow 63.1 ppg, which ranks eighth. Jersey Huerta currently leads the Cascade Conference in scoring, averaging 16.9 points per game, and she is second in the CCC with 36.7 minutes played per game.
 
The Beacons are 17-2 all-time against the Lions and riding a ten-game winning streak in the series dating back to 2020.
 
WARNER PACIFIC: The Knights have started the season with a 3-2 record and lost their CCC opener to Multnomah, 73-51.
 
WPU sits sixth in the CCC for scoring, averaging 63.6 points per game and they are third defensively, allowing just 57.6 ppg. They are also third in the conference with a .408 field goal percentage and they are holding opponents to a conference-best .333 FG percentage.
 
Currently, Skylar Groesbeck leads the Knights in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game which ranks 19th in the CCC.
 
The Beacons are 22-17 all-time against WPU after the teams split their home-and-home series last year with each team winning at home, including a 68-49 victory for the Beacons in Eugene. In that game, Libby Mathis flirted with a triple-double, scoring 26 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists. 

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday 12/6 vs. Multnomah, 7:30 pm
Saturday 12/7 vs. Warner Pacific, 5:00 pm
 
THIS WEEK: At 4-2 on the season, the Beacons look to carry their positive momentum into the conference season with CCC games against Multnomah and Warner Pacific this weekend.
 
LAST WEEK: The Beacons ended their conference slate with a tough 81-79 loss to Simpson University that came on the heels of a strong victory over Hope International, a team receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches Poll.
 
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK: After finishing eighth in 2024, the Beacons have been picked to finish seventh in the Cascade Conference this season. The College of Idaho, who was picked to win the CCC for the fourth straight season, is 4-1 and ranked fourth in the NAIA. LC State is also 4-1 and currently 21st in the nation while Oregon Tech is 25th (3-2). Southern Oregon is currently receiving votes.
 
The Beacons are currently third in the CCC in scoring, averaging 87.7 points per game, and sixth defensively, allowing 73.0 ppg. Bushnell is also second in the CCC in steals, averaging 8.7 per game, and hold a conference-best +7.33 turnover margin.
 
Cory Johnson leads the Beacons and is seventh in the CCC in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. Turner Livingston ranks second in the conference for three-point shooting, hitting 52.9% of his attempts, and Roy Bunn is fourth in the CCC with a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
MULTNOMAH: The schedule has definitely worked in the Lions favor early this season as they are currently 5-1 with their four non-conference wins coming against teams that are a combined 6-26 on the season. The do come in off the heels of a 71-70 victory over previously undefeated Warner Pacific in their conference opener last week.
 
MCJU is fourth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 85.8 points per game, and fourth defensively with 70.3 ppg allowed. They lead the conference with 8.8 steals per game and are third with 15.3 assists per contest. Keilan Torkornoo leads the Lions and is fourth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game.
 
Bushnell is 19-5 against Multnomah, dating back to the 2005 season, and swept the season series last year, winning 99-77 and 103-76.
 
WARNER PACIFIC: The Knights are off to a strong start to their season, having gone 4-0 in the preseason before dropping a 71-70 loss to Multnomah in their conference opener last week. Matt Solomon leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game which ranks second in the CCC.
 
WPU ranks ninth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 75.2 points per game and they are second in the CCC defensively, allowing just 64 ppg.
 
The Knights hold a 39-18 margin in the all-time series with the Beacons, which dates back to 1990. The Beacons have won four of the last five meetings, however, including a season-sweep last season.

MARATHON

Sunday 12/8 – NAIA Marathon Classic
 
Senior Grant Kaminer will compete this Sunday morning in the California International Marathon, as part of the NAIA Marathon Classic, along with 50 other men's runners from around the NAIA.
 
For more information, read all about the marathon and Coach Kyle Will's involvement with this emerging sport.

ESPORTS 

Thursday 12/5 – Fortnite, 5:00 pm
 
Bushnell Fortnite played in four zero-build trio tournaments during the regular season, earning points each week with the goal of finishing among the top 33 by the end of the fourth tournament. The Beacons had a slow start, placing 47th in the first tournament, but improved their standing each week to move up to 27th place on the leaderboard after the final tournament. There were a total of 111 teams registered to compete.
 
Thursday's playoff tournament will have almost an identical format to the previous four with the only difference being in scoring. Instead of two points per elimination, teams will earn four points. At the end of five matches, the fall season winner will be determined by points earned via placement and eliminations. Nathan Farris, Grayson Bolanos, Nick McGowen and Lauren Cazares make up the Fortnite team.
 
The matches can be watched at twitch.tv/bushnellesports.