BURNABY, British Columbia (Jan. 7) --  The Central Washington University women's basketball team snapped a three-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference losing streak by defeating Simon Fraser University Thursday evening by a score of 64-50.
 
The Wildcats improve to 9-4 on the season and 2-3 in the GNAC.  Simon Fraser falls to 4-6, 2-3 in the GNAC.
 
The Wildcats were paced by the play of both Jasmin Edwards and Jasmine Parker who had a hand in nearly every basket scored by CWU.  Parker scored a game-high 19 points and added 10 rebounds to record her third double double of the season.  Edwards added 13 points and six assists.
 
Central Washington's staunch defense was the key ingredient in the victory, holding the Clan to 32-percent shooting, including 27-percent in the pivotal second half.   The Wildcats forced SFU into 18 turnovers and converted the miscues into 13 points on the offensive end.
 
Simon Fraser held a 8-6 lead early in the first half before a layup and a pair of free throws by Parker gave CWU a 10-8 lead midway through the first quarter, sparking a 7-0 run capped by a three pointer by Kortney Grattic.  Grattic who averages just 1.9 points per game, hit two big shots from behind the arc in the first quarter to help CWU to a 39-30 halftime lead.
 
A third quarter run by the Clan pulled the hosts to within one point of the Wildcats who held a 48-44 lead leading into the fourth and final quarter.
 
The teams traded buckets for the first five minutes of the second quarter, however, the Wildcats gained separation due to a 9-0 run, with all nine scores coming from senior trio of Parker Alexis Berrysmith and India Matheson.
 
Mandy Steward finished off the Wildcat scoring by knocking down a pair of free throws giving the Wildcats their final 14-point lead.
 
Steward scored six of the Wildcat's 20 bench points as the CWU reserves outscored their counterparts 20-11.
 
Central Washington shot a healthy 45.1-percent from the field and made four of its six attempts from long range.
 
Simon Fraser was led by Elisa Homer who scored 15 points, but was just 3 of 10 from long range.
 
Next up the Wildcats travel to Bellingham to take on archrival Western Washington University on Saturday, Jan 9 at 7 p.m.