Box Score
ELLENSBURG (Mar. 6) -- Sophomore
Sophie Russell (Olympia/River Ridge HS) scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the second half, helping lift the Central Washington University women's basketball team to a 64-60 victory over visiting Montana State University Billings in the 2009-10 season finale for both teams on Saturday evening at Nicholson Pavilion.
The Wildcats snapped an eight-game losing streak with the four-point victory, and finished the season with a 7-19 overall record. Central also finished tied for seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with MSU Billings, which ended its year at 11-16 overall and 4-12 in the GNAC.
Central spent most of the first half in the lead, taking a 10-point advantage with eight minutes to go and holding the edge until 3:31 remained in the period when Montana State Billings took a 21-20 lead as part of a 12-1 run. The Wildcats regained the edge on a basket by Russell two minutes later, but the Yellowjackets then scored seven straight points before a
Jenn Jacobs (Bremerton) basket with 14 seconds left made it a 28-24 halftime margin.
The Wildcats didn't take the lead again until late in the second half, when they went ahead on a fast-break three-pointer by Russell with 5:38 remaining to go in front 51-48. Central, which itself had trailed by 10 points on three separate occasions earlier in the period, did not trail again the rest of the way, and seniors
Brooke Fernandez (Castle Rock) and
Sara Bergner (Bellingham) each iced the game with a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.
Success at the free throw line, and a significant advantage in takeaways, keyed Central in its victory. The Wildcats made 18 of 20 free throws and outscored the Yellowjackets by 13 at the stripe, while committing just 13 turnovers to Montana State Billings' 27 miscues. Those two categories helped the Wildcats overcome a 48-26 disadvantage in rebounding.
Russell made four three-pointers overall as part of her 20-point outing, while Bergner and
Shaina Afoa (Anchorage, Alaska/A.J. Dimond HS), who, along with Fernandez, played their final collegiate games on Saturday, scored in double figures. Bergner totaled 17 points and made 5 of 9 shot attempts, while Afoa had 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. All eight Wildcats to play in Saturday's finale scored.
Montana State Billings had four players score in double figures, led by Sarah McNamee, who had 16 points and six assists. Rachel Hansen added 14 points, Kalli Stanhope had 11, and Mandy Jacobs finished with 10, while Kayla Ryan led all players with 18 rebounds.
