WHAC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Women's Basketball set for WHAC Championships on Monday

(Rochester Hills, MI) - The Rochester Christian women's basketball team is set to compete in its second-ever Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Championship game on Tuesday evening when they take the floor in Fort Wayne, IN. The Rochester Christian Warriors will take on the top-seeded Indiana Tech Warriors for the title of WHAC Tournament Champions. 

GAME INFORMATION

#2 Rochester Christian Warriors vs #1 Indiana Tech Warriors

March 2 | 6 PM | Schaefer Center | Fort Wayne, IN

Live Video | Live Stats

ABOUT THE IIT WARRIORS

Indiana Tech is led by the head coach, Jessie Biggs, who is in her 14th season. Biggs has amassed a record of 348-109 while at Indiana Tech. 

WHAC Player of the Year, Taylor Covington, leads the Warriors in points per game at 19.3, fourth in the conference, with Ryan Moorer and Jaidyn Gulley scoring 13.7 and 10.6 points per game as well. Covington is second in the conference in assists per game at 5.1. 

The rebounding effort for Indiana Tech is led by Jaidyn Gulley, as she pulls down an average of 9.3 rebounds a game, which is fourth in the WHAC. Ryan Moorer is second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 6.6 per game. Gulley is in the top five in the conference in steals per game at 2.4, and leads the team in blocks per game at 0.7.

INDIANA TECHS ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Warriors are 25-5 on the season, while going 20-2 in conference play. The IIT Warriors have won five out of the past seven WHAC Tournament Championships. 

This season, the Warriors are 2-2 against teams in the NAIA Coaches Poll, with their biggest win coming against the 10th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University on November 11 by a score of 72-69. Midway through the season, IIT earned its way to a 13-game winning streak throughout conference play. 

After clinching their eighth of nine WHAC Regular Season Championships, Indiana Tech started off the WHAC Tournament, squaring off against Cornerstone, and would come away with a 97-45 win. Taylor Covington led the way for IIT with 22 points, with the team shooting 47.6% from the field. The Warrior defense held the Golden Eagles to 30.2% from the field. 

In the WHAC Semifinal, Indiana Tech was able to take down the Siena Heights Saints by a score of 77-49. Taylor Covington once again had a stellar night from the floor with 35 points on 13 of 15 shooting. Ryan Moorer assisted the offense with 18 points.

 ABOUT THE RCU WARRIORS

The Warriors are led by Head Coach Jared Ocampo, who is in his third season leading the Warriors. Ocampo has an overall record of 45-43 at RCU. 

Four different Warriors led the scoring effort for RCU, with Samone Andrews leading the group, averaging 13.3 points per game, while Kendal Zeiter contributed 13.1, Jacey Somers with 12.3, and Ashley Loon putting up 10.3 a game. Loon sits at third in the conference in three-point percentage, hitting 39.1% of her attempts from deep. Amal Younes leads the passing attack as she averages three assists per game, while only turning over the ball 1.7 times a game. 

The rebounding effort for RCU is led by Kendal Zeiter, who averages 8.1 rebounds a game, with six coming on the defensive end. Jacey Somers is second on the team as she averages 5.5 a game. Five different Warriors average over a steal per game, with Shahd Bakkar (1.6) leading the group, with Samone Andrews (1.5), Ashley Loon (1.3), Amal Younes (1.2), and Kendal Zeiter (1.1) all averaging over a steal per game. Kendal Zeiter and Jacey Somers both average over a block a game, as they are third and fourth in the conference, respectively, with Zeiter blocking 1.8 a game and Somers blocking 1.1. 

ROCHESTER CHRISTIANS ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

The RCU Warriors completed the season with a 21-9 overall record and earned the number two-seed in the WHAC Tournament with an 18-4 record. The Warriors last won the WHAC Championship in the 2022-2023 season. 

RCU earned a 2-3 record this season, with the two ranked wins coming against #20 Indiana Tech and #24 Carroll in overtime. The Warriors also took down NCAA Division 1 Detroit Mercy in an exhibition game in late December. The Warriors are currently on an eight-game win streak. 

RCU matched up against Cleary in the WHAC Quarterfinals and earned a 67-58 win. Jacey Somers led the offensive with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting, with Samone Andrews scoring 19 points in the win. Kendal Zeiter tallied three blocks in the game. 

The RCU WHAC Semifinal matched them up against the Lourdes Gray Wolves. RCU won that game with a solid defensive effort, with a 79-59 win. Samone Andrews would lead the offense in this game with 25 points, while Jacey Somers was second with 18 points.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (PREVIOUS MATCHUPS)

These two teams split the season series at a game apiece, with Rochester Christian earning the win in the first matchup in December, before Indiana Tech got revenge in January. 

RCU won on December 6 in the Garth Pleasant Arena with a tight 54-53 win. Kendal Zeiter led the RCU scoring with 17 points, while Amal Younes put up 15 points. Durbin Thomas for IIT led their attack with 19 points. 

The second matchup saw Rochester Christian head down to Fort Wayne, with Indiana Tech earning an 86-45 win. Kendal Zeiter would once again lead the scoring attack with 13 points, while Indiana Tech got scoring from Ryan Moorer, Taylor Covington, and Madison Vice with 20, 19, and 18 points, respectively.

STAT COMPARISON

WHAC TOURNAMENT

The top 8 teams in the regular-season standings qualify

Higher seeds host in all rounds

Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 25

G1    #1 Indiana Tech def. #8 Cornerstone, 97-45

G2    #5 Siena Heights def. #4 Aquinas, 60-45

G3    #3 Lourdes def. #6 UNOH, 71-62

G4    #2 Rochester Christian def. #7 Cleary, 67-48

Semifinals - Friday, February 27

G5    #1 Indiana Tech def. #5 Siena Heights, 77-49

G6    #2 Rochester Christian def. #3 Lourdes 79-59

Championship - Monday, March 2

G7    #1 Indiana Tech vs #2 Rochester Christian - 6 PM

WHAC HONORS