Women’s basketball defies expectations in NWC tournament to cap off a great season

The women’s basketball team upheld a legacy of success in the 2013-2014 season, making it to the first round of the Northwest Conference Championships.
The Loggers have made it to the NWC Championships in eight of the past nine seasons.
The Loggers played 26 games this season and finished with an overall record of 16-10 and a 9-7 record in conference.
This was the women’s best overall season since the 2010-2011 season when they won 18 of their 26 total games and had a conference record of 11-5. The Loggers set the school’s highest winning percentage in the historic 2010-2011 season.
On Feb. 27 the Loggers took on the undefeated Whitman Missionaries in the semifinal round of the NWC Championships. Whitman is currently ranked first in the nation.
The Loggers started their game in Walla Walla strong. Senior Taylor Jones (Keizer, Ore.) kicked off the game with a three-point shot only 37 seconds into the game. The final score of the game was 77-60.
Three women from the basketball team received Northwest Conference honors when the All-Northwest Conference team was named Feb. 25.
Junior Amanda Forshay (Moraga, Calif.) was named First Team following an impressive season. Forshay leads the NWC in three pointers, averaging 42.9 of her shots.
She also ranks in the top 10 for the NWC in field goals, free throws and rebounds. Forshay was also named NWC Student-Athlete of the Week on the Feb. 25.
“It was a really exciting moment,” Forshay said when asked about being named to the All-NWC team. “I’m honored to be selected to an all conference team with some of the best players in the conference.”
Junior Katy Ainslie (Redmond, Wash.) and sophomore Emily Sheldon (Portland Ore.) both received All-NWC Honorable Mentions for the 2013-2014 season. Ainslie was second on the women’s team for rebounds and set a career high of 30 points in a game on Feb. 15 against Willamette.
Sheldon started every game this season and is in the top 10 in the NWC for assists and steals. Sheldon was the second highest in scoring for women’s basketball in the 2013-2014 season. She averaged 12.2 points a game and had a high season high of 24 points against Eastern Oregon in November. This is the first postseason honor for both Sheldon and Ainslie.
“I know that personally, I’ve never been more excited to start a season. I want it to start tomorrow,” Sheldon said. “Our team has so much potential for next year. Although we’re losing two amazing seniors, I think we’re going to practically start off exactly where we left off when the season starts next year without having to take any steps backwards.”
The game against Whitman on Feb. 27 also marks the end of Logger athletics for two seniors. Jones and Kristine Miller (Orinda, Calif.) wrapped up four successful seasons playing for Puget Sound.
The Loggers ended their season fourth in the Northwest Conference and will come back for another successful year in the 2014-2015 season when Sheldon, Ainslie and Forshay return to the Memorial Fieldhouse with the rest of the Logger women.