Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Bellevue Big Bend Blue Mountain Centralia Chemeketa Clackamas Clark Columbia Basin Douglas Edmonds Everett CC Gray Harbor Green River Highline Lane Linn Benton LCC MHCC Olympic Peninsula Pierce Portland Rogue Shoreline Skagit Valley South Puget Sound SW Oregon Spokane Tacoma Treasure Valley Umpqua Walla Walla Wenatchee Valley Whatcom Yakima Valley
The Official Website of the Northwest Athletic Conference
Warriors Defeat Umpqua 72-53 to Advance to NWAC Championship Game on Sunday
Posted: Mar 15, 2025

Warriors Defeat Umpqua 72-53 to Advance to NWAC Championship Game on Sunday

Box Score
Game Leaders
S2 Umpqua
Pts: Madysen Lealaitafea - 19
Reb: Male'ata Polamalu - 7
Ast: Amaya Afatasi - 3
E1 Walla Walla
Pts: Brielle Magnuson - 31
Reb: Team - 13
Ast: Jaisha Gibb - 8
Team Stats
Full stats

PASCO, Wash. - The Walla Walla Warriors advanced to their first NWAC Championship game since 2018, defeating Umpqua 72-53 in the Final Four of the 2025 NWAC Women's Basketball Championship presented by Golf Universe on Saturday afternoon at Columbia Basin College.

The Warriors continued their outstanding defense in the tournament, limiting the dangerous Riverhawks to 53 points on just 32.3 percent shooting. The Warriors keyed in on reigning NWAC Player of the Year Brooklyn Fely, holding her to 11 points for the game. Brielle Magnuson was instrumental on both ends of the floor for WWCC with game-highs of 31 points and 12 rebounds as she played all 40 minutes.

Jaisha Gibb was another key player for Walla Walla, recording a versatile game with 10 points, including three 3-pointers, and led the team with eight assists and two steals. Sintia Varela was efficient shooting with a season-high 17 points while making 7-of-9 attempts, including three 3-pointers. Additionally, Addy Laible played a significant role in rebounding with nine including six on the offensive end while defending Fely for much of the contest.

The first quarter of the game between Walla Walla and the Riverhawks ended with the Warriors leading 14-13. UCC's Male'ata Polamalu opened the scoring with a layup at 9:12, giving the Riverhawks an early lead. The Warriors responded with a scoring streak, highlighted by Sintia Varela's jumper and layup, helping them gain a lead of 6-2 at 7:32. UCC managed to close the gap with Madysen Lealaitafea contributing two key layups, bringing the score to 14-13 by the end of the quarter. Both teams recorded turnovers, with UCC committing four fouls, while the Warriors had a stronger presence in the paint with ten points scored inside.

In the second quarter, WWCC maintained an advantage over the Riverhawks, outscoring the visitors 18-12. At the start of the quarter, UCC briefly took the lead with a layup by Madysen Lealaitafea at 9:26. However, the Warriors responded with a 10-0 run, including consecutive 3-pointers by Jaisha Gibb, regaining and extending their lead to nine points by 6:42. The Riverhawks attempted to close the gap, with Giorgia Medori hitting a 3-pointer at 6:23, but the Warriors' consistent scoring, highlighted by another 3-pointer from Gibb at 2:59, kept Walla Walla in control.

In the third quarter, the Warriors extended their lead out to as many as 15 points as they continued to build a strong lead. The Riverhawks were never able to pull the deficit closer than nine points early in the fourth quarter before WWCC's shooters closed out the win.

Madysen Lealaitafea emerged as a key player for the Riverhawks, leading the team with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting with three steals off the bench. Male'ata Polamalu was a strong presence under the basket, grabbing seven rebounds along with seven points.

Walla Walla's win sets up a matchup with two-time defending champions and undefeated Lane in a championship rematch going back to 2006. The Titans will be looking for the three-peat while the Warriors will be going for their fourth-ever title.