Women's Basketball | 2/25/2015 11:46:00 AM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Feb. 25) -- The Central Washington women's basketball team is facing its most crucial pair of games this week when they travel to Western Oregon on Feb. 26 and Saint Martin's on Feb. 28 with a trip to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference on the line.
 
The Wildcats (11-13, 6-10 GNAC) are in a three-way tie with Montana State Billings and Saint Martin's for the final two spots in the GNAC tournament.  They also hold just a one game lead on both Alaska and Northwest Nazarene, so getting wins this week is a must for CWU.
 
"What an exciting way to end the conference season." CWU Head Coach Jeff Harada said about the upcoming games.  "We have an opportunity to do something special that no other team in program history has done.  It is do or die time and we will see if we deserve a spot in the conference tournament or not."
 
That last time CWU faced off with WOU and SMU they won both games by double digits.  They beat Saint Martin's 62-47 behind a 17 point performance by Courtney Johnson, and ran through Western Oregon 60-34, holding the Wolves to just 22.9 percent shooting.
 
The Wildcats have relied on their defense all season holding opponents to just 62.0 points per game, which is second best in the conference.  Luckily for the Wildcats, WOU and SMU rank ninth and tenth in both scoring and field goal percentage.
 
"In games like these with huge implications stats can get thrown out the window." Harada said. "Both Western Oregon and Saint Martin's are different and better from the last time we played.  They have both beaten teams we weren't able to, so we know we are up against two very good teams on their home floor"
 
Holding down the defense in the paint for the Wildcats is Jasmine Parker who ranks fourth in rebounding and third in blocks, and in the Wildcats last game became the schools all-time leader in career rejections.
 
Western Oregon has lost six of its last eight games, picking up a win last week on the road against MSUB.  Saint Martin's is in similar company, having lost four of its last six games after a three game winning streak.
 
The Wildcats will rely upon the play of Johnson, Parker and freshman point guard Jasmine Edwards who, on average, make up 58.3-percent of the Wildcats offense.  Edwards ranks fourth third in the conference in assists per game at 4.8 and is first in minutes played at 36.0.
 
"I think we matchup well with both teams and I expect two very tough and competitive games."  Harada explained.  "These are the biggest games of the year for us and its going to come down to who wants it more, who executes better and who does the little things more consistently."
 
If the Wildcats clinch a spot in the GNAC Tournament they will travel to Billings, MT to compete for a chance to win the conference championship on Mar. 4-7.