Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Feb. 3) -- The Central Washington University women's basketball team led nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage after eight minutes of play, but a scoring drought of more than 6 1/2 minutes enabled the visiting Seawolves to defeat the Wildcats, 63-48, on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats suffered their fourth straight loss and fell to 6-12 overall (1-10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference). Alaska Anchorage, ranked 15th nationally and fifth in the NCAA Division II West Region, improved to 18-5 overall and 9-3 in the conference.

Senior Aleyse Evans (Sacramento, Calif./Mesa Verde HS) made the Wildcats' first two baskets and finished the game with eight points but played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.

Central traded points with Alaska Anchorage for much of the first eight minutes, and led 12-11 with 12:05 remaining. However, after starting the game with three consecutive made field goals, the Wildcats hit a scoring drought in which they made just 1 of 18 field-goal tries which enabled UAA to turn their one-point deficit into a 14-point lead. CWU scored just five points over the final 12 minutes of the first half and trailed 33-17 at the break.

In the second half, the Wildcats started strong with back-to-back baskets, and held the Seawolves scoreless for nearly three minutes after the intermission. CWU closed to within nine points, including at 40-31 with 13:38 remaining, but Alaska Anchorage reeled off 14 of the next 16 points over the next six minutes to extend its margin to 21. The lead remained around 20 for most of the rest of the game, but after a 25-point deficit with three minutes left, Central scored the game's final 10 points. That final run enabled the Wildcats to outscore UAA, 31-30, over the final 20 minutes.

Neither team shot the ball especially well on Thursday night, but the Wildcats nearly matched the Seawolves in total field goal percentage -- CWU shot 32.1 percent while UAA was at 32.3 percent -- and Central had a higher percentage from three-point range and the free throw line. However, the Wildcats committed 21 turnovers and were outrebounded by a 45-42 count.

Junior # SOPHIE RUSSELL# (Olympia/River Ridge HS) finished as the top scorer for the hosts, tallying 10 including 5 of 6 at the free throw line. Evans, junior Alisha Love (Chelan), and freshman Amber Moser (Willamina, Ore./Sheridan HS) scored eight points each, while sophomore Stacy Albrecht (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS) had six points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Alaska Anchorage, which earned its ninth straight series win over CWU, was led by the 12-point, 11-rebound double-double from reserve Kaylie Robison. Two players added nine points each, as 11 of the 13 Seawolves to play in the contest scored. The Seawolves' bench outscored Central's reserves by a 37-11 count.

Central Washington will try to avenge an earlier loss to the Alaska Nanooks this Saturday night (Feb. 5) at 5:05 p.m. at Nicholson Pavilion. The game, which will be part of the Wildcats' annual WBCA Pink Zone festivities, will be televised live across eastern Washington and northern Idaho on Spokane-based SWX (Charter 287 in Ellensburg/Yakima/Tri-Cities; Comcast 115; Time Warner 306; Cable One 466; Northland Cable 115 in Sandpoint and 317 in Moses Lake).