NW Colleges: UPS women clinch No. 2 seed and home playoff game

With a game-high 25 points, Emily Sheldon all but wrapped up the Northwest Conference scoring title Friday night for the University of Puget Sound women.

The Loggers also wrapped up a conference postseason tournament home game next week as well.

UPS clinched the No. 2 seed with a convincing 82-59 victory over visiting Whitworth at Memorial Fieldhouse in Tacoma.

The Loggers (17-7, 12-3) have now won five games in a row heading into their regular-season finale Saturday at home against Whitman.

Sheldon, a senior from Portland, tallied her 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting. She scored nine points in the opening quarter as the Loggers ran up the score to a 26-8 late in the first quarter.

Samone Jackson added 16 points, and Alexis Noren chipped in with 15 for UPS.

Noren (20.0 points per game) led Whitworth’s KC McConnell (19.7 ppg) for the NWC scoring lead. McConnell scored just 13 points against the Loggers.

Whitman 97, at Pacific Lutheran 90 (3 OT): Chelsi Brewer’s 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining in the third overtime capped a decisive 5-0 run by the Missionaries (17-6, 10-5 NWC), and Whitman won in Parkland.

PLU’s Megan Abdo hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the game, 68-all, at the end of regulation. Ionna Price led the Lutes (9-15, 5-10) with 21 points.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Whitworth 67, at UPS 65: George Valle’s putback basket with one second to go gave the third-ranked Pirates (23-1, 14-1 NWC) a wild victory in Tacoma.

Valle also tied the game, 65-65, on a layup with 39 seconds to go.

The Loggers (13-11, 8-7) held a 57-48 lead midway through the second half.

Carlos Mancasola led UPS with 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 10:29 PM with the headline "NW Colleges: UPS women clinch No. 2 seed and home playoff game."