Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Jan. 21) -- Freshman Stacy Albrecht (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS) matched her career-high with 11 points and added six rebounds, but the Central Washington women's basketball team was overmatched by rival Western Washington in an 80-46 loss to the visiting Vikings on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats suffered their third straight loss to fall to 4-11 overall and 1-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Western Washington improved to 14-2 overall and maintained its lead in the GNAC at 5-0.

Central dug itself a hole early in the contest, missing its first nine field goal attempts and trailing by margins of 11-0 and 25-4 out of the chute. The Wildcats made just five field goals in the first half, shooting 17.9 percent in the period, while the Vikings hit on 42.4 percent of their shots in the opening stanza in building a 39-19 halftime lead.

The Wildcats sputtered offensively to start the second half as well, giving up the first 11 points of the period and not scoring until the 13:28 mark remaining in the game on a fastbreak three-pointer by senior Sara Bergner (Bellingham). Central got to within 24 points on three separate occasions, including most recently with 6:47 to go, but Western closed the game on a 19-9 run to come away with the 34-point victory.

Albrecht was the only Wildcat in double figures with her 11 tallies. Bergner added eight points and seven rebounds, while junior Jenn Jacobs (Bremerton) scored eight points with five rebounds and a team-high three assists in her return to the lineup after two weeks off from action, playing 23 minutes.

Western was led by the game-high 22 points of Amanda Dunbar, who scored 13 in the first half. Lauren Hefflin added 12 points and nine rebounds, while Willow Cabe finished with 10 points. Megan Pinske totaled eight points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

Central will now play five of its next six games on the road. The Wildcats begin their extensive road swing next Thursday (Jan. 28) at Saint Martin's and will return home in two weeks to face Seattle Pacific on Feb. 4 at 5:15 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion.