NAMPA, Idaho- Three Wildcats recorded double-digits in scoring, but the Central Washington University women's basketball team could not avoid a 81-68 loss to Northwest Nazarene University on Tuesday in the Johnson Sports Center.
 
"Obviously not the result we wanted, but credit NNU for being the better tea tonight," CWU head coach Jeff Harada said. "They were tougher in all phases and deserved to win."
 
"I thought we did some nice things in spurts, but to win games, especially on the road, we need to defend and rebound," Harada continued. "Playing defense for one out of our quarters is not going to get it done."
 
Central (4-4, 0-1 GNAC) was led throughout by junior guard Jasmin Edwards and forward Taylor Baird, who combined for 24 points on 53% shooting (8-15), four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
Edwards recorded a team-high 14 points and dished out two assists. This was her third consecutive game with ten or more points and her sixth of this season. She shot 50% from the floor (5-10), including a 2-of-4 effort from beyond the arch against the Crusaders. She also tallied a pair of steals in the contest.
 
Baird turned in her seventh double-digit scoring effort of the season Tuesday after registering ten points, which included a 4-of-6 effort from the free throw line. She also hauled in four rebounds and one assist.
 
Sophomore guard Sadie Mensing tied her season-best with ten points and added a steal to her stat line.
 
Freshman forward Kaelie Flores hit three of her six field goal attempts and added three points from the charity line for a total of nine points.
 
Junior guard Sara McGee hauled in a team-high eight rebounds and added two points and an assist.
 
"It's easy to say we're young and inexperienced, but I was very pleased with the play from our freshman," Harada said. "though they looked like freshmen at times they combined for 22 points and gave us a spark to help close the gap in the second half."
 
The Crusaders went on a 5-0 run to start the game with the help of a successful 3-pointer from Kate Cryderman. With NNU ahead 9-4, the Wildcats strung together a 9-3 run of their own to capture their first lead of the game (13-12) behind successful jumpers from Mensing and Taylor Shaw. The Crusaders would recapture the lead, taking a 23-17 advantage after one period.
 
 Both teams traded scores on the opening possessions of the second stanza. Alexis Pana nailed a shot from beyond the arch to reduce NNU's lead to six (28-22). Unfortunate, Central could get no closer as the Crusaders led by 15 (41-26) with 3:10 left in the half. Jumpers by Edwards and Mensing would decrease the scoring margin, but NNU would take a 46-35 advantage into halftime.
 
The Crusaders shot an impressive 83.3 percent (5-6) from beyond the arch in the first half and outrebounded the Wildcats 16 to nine.
 
Baird recorded a contested basket for Central's first score of the third frame (48-37), but NNU recorded back-to-back jumpers to push their advantage to as many as 15 (52-37). The Wildcats responded with a 10-0 streak to close the gap to 52-47. A pair of NNU free throws and a jumper by Avery Albrecht would allow the Crusaders to regain a nine-point cushion (56-47) at the end of the third.
 
Kortney Grattic earned two points from the free throw to score CWU's first points of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, NNU would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game as the Crusaders came away with the victory, 81-68.
 
"Never happy with a loss, but if we can learn from it, it will help us grow as a team," Harada explained.
 
Nazarene (3-2, 1-0 GNAC) was led by a game-high 16 points from Kate Cryderman.
 
The Wildcats are back in action on Saturday (Dec. 3) as they take on Montana State Billings at 5:15 p.m.
 
-CWU-