As the marine layer rolls in and we prepare for a slight chance of rain here in the San Gabriel Valley, Azusa Pacific is bracing itself for the second straight year of Championship Weekend. Just before Thanksgiving, most of the NAIA fall sports hold the first round of their national championship tournaments (or in some cases, the actual final event). Here's what to look forward to on campus this weekend:
Friday night: Women's Basketball vs. Wayland Baptist (TX), 5:30pm
The Cougars opened the defense of their NAIA championship Thursday night with a 90-71 win over 17th-ranked Lubbock Christian and tonight set their sights on knocking off a second straight Sooner Athletic Conference foe. Amber Williams had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the win last night, and she and guard Brianna Hall are joined by some talented newcomers, including DI transfer Amanda Sims and Rebecca Rohrkasse, who was discovered playing intramurals on campus last spring and is now the starting power forward.
Men's Basketball vs. St. Thomas (FL) Friday 7:30pm, Westminster (UT) Saturday, 3pm
The Cougars are ranked ninth and played their opener all the way back on November 1st, a 92-57 win over La Sierra University, an NAIA independent from Riverside, CA who many are expecting to join the GSAC in the near future. The Cougars have played two games against NCAA Division II foes since then, beating Alaska-Anchorage (hosts of the Great Alaska Shootout tournament that used to run on ESPN this time each year) 71-64 and losing at Lewis University in Illinois, 98-77 last Friday. Tonight, the Cougars come back home to face the favorites in the Sun Conference, an NAIA Division II league based in the Sunshine State, then turn around 18 hours later to face the Griffins out of the Frontier, who are a perennial fixture at the national tournament in Kansas City.
Cross-Country: NAIA Championship meet, Saturday morning, Vancouver (WA)
The women's team is among the favorites at the 5k meet on the banks of the Columbia River, while Wade Meddles is competing by himself in the men's event as the Cougar team failed to qualify.
Women's Soccer: NAIA Tournament Opening Round vs. Ottawa (KS), 11am Saturday
The Cougars won the GSAC tournament on penalty kicks and parlayed that victory into the #2 overall seed in the national tournament. Natalie Sun and company will open the 32-team tournament at home against the Braves out of the KCAC, and can advance to the national tournament in Decatur, AL with a win.
Men's Soccer: NAIA Tournament Opening Round vs. Cal State-San Marcos, 1:30 pm Saturday
Not to be outdone, the Cougar men received a #15 seed and a home game against a team they've already defeated once this season. GK Joe Geletko and company will have their work cut out for them to advance to Orange Beach, AL and the rest of the national tournament, but they're certainly capable of making some noise.
Football: NAIA Championship Series vs. Ottawa (KS), 5pm Saturday
The preview for this game was posted earlier this week.
The volleyball team received a bye directly to their national tournament after finishing the season ranked sixth. They played their regular season finale Tuesday, defeating former GSAC rival and soon to be PacWest foe Cal Baptist in five sets to set a program record with their 28th regular season win of the season. The Cougars will find out who they will face in pool play at the national tournament next week.
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