LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Women's basketball sets sail across the Pacific to the Hoops in Hawaii Classic hosted at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu December 21-22.
 
The Tigers play two games, one against Northwest Conference champion Puget Sound and member-institution Willamette, both NCAA tournament teams in 2023-24. They open with the Loggers Dec. 21 and follow with Willamette the next day.
 
Feelin' Beachy
The Tigers' 2023-24 success gets them an invite and trip to the Hoops in Hawaii Classic. Three of the four teams reached the NCAA tournament a season ago, while Centre College (Kentucky) was 21-7 and lost in the SAA Championship game by five.
 
Puget Sound, Willamette and Oxy have struggled to open the season with each team sitting below .500. A pair of wins for the Tigers sets them just a game below .500, but more importantly, makes the sand feel a little nicer on the Hawaiian coast.
 
WHAT'S THAT (PUGET) SOUND?
The Loggers are 1-6 thus far, losing by 20 or more points in five of six losses. Their closest loss came at the hands of Texas Lutheran 67-55.
 
Puget Sound lost all of its regular starters to graduation from the NWC champion team. The squad's leading scorer is a freshman averaging 12 points per game. She is the only Logger in double digits.
 
BEWIILDERING BEARCATS
Which Willamette team will the Tigers see? The 3-5 Bearcats have a 21-point loss to Redlands on the resume, but more recently beat UC Santa Cruz by 34 points.
 
The difference – three-point shooting. Willamette torched the Banana Slugs from beyond the arc at a 45% clip but dipped to 19% from long range against the Bulldogs. Elyse Waldal is a player to watch, averaging just below 16 points per game, the forward has made at least four triples on three separate occasions.
 
HOW TO WATCH
Live video and live stream links are posted under the Occidental Women's Basketball schedule page attached to each game.