Saint Martin's kicks off big basketball weekend

Saint Martin's Lady Saints will try to shake a three-game losing streak tonight when they host nationally ranked Western Washington at home.

It's the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both schools.

Saints coach Tim Healy has seen glimpses of solid play in a team with just one returning starter.

"We don't have an identity yet," Healy said. "There are times we play really well together. But we're not playing with consistency."

Saint Martin's will be without its leading scorer, Jessi Reome, a 5-foot-10 junior guard who is averaging 10 points but is sidelined with a back injury.

The Saints will play a doubleheader at home Saturday when the Lady Saints host Central Washington at 5 p.m. and the Saints men host Western Oregon, which is 5-6 for the season.

Saint Martin's Jake Linton ranks ninth nationally in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage (91.9). Linton leads the Saints in scoring at 17.2.

Jacob Mitchell and Ryan Schmidt both lead Western Oregon in scoring at 16 points a game.

Krystal Robinson of Western Washington ranks second nationally in blocked shots.

Western Washington's women are the lone GNAC basketball team ranked in this week's national rankings.

The Vikings, with a 7-3 record, are 23rd in the USA Today ESPN WBCA national poll. Central Washington was among others receiving votes and is 31st overall. The Lady Saints are 4-7, losing their last three games.

Western has defeated SMU 17 straight times and holds a 46-9 series lead. But the Vikings aren't expected to take SMU lightly. Western is on a two-game losing streak, dropping games to UC San Diego and Dixie State.

Lukas Henne leads Western in scoring at 18.9 points a game.

Evergreen's men and women play two key Cascade Conference games at home. They host Corban College on Friday and Concordia on Saturday.

In the men's game, Concordia is 9-5, averaging 67.5 points and is on a three-game winning streak. Corban is 1-15.

The Evergreen women, coached by Monica Heuer, are 2-11 for the season and are giving up 64.5 points a game. Jennifer Solberg leads the Geoducks in scoring with 12.5 points per game.

South Puget Sound Clippers women beat Pierce College 70-49 and host Lower Columbia on Saturday.