SPOKANE, Wash. – The Lewis & Clark College men's basketball team returns to the Northwest Conference Tournament for the second straight year, marking back-to-back appearances for the first time since the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
For the second consecutive season, No. 4 Lewis & Clark will face No. 1 and NWC regular-season champion Whitworth University in the semifinals. Last season, the River Otters upset Whitworth 71-64 en route to their first NWC Tournament title since 2002.
FRIDAY'S MATCH-UP
#4 Lewis & Clark at #1 Whitworth
(Lewis & Clark 13-12, 9-7 Northwest)
(Whitworth 20-5, 14-2 Northwest)
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, February 27, 2026
Game 1: #3 Willamette vs. #2 Puget Sound, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2: #4 Lewis & Clark at #1 Whitworth, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Championship: Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for the semifinals and finals by clicking
here or downloading the HomeTown Ticketing Fan App.
Ticket Prices (per day):
- Adults: $15
- Senior (65+)/Active Duty Military: $10
- Non-NWC Students: $10
- Children Under 5: FREE
- NWC Students with Student ID: FREE
FOLLOW LIVE
Video and live stats will be available through the links at GoLCathletics.com.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Lewis & Clark and Whitworth met twice this season. On Jan. 17 at Pamplin Sports Center, the Pirates earned an 82-62 win. When the teams met again on Feb. 13 in Spokane, Whitworth held on for a 72-69 victory after the River Otters cut a 17-point second-half deficit to two in the final minutes.
SERIES HISTORY
Since the 1989-90 season, Lewis & Clark is 20-63 against Whitworth. The River Otters defeated the Pirates 71-64 in last season's NWC semifinal.
SCOUTING THE RIVER OTTERS
Lewis & Clark secured the fourth seed with a 92-83 win against Willamette on Senior Night. Senior
Andre Treadwell led five River Otters in double figures with a game-high 25 points. Fellow seniors
Taien Jackson (16),
Justin White and
Kody Uyesugi (11), along with junior
Yigit Arcan (13), joined him in double digits. Lewis & Clark held NWC leading scorer Tanner Overby to 15 points.
The River Otters lead the NWC in field goal percentage (47.4%) and 3-point percentage (39.6%) and are tied for first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39). Lewis & Clark averages 77.6 points per game and allows 76.2.
Lewis & Clark has hit 10 or more 3-pointers in 11 games this season, including a conference-high 19 against Pacific on Feb. 6. Treadwell (18.8 ppg), White (13.2 ppg) and sophomore
Marcus Bast (10.1 ppg) average double figures, while Uyesugi (9.8), Arcan (9.2) and Jackson (9.0) provide additional scoring depth.
Lewis & Clark is making its first consecutive NWC Tournament appearances since 2013-15 and its 19th overall appearance, the second most in conference history. The River Otters have won five NWC titles, including last season. They upset Whitworth in the semifinals before defeating Whitman 70-57 in the championship. Lewis & Clark became the first program other than Whitworth or Whitman to win the tournament since 2006.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Whitworth enters the tournament with a 20-5 overall record and a 14-2 conference mark.
The Pirates closed the regular season with a 76-63 win over Pacific Lutheran on Feb. 20 before falling 69-67 at Puget Sound, the tournament's No. 2 seed.
Whitworth ranks second in the NWC in scoring offense (82.0 ppg) and scoring defense (69.8 ppg) and leads the league in scoring margin (+12.2). The Pirates also lead the conference in field goal defense (38.4%), 3-point defense (29.9%), rebounds per game (43.5), defensive rebounds (30.6) and rebound margin (+8.2).
Stephen Behil leads the team with 16.6 points per game, followed by Colton Looney (12.2), Caden Bateman (12.1), Ben Nyquist (11.3) and Kobe Parlin (10.8). Bateman shoots 54.1% from the field, averages 7.9 rebounds and has 28 blocks.
Since the NWC introduced postseason play in 1994, Whitworth has appeared in 28 of 29 tournaments, played in 21 championship games and won 16 titles.
#3 WILLAMETTE VS. #2 PUGET SOUND
Puget Sound (17-9, 12-4 NWC) earned the No. 2 seed and enters on a four-game winning streak, including a 69-67 win over Whitworth to close the regular season. The Loggers are led by Zane Miller (13.2 ppg, 3.2 apg).
Willamette (15-10, 10-6 NWC) earned the No. 3 seed after defeating Pacific (83-69) and falling to Lewis & Clark (92-83) in the final week. The Bearcats are led by NWC scoring leader Tanner Overby (24.8 ppg).
The teams split the regular-season series, each winning on the road. Puget Sound won 93-63 on Jan. 10, and Willamette won 88-78 on Feb. 6.
Puget Sound is making its 11th postseason appearance and won the tournament in 2006. Willamette is making its ninth appearance and is seeking its third title, with its last coming in 2000.
WHAT'S NEXT
If Lewis & Clark defeats Whitworth, the River Otters will face the winner of Willamette vs. Puget Sound in Saturday's NWC Championship at 5 p.m. Lewis & Clark split the season series with both teams, defeating Puget Sound 67-64 on Jan. 31 and beating Willamette in the regular-season finale.
