Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Jan. 15) -- Junior ALISHA LOVE (Chelan) scored a career-high 27 points, including 7 of 11 field goals, to lead the Central Washington University women's basketball team to an 81-71 win over visiting Montana State University Billings on Saturday afternoon at Nicholson Pavilion.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Wildcats and was their first in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, upping their record to 6-8 overall and 1-6 in the GNAC. Montana State Billings fell to 7-8 overall and 3-4 in the conference.

Love, who also made 11 of 14 free throws on the game, posted the Wildcats' highest single-game scoring total in nearly two years in Saturday's win. Her previous career-high was a 17-point outing in a Dec. 17 win over Saint Joseph's (Ind.) -- the only previous double-digit scoring game of her CWU career.

Central, whose last conference victory came against MSU Billings in last year's season finale, was in control for most of Saturday's contest. The Wildcats scored the game's first four points and trailed just once -- 11-10 with 14:04 left in the first half. They regained the lead 46 seconds later and, with the exception of three ties in the opening period, CWU led for the duration of the contest including a 37-34 margin at halftime.

The Wildcats weren't able to shake the Yellowjackets until the 12-minute mark of the second half, when they used a 15-1 run to turn a one-point edge into a 15-point advantage -- their largest lead in seven conference games this season. Even after CWU went ahead by double figures, however, Montana State Billings rallied and closed to within four with 1:09 remaining. Central responded by making six of eight free throws in the final 69 seconds, including three of four by Love, while keeping MSUB off the scoreboard.

Central's efforts on the offensive and defensive end were among their best this season. The Wildcats' 81 points were one shy of their season-high, as were their 50 rebounds. No CWU player had more than seven rebounds in the game, as senior ALEYSE EVANS (Sacramento, Calif./Mesa Verde HS) and junior SOPHIE RUSSELL (Olympia/River Ridge HS) shared team-leading honors in that department.

Offensively, Love and Russell were the Wildcats' sparkplugs, combining for 40 points. Russell scored 13, making three of six three-pointers as CWU connected on 10 of 25 trey attempts (40 percent). Freshman DAISY BURKE (Spokane/Lewis and Clark HS) added nine points and a game-high four assists in 19 minutes of reserve action.

Montana State Billings had three players -- all reserves -- score in double figures. Beata Bak and Sarah McNamee scored 13 apiece, while Jenny Heringer finished with 11.

Central Washington will return to action next Saturday (Jan. 22), facing Northwest Nazarene in a 5:05 p.m. PST tip-off at Nicholson Pavilion in a game that will be televised live on Spokane-based SWX.