AREA SPORTS BRIEFS: Walla Walla upsets Lane for NWAC title and two former Pirates in NCAA tourneys

Published 4:15 pm Tuesday, March 18, 2025

PASCO — Walla Walla Community College ended up winning the Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship, beating Lane 65-58 in the championship game.

Lane went into the championship game with a 32-0 record this season and a 46-game winning streak. Walla Walla and Lane were the only two teams all year long to beat the Peninsula College Pirates, who lost in the semifinals to Lane 80-63.

Lane went to overtime to beat the Pirates early in the year 86-81, while Walla Walla beat Peninsula 57-55, also back in November.

Walla Walla, which finished 27-5, played incredible defense all tournament, allowing just 29 points to Centralia, 44 to Clackamas, 53 to Umpqua in the semifinals and 58 to Lane, which averaged 84 points a game going into the championship game.

On the men’s side, Lower Columbia won the NWAC championship, beating Southwest Oregon 67-63.

Pirates in tournaments

PORT ANGELES — Two former members of the Peninsula College Pirates men’s and women’s basketball teams will be playing in the NCAA tournament this weekend.

Javon Ervin, a 2024 graduate of Peninsula, will play for Mount St. Mary’s at 3:40 p.m. today against American in a First Four game. That game will be on TruTV and streamed on Max. Ervin averaged 19.2 points a game his sophomore year for the Pirates.

Ituau Tuisaula, who is a 2023 graduate, will play for Stephen F. Austin, which takes on Notre Dame at 11 a.m. Friday on ESPN. Tuisaula averaged 16.0 points and 12.8 rebounds for the Pirates her sophomore year.

Peninsula Daily News