Box Score

ELLENSBURG (Feb. 9) -- Senior Sophie Russell (Olympia/River Ridge HS) scored a team-high 17 points, but a cold shooting night for the Central Washington University women's basketball team resulted in a 61-52 loss to visiting Montana State University Billings on Thursday night at Nicholson Pavilion.

The Wildcats finished with a split of their season series against MSU Billings, falling to 6-14 overall and 3-10 in the GNAC with Thursday's loss. The Yellowjackets improved to 17-8 overall and 9-5 in the GNAC.

Russell led the Wildcats in scoring for the sixth time in the last eight games, shooting 6 of 16 from the field and made 5 of Central's seven three-pointers on the evening.

Central led just twice in the first half, with both occasions coming after a made three-pointer by Russell. The Yellowjackets regained the lead at the 13:48 mark in the opening period and led for the reminder of the game. The visitors led by as many as 10 points in the first half and entered halftime with a 33-24 advantage over the Wildcats.

The Wildcats used a 9-1 run early in the second half to close the Yellowjackets' lead to one point at 44-43, but MSUB countered by going on a 12-2 run, taking a 56-45 edge at the 5:41 mark in the second half. The lead hovered between seven and 11 points the rest of the way.

Central Washington struggled to find a rhythm offensively as the Wildcats finished the game with a 32.3-percent shooting percentage, and was 29.2 percent from three-point territory. CWU, which ranks among the NCAA Division II national leaders in three-pointers made, was just 2 of 15 from behind the arc in the second half after a 5 for 9 marksmanship in the opening 20 minutes. MSU Billings did not shoot especially well from the floor either, making just 37.7 percent overall and 36.4 percent from long range.

Junior Stacy Albrecht (Federal Way/Thomas Jefferson HS) had her second double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards. She was also the lone Wildcat player to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor, making 5 of 9 shots.

Montana State Billings had three players in double figures, led by the 25-point performance of sophomore Bobbi Knudsen. Knudsen made 10 of 23 shot attempts, including 3 of 8 from three-point range, while freshman forwards Quinn Peoples and Janiel Olson scored 10 apiece.

Central Washington plays the second game of a busy three-game, four-night weekend stretch on Saturday night (Feb. 11) versus Seattle Pacific at 7 p.m. inside Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcats will be wearing pink jerseys to support breast cancer awareness, with the game jerseys being auctioned off following the contest.