Whitworth women face tough test in Whitman

The Whitworth women’s basketball team, which has built a 14-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the Northwest Conference, faces one of its sternest home tests tonight when the Pirates host Whitman College at 6 p.m.

The Whitworth men (6-8, 2-4) will also host the Missionaries (3-12, 1-5), starting at 8 p.m.

The Whitman women, who finished tied atop the NWC standings last season, were picked by league coaches to finish second this year, ahead of the Pirates and behind last year’s other co-champ, the University of Puget Sound. After starting the non-conference season 5-1, the Missionaries lost four consecutive games. The losing streak carried into the NWC season, and Whitman had a 1-3 league mark until last weekend’s sweep of Pacific University and Lewis and Clark College evened its record.

Whitworth is ranked as high as 15th nationally and is also coming of a sweep of Pacific and Lewis and Clark. In Saturday’s Pacific game, Kristie Coppin, the Pirates 5-foot-11 sophomore center, was given the assignment of guarding Pacific’s 6-foot post DeeDee Darnell, the NWC’s leading scorer. Darnell finished with 16 points, below her season average of 24.3. Coppin, who blocked two Darnell shots, finished with eight points.