Whitworth women improve to 9-0

Katara Belton-Sharp poured in a career-high 29 points and the 15th-ranked Whitworth women’s basketball team kept its perfect record intact with a 77-61 nonconference win over visiting Northwest University on Tuesday.

Belton-Sharp scored 23 first-half points, going 9 of 11 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

The Pirates’ K.C. McConnell added 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and Lexie Zappone chipped in 13 points and six steals.

Chanara Greene had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Northwest (8-5)

Whitworth (9-0) starts Northwest Conference play Friday against Willamette in Salem, Oregon.

CC Spokane 63, Big Bend 53: Rayla Lohman scored 14 points and Khadija Neumeyer added nine points and 10 rebounds as the Sasquatch (11-4) topped the Vikings (6-6) at the Skagit Valley Tournament in Mount Vernon, Washington.

CCS opened the game on a 30-16 run, but Big Bend scored the final eight points of the first half to tighten it up.

The Sasquatch went 3-0 at the tournament, which included wins over Kwantlen and Bellevue.

Next up for CCS is a game against North Idaho on Monday at Spokane Falls Community College.

Umpqua 75, North Idaho 71: Anna Mumm had 21 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks to guide the Riverhawks (12-2) past the Cardinals (9-5) at the Lower Columbia Holiday Classic in Longview, Washington.

NIC’s Panisesi Taimani scored 22 points and Mariah Swanson added 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The Cardinals staged a second-half comeback, but couldn’t overcome a 10-point first-half deficit.

The Cardinals made five first-half 3-pointers but were 0 of 6 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Cross country

Eastern Washington cross country coach Chris Zeller announced his resignation.

Zeller has coached the Eagles’ men’s and women’s teams the past eight seasons and also has been an assistant track and field coach.

The Mead High and Western Washington University graduate coached 14 All-Big Sky Conference runners (top-10 finish at league championship meet).

Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves said a national search will begin immediately for a replacement.