WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Friday night, Whitman College will play host to Willamette University in games starting at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Saturday night will mark the final time Whitman College basketball seniors will take the court at the Sherwood Center. The seven Whit seniors will bid farewell to George Ball Court on a night their coaches, teammates and fans honor their contributions to their respective programs both on and off court. Tomorrow night's games feature matchups between the Missionaries and George Fox University with the women set to tip at 4 p.m. and the men at 6 p.m.
 
Captains, Hailey Ann Maeda and Hailey McDonald, who are the lone seniors on this year's squad, will look to end their home careers with a big win over the second-ranked Bruins. Both Maeda and McDonald played significant roles on the historic 2013-14 team that finished its season 31-2 and national runner-up.
 
Head coach Michelle Ferenz praised her seniors saying, "Hailey Ann and Hailey 'Mac' have been great leaders this season with a team that is still very young.  I think our good start was due to them and their hard work and commitment to this team. They are both so unselfish and willing to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed. You can see it in how hard they play and I could not have asked for two better people to lead us this season."
 
When asked about the footprint that these seniors will leave on the program, Ferenz said that both Hailey Ann and Mac have "made the most of their opportunities in our program.  They are two of the toughest competitors I have coached.  They always put the team first and as a result we have had a better season than expected. I am certain that they will be focused and ready for the challenge of finishing this season well."  
 
The men's team will honor four seniors Saturday night, along with Peter French who is wrapping up his athletic and academic career at Whitman a year early. Seniors, Evan Martin, Tochi Oti, and Philip Chircu have led the team on the court throughout the season, while fellow teammate Jackson Clough has been the energy from the bench that propels the team. Clough suffered a season-ending achilles injury before the seasons began.
 
"Tochi, Evan and Jackson have been incredible leaders, not just this season, but last as well." Head coach Eric Bridgeland said when asked about the team's leadership. He continued, "Enough can't be said about Jackson's season-ending injury and his unparalleled devotion to our group. Phil will always leave a smile on everyone's face, whether he's in front of our guys or in a few years. He always brings a great spirit to whatever he's involved with. Peter has been fighting and excelling at Whitman both on and off the court, while being hit with family health adversity. He's as strong a person as we know."
 
Bridgeland finished saying that this group "will not only leave our program the best it's ever been, but also will leave having made Whitman a better place."  
 
Come out and support these seniors as they play for the final time at home. Between the seven seniors there have been three all-NWC second team players, one all-NWC honorable mention, two NWC Student-Athlete of the Week, and various all-tournament team nominations. All this while playing a combined 9,980 minutes of basketball and scoring 3,647 points.