Warriors Weather Storm Against Clackamas to Land in NWAC Final Four
Magnuson and Fraas Carry the Load for Warriors in Elite Eight Victory
Walla Walla, WA. - Coach Bobbi Hazeltine and the Warriors had their hands full with the Cougars of Clackamas Community College early on in Game 2 of the 2024-2025 NWAC Women's Basketball Championship tournament. A year ago, the 2023-2024 NWAC Championship Tournament saw these two programs square off in the Sweet 16 where the Warriors pulled out the close victory after a low-scoring, back-and-forth kind of game.
It was more of the same this time around, with neither team breaking 60 points in the contest. Both teams got out to a quick start and neither team could find separation early on in the game. After the first quarter of play, Clackamas led by a single point, 15-14. It was more of the same in the second, with Freshman Hadley Fraas picking up the slack for the Warriors. In the second quarter alone, Hadley Fraas racked up 7 points and 3 rebounds in just 8 minutes of action. The Cougars out together another 15-point quarter to take a 30-27 lead into halftime.
The third quarter of play started and Coach Hazeltine's halftime adjustments proved to be key as the Warriors found themselves back in the driver's seat after holding the Cougars to just 7 points in the third quarter. The 10-point, comeback quarter by the Warriors was fueled by great defense, Brielle Magnuson, and Sidnee Geerdes. Magnuson and Geerdes both tallied 4 points in the quarter while Geerdes added 5 rebounds to go with in just 7 minutes of play.
After the bounce back quarter from the Warriors, the score was tied 37-37 heading into the final quarter. Coach Hazeltine and the Warriors stuck to their defensive adjustments, holding the Cougars to just 7 more points in the game while putting together a 20-point fourth quarter to stamp the victory and put themselves into the NWAC Final Four. Brielle Magnuson outscored the Cougars in the fourth quarter alone, with 9 of her 23 points coming when the Warriors needed it most. Magnuson finished the game with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds, while also adding 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Hadley Fraas finished the game with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and three steals.
The Warriors will now be up against the Riverhawks of Umpqua Community College in the 2024-2025 NWAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Final Four game on Saturday, March 15th, 2025, at Columbia Basin College at 2:00P.
