ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Feb 12) --  Central Washington University senior Courtney Johnson scored her 1,000th career as a Wildcat, however, the women's basketball team lost in double-overtime to nineteenth-ranked Seattle Pacific 64-73 Thursday night in Nicholson Pavilion.
 
After an emotional end of regulation the Wildcats found themselves down by two in the first overtime, and Jasmine Parker scored a long two-pointer with 2.4 points left to force double-overtime.  Unfortunately the Wildcats scored only twice in the final OT and which resulted in the loss.
 
A bright moment for the Wildcats came at the 4:46 mark of the first half when Johnson hit a three-pointer to put the former walk-on over 1,000 career points in the contest.

"Congratulations to Courtney I thought she played a great game tonight and I am proud of her achievement," CWU Head Coach Jeff Harada said.  "I know she would have traded in all her points tonight if we could have walked away with the win."
 
Johnson finished with 23 points ns nine rebounds, and Parker added another double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.  Freshman Jasmin Edwards stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points six assists and five rebounds.
 
The Falcons jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first half, but the Wildcats responded with three-straight baskets from Parker, Hannah Shine and Johnson, followed by a pair of free throws as the Wildcats took an 8-7 lead.
 
Four of the Falcons first six made baskets were from three-point territory, but the Wildcats remained deadlocked with the visitors at the 11:19 mark, and regained a lead on a lay-in by Edwards on an assist by Alexis Berrysmith.
 
After Edwards' bucket, SPU went on a 7-0 run to build a 23-18 lead with 7:45 left in the period.  After another SPU three, the Falcons led 28-20, but Parker hit a jumper from the baseline and Johnson nailed a three to pull the score to 25-28.  That three not only closed the gap in the game but was the basket that pulled Johnson over the 1,000 point scoring plateau for her career.
 
Johnson wasn't finished; she scored on the Wildcats' next possession to pull the to within one score of the Falcons and Edwards connected on a jumper from the free throw line as the Wildcats gained a 29-28 halftime lead.

"I'm proud of the way we finished the first half," Harada added.  "Being down by eight points and being able to gain the lead showed great composure on our part."
 
Three-pointers by Johnson and Locker allowed the Wildcats to take a 36-32 second-half lead.  A 4-0 spurt, spearheaded by Edwards put CWU up 42-36 mid-way through the half.
 
The Wildcats held onto the six-point advantage for the majority of the half but with 3:04 remaining the Falcons pulled to within two-points at 52-50.
 
Parker then found a cutting Johnson to take a 54-50 lead and again SPU responded with a score of its own with a minute and a half left.  After a CWU turnover the Falcons tied the score with 56.8 seconds left.  With 18.6 on the clock Johnson drove through contact and scored a go-ahead basket for the Wildcats.  On SPU's possession guard Aubree Callen was fouled and went to the foul line to shoot a pair of free throws.  Callen made both shots to tie the game with 2.4 seconds left.
 
The Wildcats drew up a great play that landed Johnson with an open three that found the front iron, forcing overtime.

"Our defense played well over the course of the game,"  Harada explained.  "They didn't hit a lot of shots, but they hit timely shots, which is what good teams do."
 
Neither team had scored after more than two minutes of play in overtime until SPU's Maddey Pflaumer scored with 2:34 on the clock.  After the teams traded baskets the Falcons held a 60-58 lead over the Wildcats with 1:49 remaining in overtime.
 
With 23.7 seconds left Parker nailed an 18-foot jumper to tie game and force a second overtime.
 
Seattle Pacific scored on their opening possession of the second overtime, and then took a 65-60 lead after making a three-pointer.  Central Washington made it a one-possession game after Locker made two from the charity stripe.  But the Falcons again gained a five-point advantage and the Wildcats. The wildcats scored just twice in the extra frame losing 64-73.

"Their (SPU's) execution in the second overtime was a little better than ours," Harada said.  "We got a little stagnant offensively and had a few costly turnovers, and we need to be a little more aggressive offensively down the stretch.  Bottom line is that I am proud of our effort, we played another tough ranked team. Definitely frustrating to have lost, but we have nothing to be ashamed of." 
 
The Wildcats next play Montana State billings this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion.