Willamette to Host Concordia in Season Opener on Nov. 18

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University will begin the 2011-12 women's basketball regular season by hosting Concordia University (Ore.) on Friday, Nov. 18 at Cone Field House. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. (PST). Concordia, which competes in the NAIA, is 1-2 on the season. Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III.

Live Stats will be available, allowing fans to follow the progress of the game as well as statistics. Please note that there will not be a webcast of the game.

Willamette, along with Full Access Sports, will be providing webcasts of all the Northwest Conference games involving the Bearcats, but will not be webcasting non-conference games. The first webcast for 2011-12 will be during the NWC opener against Pacific Lutheran University on Friday, Dec. 2.

The Bearcats enter the season with eight returning players, including two starters.

Kaileigh Westermann (Sr., F, Belfair, WA/South Kitsap HS) is the top returning scorer, after averaging 11.4 points per game. She also averaged 9.0 rebounds per game to lead the Bearcats, while ranking third in the Northwest Conference.

Maya McFaddin (Sr., Wing, McMinnville, OR/McMinville HS) averaged 4.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Westermann played in all 23 games with 22 starts. McFaddin saw action in 22 games and received 21 starts. They are two of this year's three seniors. The remaining senior is Dora Rabih (F, Denver, CO/John F. Kennedy HS). Rabih received playing time in 21 game in 2010-11 after transferring from Arizona Western College.

Other top returning players for the Bearcats are Sophie Wilson (Jr., G, Port Townsend, WA/Port Townsend HS), MacKenzie Lamson (So., Wing, Portland, OR/Lincoln HS) and Breanne Faehnrich (So., G, Newcastle, WA/Liberty HS).

Wilson played in all 23 games in 2010-11 and provided the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in Willamette's 58-57 victory over Pacific University on Feb. 5, 2011. Lamson saw action in 21 games, while averaging 5.3 points per contest. Faehnrich also competed in 21 games. She shot 76.2% at the free throw line (16 of 21).

The Bearcats are in their third season under Head Coach Anne Lapray. This year, Lapray has a group of nine freshmen who will join the eight returning players. Most of the freshmen are very athletic and will compete for significant playing time.

Willamette hopes that the experience of its returning squad members, plus the skills of its freshmen, will combine for success as the season progresses. In addition, the increased depth will allow the Bearcats to have more flexibility in their offensive and defensive sets.

In 2010-11, Willamette was 3-20 overall and 2-14 in the NWC (9th place). The Bearcats held opponents to 74.7 points per game, including nine games in which WU allowed 70 points or less.