EVERETT, WA – The Umpqua RiverHawks women’s basketball team advanced to the Northwest Athletic Conference championship game for the first time since 2014, but UCC couldn’t cool off a red-hot Walla Walla squad in Sunday’s title match-up at Everett Community College.

The Warriors shot 52 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point distance to down the RiverHawks 90-74. The title is Walla Walla’s first since winning it all in 2010.

Umpqua battled with Walla Walla early through the first quarter, but a 9-2 run by the Warriors put them in front 28-21 heading to the second period. Walla Walla did not trail the rest of the contest. UCC managed to rally and tie the game at 35 with 6:25 left to go in the first half, but the Warriors regained the lead and Umpqua never got closer than four points the rest of the game.

Daisy Powell finished with 27 points to lead the RiverHawks, capping a record-setting tournament performance. Powell scored 146 points in four games at the tournament, breaking the old conference record of 123 points scored in the 2015 tournament by Blue Mountain’s Mar’Shay Moore.

Powell, a sophomore, was voted to the All-Tournament 1st team along with teammate Jordan Stotler, who finished with 16 points in the title game.

Freshman Taylor Stricklin was named to the all-tournament 2nd team.

Cierra Jo McKeown scored a game-high 32 points to lead Walla Walla. She shot 9-of-12 from the three-point line on the way to winning the All-Tournament MVP award.

The RiverHawks last won the NWAC title in 2000. UCC finished runner-up in 2014 after losing to Columbia Basin in the championship game.