The Bushnell basketball teams return home to take on Northwest University and The Evergreen State College in Cascade Collegiate Conference action.  

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday 1/17 vs. Northwest, 5:00 pm
Saturday 1/18 vs. Evergreen, 3:00 pm
 
THIS WEEK: After breaking a seven-game losing streak, the Beacons (5-11, 4-6 CCC) will try and keep the momentum going as they wrap up the first half of the Cascade Conference schedule against a pair of teams that are below them in the CCC standings in Northwest and Evergreen.
 
LAST WEEK: Bushnell was on the road in Idaho and Washington, coming away with a split as they fell to then-No. 13 LC State, 71-50, before knocking off Walla Walla, 63-52.  
 
In the win, freshman Ellis Mastel led the way, scoring 16 points with ten rebounds as the Beacons picked up their first week since mid-December. Bushnell shot a season-high 46.3% from the field. Libby Mathis also had a double-double in the game with 12 points and ten boards, while Ayden Krupke finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, along with a team-highs of four assists and three steals.
 
MILESTONE WATCH: Libby Mathis continues to break records and has a strong chance to capture Bushnell's rebounding career triple crown as early as Friday. The fifth-year senior is already the career record holder for offensive and total rebounds and with 18 more defensive rebounds will set a new record there as well. Mathis also recently moved the top-five on Bushnell's all-time scoring list. She has 1,147 points and is less than 100 away from moving into third-place all-time.
 
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK: As we close in on the midway point of the CCC circuit, one team remains the gold standard as No. 4 Southern Oregon University is undefeated at 15-0, including a 9-0 record in the conference. Oregon Tech (12-3, 8-1) is in second-place, followed by No. 19 Lewis-Clark State (14-2, 8-2).
 
Bushnell is tied with Corban for sixth-place in the CCC. The Beacons are tenth in the CCC in scoring (56.4 ppg) and seventh in defense (65.5 ppg allowed). Bushnell is sixth in the CCC in rebounding, averaging 37.1 boards per game, but that includes 12.1 offensive rebounds per contest which ranks second.
 
With 13.5 points per game, Libby Mathis is currently seventh in the CCC in scoring, and also sits in seventh for rebounding at 7.8 rpg. With 19 blocks, she is third in the CCC in that category.
 
NORTHWEST: The Eagles (4-11, 3-6) are one game behind the Beacons in the conference standings. They come into the weekend riding a four-game losing streak, having last won against Warner Pacific back on December 21. They are 1-7 away from Kirkand.
 
Northwest is currently eighth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 59.7 points per game and they are last on defense, allowing 78.7 ppg. The Beacons will look to take advantage of the Eagles on the glass as they are being out-rebounding by an average of over seven boards per game this season.
 
Kimberly Carrada San leads the Eagles and is fourth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game. Kaleah Medeiros is close behind in eighth, averaging 13.4 ppg while Ellie De Waard is third in the conference in rebounding, averaging 8.7 boards per contest.  
 
The Beacons are 18-15 all-time against the Eagles and have won nine of the last ten meetings. Over the past two seasons the Beacons have won all four contests, by an average of 13.5 points per game.
 
EVERGREEN: The Geoducks (2-9, 2-7) recently ended a seven-game losing streak of their own as they upset The College of Idaho at home last Saturday, 55-52.
 
Evergreen is currently last in the CCC in scoring, averaging 53.3 points per game. They are sixth defensively, allowing 64.1 ppg, and the are fourth for opponent field goal percentage at 37.3%. The Geoducks are second in the conference in blocking, averaging 4.8 per game, but most of that comes from just one person as Jalyn Sackrider averages 3.8 by herself. This leads the conference and is ranked second in the NAIA.
 
Sackrider is also second in the CCC in rebounding (10.9 rpg) and 14th in the scoring (12.0 ppg). Sydney VanNess is the top scorer for the Geoducks, averaging 13.7 points per game.
 
The Beacons are 20-14 all-time against the Geoducks and have won 15 of the last 16 meetings. Evergreen, however, stole a win in Eugene last season, 64-57, breaking a 14-game winning streak for Bushnell. Sackrider scored 17 points and eight rebounds in that game.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday 1/17 vs. Northwest, 7:00 pm
Saturday 1/18 vs. Evergreen, 5:00 pm
 
THIS WEEK: The Beacons look to keep their momentum going as they round out the first-half of the CCC circuit at home against Northwest University and Evergreen, a pair of teams who have combined to go 3-24 this season.
 
LAST WEEK: The Beacons had a huge weekend on the road, pulling out a sweep as they defeated then-No. 15-ranked LC State and Walla Walla.  
Bushnell snagged their first-ever win in Lewiston, knocking off the Warriors 89-78. The Beacons ended a six-game losing streak, shooting 54% from the field while holding LCSC to 3-for-19 shooting from three-point range. Cory Johnson led the Beacons with 18 points, adding ten rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
 
Squeeky Johnson hit six three-pointers including a pair of clutch late buckets as the Beacons held off Walla Walla on Saturday, 88-80. Johnson finished with 25 points while Kaleb Burnett posted 16 points and six rebounds.
 
MILESTONE WATCH: Senior Luke Smith, who is closing in on Bushnell's career record for three-point attempts, has also moved into the top-five all-time for three-pointers made. He has 144 and needs five to move past Michael Loomis into third place. He is also just 13 treys away from passing former three-year teammate Stevie Schlabach for second-place.
 
CONFERENCE OUTLOOK: Approaching the mid-way point of the CCC schedule, No. 5-ranked College of Idaho (14-2, 8-1) is at the top of the standings, holding a half-game lead over RV Oregon Tech. Lewis-Clark State is third with an 8-2 mark.
 
The Beacons are currently tied for eighth-place with Warner Pacific. Bushnell is fifth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 80.2 points per game, and they are ninth defensively, allowing 78.6 ppg.
 
Cory Johnson leads the Beacons and is fifth in the CCC in scoring, averaging 16.1 points per game. He also leads the CCC with a .898 free-throw shooting percentage.  He is shooting .935 since the beginning of December. Luke Smith isn't far behind, sitting third in the CCC at 87.8%.
 
NORTHWEST: The Eagles (2-13, 1-8) have lost six straight games heading into the weekend. Their lone CCC win came against Walla Walla, while they also picked up a road win in the non-conference schedule against Carroll.   
 
The Eagles are 11th in the CCC in scoring, averaging 65.9 points per game and they are tenth in defense, allowing 79.9 ppg. That 14-points per game discrepancy is also tenth in the conference. A bright spot for NU has been on defense as they lead the conference in blocked shots, averaging 3.5 per game.
 
The top scorer for Northwest is Nash Wobrock, averaging 12.7 points per game which ranks 17th in the CCC. Tay Aubry-Thomas is second in the CCC in blocks (1.0 bpg) and seventh in rebounds (7.5 rpg).
 
Bushnell is 19-15 all-time against the Eagles and are riding a five-game winning streak in the series. The Beacons are 14-4 dating back to 2015.
 
EVERGREEN: The Geoducks (1-11, 1-8 CCC) have lost six straight games coming into the weekend, dating back to their lone win on December 10 against Northwest.
 
Evergreen is currently last in the CCC in scoring. Their 61 points per game is also ranked 223rd in the NAIA out of 224 teams. They are 11th in defense (88.3 ppg allowed). The silver lining for the Geoducks has come at the free-throw line where they are second in the CCC at 75.1%.
 
Bushnell is 22-12 in the all-time series with the Geoducks. The Beacons have won ten straight games, outside of a COVID-related forfeit in 2022, and are 18-1 on the court since 2013.