TACOMA, Washington – Officially a top-20 team in the country, the No. 19/12 Puget Sound women's basketball teams returns to Oregon for Northwest Conference games at Pacific (Jan. 13) and Linfield (Jan. 14) this weekend.
 
In the ranks
Puget Sound cracked the D3hoops.com top-20 teams for the first time this season by coming in at No. 19 this week. The Loggers are ranked No. 12 in the this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll).
 
Rackin' up wins
Puget Sound has won nine of its last 10 games. The lone less during the run was against Trinity (Tex.), which is currently ranked No. 2 in the country by D3hoops.com.
 
Leading the NWC
The Loggers by far lead the NWC in scoring (77.1) – nearly 12 points more than the next team (Whitman). Puget Sound also leads the NWC in field-goal percentage (40.8-percent), 3-point percentage (33.5-percent), steals (15.9), and turnover margin (+9.38).
 
Among the nation's best
Puget Sound's scoring offense is tied for 13^th in all of NCAA D-III. The Loggers also rank ninth in steals per game (15.9), eighth in turnover margin (+9.38), and fourth in 3-pointers made per game (9.5).
 
Like a bandit
Katie Minnehan averages 4.08 steals per game, which is tied for seventh in the nation.
 
Spread the love
Puget Sound is the only NWC team with at least four players averaging at least nine points per game: Kennedy Brown (14.5), Sophie Nilsson (10.5), Samantha Swartout (9.8), Grace Pytynia Hillier (9.5).
 
Freshman rising
Jenai Ancheta has played at least 20 minutes in each of the last six games. She had a season-high six steals against George Fox last week (Jan. 6), followed by a season-high 14 points at Willamette (Jan. 7).
 
Scouting Pacific (11-2, 4-0 NWC)
The Boxers' overall and conference records are identical to Puget Sound's. Pacific enters the weekend with five consecutive wins, including a 58-53 victory at Whitman (Jan. 6). Brillie Kovaloff is the conference's second-leading scorer with 17.5 points per game. Danica Schmidt's 8.6 rebounding average ranks seventh in the NWC. The Boxers have the second-best turnover margin in the conference (3.54).
 
Scouting Linfield (7-6, 3-1 NWC)
The Wildcats come into the weekend with three consecutive wins, including conference wins over Willamette and Pacific Lutheran. Gilyan Landis is the only Wildcat averaging double figures in scoring (10.9). She is also the team's leading rebounder (8.8). Burke Eve is shooting 43.6-percent from 3-point range, but the team as a whole is just 27.6-percent from distance.