SEATTLE, Wash. (Jan. 30) – The Central Washington University women's basketball team rolled to a 67-46 victory over Seattle Pacific University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup.  The Wildcats are now 15-5 on the year and 8-4 in GNAC play.  The Falcons fall to 6-13 overall and 3-9 against GNAC opponents.

"I'm really proud of how we responded after a very tough first half," CWU Head Coach Jeff Harada said.  "SPU plays really hard and they took it to us early, out working us on both ends.  The message was simple in the locker room and we stepped up and played our best half of the season."
 
Central's success on the road continues to a 9-1 record.  The Wildcats have not lost away from Nicholson Pavilion since Dec. 3 at Montana State Billings.
 
After trailing 14-13 after the opening ten minutes, the Wildcats pulled to a 22-21 advantage at the end of the first half.  Mandy Steward gave the Wildcats the lead after forcing a steal and converting both of her free throws after being fouled attempting a layup. 
 
Steward posted a career high 20 points, including a 4-6 mark from beyond the three-point line.  She added five steals as well. 

"Mandy got hot in the third quarter so we kept looking for her," Harada noted.  "She's had some big moments this year and tonight she found a nice rhythm within our offense.  She also did it on the defensive end and that was nice to see."
 
Central's offense found stride in the third quarter, posting 24 points and gaining a 46-28 lead, and did not look back.  The Wildcats outscored the Falcons 45-25 in the second half.
 
The Wildcats' win is the first in eight contests against Seattle Pacific, and just the third in the last 31 meetings between the two sides.  Tonight's 21-point margin is the largest margin of victory for Central against Seattle Pacific.

"The players were aware of the streak and there were seniors who had never beaten SPU," Harada added.  "They really wanted it."
 
Alexis Berrysmith finished 7-for-11 from the field with 15 points and five rebounds. 

"Our posts picked it up in the second half and were determined to score, so the combination of our inside and outside game was really clicking," Harada said.  "India was a lot more under control finishing and Alexis had the best game of her career."
 
After shooting just 28.57 percent in the first half, the Wildcats shot an astounding 78.26 percent from the field in the second half.  They finished with a shooting percentage of 51 for the night.  The Wildcats held Seattle Pacific to a shooting percentage of just 34.5, including a 2-for-15 mark from beyond the three-point arc.
 
Central's bench recorded 36 points.  The Wildcats scored 26 points in the paint and 17 points off of turnovers.  Defensively, Central recorded three blocks and seven steals.

"Just a really awesome team win with contributions from everyone," Harada noted.  "Really fun to watch."
 
The Wildcats are back in action next week for a pair of GNAC games in Nicholson Pavilion.  Central hosts rival Western Washington on Thursday (Feb. 4), before taking on Simon Fraser on Saturday (Feb. 6).  Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.