LA GRANDE, Ore. - Winter is coming which means basketball season is upon us, Mountie Nation! Eastern Oregon University Women's Basketball is ready to get the 2021-22 season underway. Read below to learn about this year's teams, the schedule, and much more.

2021-22 Season Outlook
• Like they have done in recent memory, the Mountaineers enter the 2021-22 campaign as a contender for the Cascade Collegiate Conference title. Eastern was preseason picked to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll. 
• The Mountaineers found themselves ranked inside the top-three of the preseason poll after finishing the modified 2020-21 season in the same spot. With all 12 teams expected to play this year, EOU will look to maintain a position as one of the best in the CCC.
• Experience and quality depth highlight the 2021-22 squad for EOU as three All-CCC selections are back from last season in Beverly Slater, Taylor Stricklin, and Sailor Liefke. Slater was also tabbed the 2020-21 CCC Player of the Spring.
• In all, the Mountaineers bring back 11 letterwinners from last season and four starters. With a majority of student-athletes using their COVID waiver, the EOU squad is technically a young one as well. Only five upperclassmen make up the team, with two being seniors.
• The Mountaineers have eight underclassmen on this year's team with seven being listed as freshmen. Head Coach Anji Weissenfluh may not have as much size this year but speed and tempo will look to be in her team's arsenal this year. 

2020-21 Season Review
• Like so many other teams across the country, EOU saw its 2020-21 campaign nearly derailed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Mountaineers were unable to compete in a traditional season which kept them from potentially qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament.
• Eastern did not completely lose its season as the CCC put together a modified season that was played in the Spring of 2021. EOU along with a handful of other teams played to keep some semblance of normalcy. EOU managed to compete in 20 games last year and posted a 16-4 overall record.
• In conference play, the Mountaineers went 8-2 with their only losses coming against eventual Spring season champion Bushnell. At home, EOU was unbeatable in 2020-21 as they went an impressive 8-0. Across the board EOU fared well going 5-3 in true roa games and 3-1 in neutral site contests.
• For the spring season, Beverly Slater was tabbed the CCC Player of the Year and garnered First Team All-CCC honors. Also earning first team recognition were Taylor Stricklin and Sailor Liefke. Jillian Albright also was tabbed All-CCC earning Honorable Mention accolades.
• In the classroom, seven student-athletes were named to the CCC All-Academic Team. Along with that, Stricklin went on to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. 

The Anji Weissenfluh File
• Entering her 22nd season at the helm, Head Coach Anji Weissenfluh will look to lead the Mountaineers to their 12th team title since she took over. She will look to guide the team back to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2018-19 as well.
• Since the 2000-01 campaign, Weissenfluh has amassed a 475-163 record in 21 years at EOU. She is just 25 wins away from 500 .
• During her time at EOU, Weissenfluh has posted 15 seasons of 20-plus wins. She has guided the Mountaineers to 11 appearances in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championships, including three quarterfinal appearances in 2012, 2013 and 2016.
• Her teams have shared or won outright 11 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) regular season titles and won five conference tournament championships. She has posted a winning record in each of the last 20 seasons.

The 2021-22 Schedule
• The Mountaineers are scheduled to compete in 31 games during the regular season with nine being non-conference match-ups. Of the nine contests, six will be in tournaments in California and Idaho, respectively.
• The season starts at the Simpson Classic this weekend where EOU will face UC Merced and host school Simpson. EOU will then close out its west coast trip at William Jessup before returning home to face NCAA Division III foe Whitman College in its home opener on Nov. 5
• The other two tournaments the Mounties are in is the LC State Women's basketball Tournament and the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic hosted by College of Idaho.
• Eastern begins CCC play at College of Idaho on Nov. 23 but will not return to conference action until early December following the wrap up of non-conference play.
• The 2021-22 CCC Basketball Championships will take place Feb. 22, 25, 28. This year's NAIA National Championships will be held March 11-12 for opening round games, with the final site being held at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa March 17-22.
• All home Friday conference games for the Mountaineers will have the women tip-off at 5:30 p.m. This year, Saturday conference doubleheaders will now have the women tip-off at 3 p.m..
• In all, the Mountaineer women have 12 home games on tap inside Quinn Coliseum. To see the full 2021-22 women's basketball schedule, click the link above.

POSITION BREAKDOWN
Guards
• Of the 14 players on the roster this season for EOU, 10 are listed as guards. When breaking down the guards, six are expected to play at the point guard position with the other four at shooting guard and potentially at small forward. 
• Brandy Smith, Leilani Padilla, Macie Elliott, Olivia Arave, Sailor Liefke, and Sydney Zeiler make up the point guards of the group. Looking to lead the way will be All-CCC returner Sailor Liefke along with senior Brandy Smith. Both saw quality action last season and will hope to facilitate the EOU offense.
• Elliott and Zeiler are now in their third year with the Mounties. Both redshirted the 2018-19 season and were in the rotation last year. Both will look to elevate their roles this season and add depth to a team that is expected to be high tempo once again.
• Padilla enters her second year with the Mountaineers. She appeared in 17 games last year as a transfer and can stretch the floor to a shooting guard spot.
• Arave is the newcomer of the group as a whole. She joins the Mountaineer women after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Snow College in Utah. She appeared in 42 career games while playing for the Badgers.
• Making up the rest of the guards is Taylor Stricklin, Kaiea Waiwaiole, Beverly Slater and Adyson Harris. All four have the ability to stretch the floor and play at the small forward position as well.
• Slater will look to lead not only this quartet but the team as a whole in 2021-22. She was the team leader in points (16.0) and rebounds (9.6) last year en route to being named the CCC Player of the Year for spring.
• Stricklin was the Mountaineers' threat from deep last season. She was a First Team All-CCC selection last year and adds depth in terms of scoring going into this year. She averaged 12.5 points per game and added 13 blocks as well. 
• Harris comes in as a freshman once again thanks to the COVID waiver and will look to increase her role. She appeared in all 20 games last year and averaged 8.5 points per game in 16.3 minutes of playing time. 
• Waiwaiole redshirted the 2020-21 season and comes into this season battling for a spot in the rotation. 

Forwards
• Making up the post players for the Mountaineers in 2021-22 is Aliann Schmidt, Maddy Juul, Haley Robinett, and Ella Dunlap.
• Juul and Robinett lead the way for this quarter as both appeared in all 20 games in 2020-21. Schmidt saw some time on the floor playing in 12 games as a redshirt freshman. New to the group is Ella Dunlap, a true freshman from La Grande.
• Juul started in 19 games last season, primarily at the center position. She averaged 4.5 rebounds per game and 4.7 points per game. 
• Robinett was a key reserve off the bench last season. She averaged 12.9 minutes per game and scored 5.2 points per contest. She also averaged 3.2 rebounds per game.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION - Simpson Basketball Classic
University of California, Merced
• The Bobcats game against the Mountaineers will be their first in over 600 days as the team last played back on February 29, 2020.
• UC Merced opted out of the 2020-21 season due the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019-20, the Bobcats posted a 15-13 overall record and were 9-5 in California Pacific Conference play. They made it to the Cal Pac Tournament and fell in the semifinal round.
• Offensively, the Bobcats averaged 64.1 points per game on a 37.1 shooting percentage. They were just 27.6% from deep and 65.5% from the charity stripe. 
• On defense, UC Merced held opponents to 60.6 points per game on 39.1% shooting. They averaged 2.9 blocks per game and outrebounded teams by an average of 39.6-37.4.
• One of the top-two scorers is back from the 2019-20 season in Haylee Owen. She averaged 15.8 points per game and was a 34% shooter from three-point range. She shot 42.3% overall from the floor as well and was 78.3% from the free throw line.
• Also back is third leading scorer Rainah Smith who averaged 7.4 points per game in 2019-20. She will look to be a top-two threat this year in terms of scoring. She was the team leader in rebounds at 7.1 per game and finished the year with 199 total.
• Second leading rebounder Marisse Jackson is also back. She grabbed 6.22 boards per game in 2019-20 and had a total of 168 on the year. Both her and Smithtied for first in offensive boards with 90.
• Owen was also the floor general two seasons ago averaging 3.52 per game. She tallied 95 total assists and she had 55 steals on the year for an average of 2.04. 
• Top shot blocker Deyliana Lewis is back in the mix this year. In 2019-20, she averaged 1.14 blocks per game and had 32 for the year.

Simpson Red Hawks
• The Red Hawks competed in a modified and ultimately shortened 2020-21 schedule that featured just 10 games. Simpson was 1-9 on the year.
• In 2019-20, the Red Hawks went just 7-22 overall and were 5-9 in Cal Pac play. Simpson and EOU also played each other in the 2019-20 season in what was the season opener for both teams. Eastern walked away the victor with a 68-63 win at home.
• Last season, Simpson averaged 48.3 points per game on 30.9% shooting from the floor. They shot just 25.3% from beyond the arc and were 67.5% from the free throw line.
• Defensively, the Red Hawks gave up 71.9 points per game to opponents on 31.7% shooting overall. They averaged just 28.8 rebounds per game and gave up 43.8 to their opposition. They averaged 1.1 blocks per game and 6.3 steals per game.
• Both the top-two scorers are gone for Simpson making Tymiko Patterson the top returning scorer from last season. She averaged 7.0 points per game in 2020-21 on 24.0% shooting. She was second in free throw percentage at 79.4.
• Kayla Gairns returns as the top rebounder from last season. She averaged 4.5 boards per game and grabbed a total of 45.
• Patterson is also the top returner in terms of steals as she averaged 1.6 per game in 2020-21 and she was second in assists at 1.4 per game.

William Jessup Warriors
• The Warriors will host the Mountaineers on a rare Monday showdown and it will be the season opener for William Jessup.
• In 2020-21, the Warriors were 10-9 overall and went 6-2 in GSAC play en route to making the NAIA National Tournament.
• Last year, William Jessup averaged 63.2 points per game and dished out 11.8 assists per contest. They shot 40.8% from the floor but were just 27.0% from three-point range.
• Defensively, the Warriors held opponents to 59.6 points per game on 35.4% shooting from the floor. They grabbed an average of 40.4 rebounds per game and 3.1 blocks per contest. They also tallied 9.2 steals per game.
• Maila Lepo is the top returning scorer from a season ago. She was third last year averaging 7.4 points per game. She shot 40.3% overall and was 31.6% from deep.
• JoeLyn Stirton will look to add to her role this year after averaging 7.2 points per game in 2020-21. She was fourth on the team in scoring and she averaged 3.4 rebounds per game to also rank fourth. She led the team in steals at 41.

Up Next
• Following the California trip, the Mountaineers will not be back in action until early November in what will be their home opener. Eastern Oregon will host Whitman College on Friday, Nov. 5 with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. PT inside Quinn Coliseum.

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