SPOKANE, Wash. -- After a conference call between Northwest Conference commissioner Chuck Lindemenn and involved athletics directors from Whitworth and Lewis & Clark, NWC tie breaking procedures have been clarified and Whitworth will have the top seed for the NWC men's basketball tournament this week.

The Pirates will host the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound. The championship will be Saturday at a time still to be determined.

Whitworth and L&C tied for the NWC men's basketball championship with 13-3 records. UPS was third with a record of 11-5.

The tie was broken by the fourth criteria on the NWC tie breaking list. The teams were compared on how they did against all the other teams below them in the conference standings, beginning with 9th-place Linfield. Both teams completed sweeps up until fourth place Pacific, a team the Pirates beat twice but L&C lost to on the road.

Based on NWC bylaws, no passes will be accepted for Saturday's game. Ticket prices will be announced on Monday. Season ticket holders will have first right of refusal on their current seats.