BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball is headed back to the GNAC Championships after finishing the regular season 17-9 overall and 12-6 in conference play, earning the No. 4 seed.
The Nighthawks will face No. 5 seed Western Oregon in the quarterfinal round Thursday at 2:15 p.m. Pacific in Bellingham. The two teams split their regular-season meetings, setting up a decisive third matchup. The tournament is hosted by Western Washington University.
Northwest Nazarene is making its 10th appearance at the GNAC Championships and will look to capture its second tournament title after winning the 2019 crown.
2026 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships
March 5–7 | Bellingham, Wash.
Hosted by Western Washington University
All times Pacific
Thursday, March 5
Quarterfinal 2 – 2:15 p.m.
No. 5 Western Oregon vs. No. 4 Northwest Nazarene
Friday, March 6
Semifinal 2 – 2:15 p.m.
Winner QF2 vs. No. 1 Western Washington
Saturday, March 7
Championship – 5 p.m.
How They Got Here
NNU averaged 70.1 points per game while holding opponents to 64.8, finishing with a +5.3 scoring margin. The Nighthawks shot 39.8% from the field and 32.2% from three, while limiting opponents to just 28.3% from beyond the arc.
Northwest Nazarene made 8.0 three-pointers per game and shot 75.1% from the free-throw line. The Nighthawks matched opponents on the glass at 36.7 rebounds per game but created separation defensively.
NNU forced 20.8 turnovers per game, turning those into 20.5 points off turnovers, and averaged 12.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per contest. The Nighthawks also dished out 15.0 assists per game, highlighting their offensive balance.
Player Notes
Trinidie Nichols leads the team with 12.3 points per game, adding 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 steals per contest while shooting 36.2% from three and 84.9% from the free-throw line.
Chloe Deharo averages 13.0 points per game in limited action and is shooting 37.5% from three and 88.9% from the line.
Kendall Clark contributes 10.0 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game.
Allie Hueckman adds 8.7 points per game while shooting 39.8% from beyond the arc.
Kelly Garrity leads the team with 4.1 assists per game, while Sadi Clemons chips in 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals per contest.
With balanced scoring and strong defensive pressure, the Nighthawks enter postseason play looking to make another run at a GNAC title.
