SEATTLE, Wash. (Dec. 29) --  The Central Washington University women's basketball team fell in its return to play after the holiday break, 64-58, to Seattle Pacific in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup. 
 
The Wildcats are now 5-6 on the season and 0-3 in GNAC play.  The Falcons improve to a perfect 11-0 overall and 3-0 in GNAC competition.
 
Jasmin Edwards opened the scoring in the first quarter with a three.  The Wildcats held a slim advantage over the Falcons until a layup from Erica Pagano leveled the score at 6-6 with 7:08 to play in the first quarter.  Jordan McPhee gave Seattle Pacific its first lead of the night 40 seconds later with a mid-range jumper, 8-6.
 
The Falcons lead was short lived, however, as Taylor Baird brought the game back even with 5:06 to play in the opening stanza.  Mensing then drained a three, which Edwards followed with a layup of her own, for a 13-8 advantage. 
 
Seattle Pacific battled back to 13-12, but Rachel Lorentson hit a jump, giving the Wildcats a 15-12 lead with 1:23 to play in the first.  The Falcons' Rachel Shim knocked down a trey with 53 seconds on the clock and, once again, the game was level.  A late bucket, which gave the Wildcats a 17-15 lead, was negated by a pair of free throws from McPhee and both teams headed into the locker room with a 17-17 score line.
 
The Wildcats experienced an offensive drought in the second quarter.  Sarah McGee knocked down the first bucket at 9:44, but the Wildcats did not score again until Baird made a jumper with 1:18 remaining in the second.  The Falcons managed a 15-0 run prior to Baird's bucket.  With the jumper in and the drought over, the Wildcats trailed 32-21.  At the end of the first 20 minutes of play, the Falcons had secured a 34-21 advantage.
 
Baird finished with a double-double, recording 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Central Washington came out of the locker room in the third quarter as a new team.  Trailing by 13, Kortney Grattic got the Wildcats going with a jumper 41 seconds in the third.  The Wildcats hovered around an 11 point deficit until JonNae Richardson knocked down a jumper, after Taylor Shaw picked up a defensive board, with 3:50 remaining in the third.  Richardson's bucket brought the Falcons' lead into single-digits at 41-32.
 
With 1:13 remaining in the period, Lorentson picked up a defensive rebound after a missed three by Seattle Pacific's Lindsay Lee. Edwards notched a layup and brought the Wildcats within seven, 44-37.
 
The Wildcats battled back in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, cutting the Falcons' lead to two at 5:14 on a jumper from Baird. Sixty-one seconds later, Baird knocked down another shot and leveled the score at 51-51.
 
Seattle Pacific went to the line with 3:59 to play and Stacey Lukasiewicz converted both attempts from the charity stripe for yet another slim advantage.  Edwards wiped it away 11 seconds after with a jumper for a 53-53 lead.  Mensing gave the Wildcats' a lead with 2:57 to play, 55-53, but a quick answer by SPU's Julia Haining evened the score. 
 
With 1:42 to play, a costly turnover allowed Hollander to pick up her ninth point and give the Falcons a 57-55 lead.  The Wildcats chased the Falcons for the remainder of the game, but could not draw level.
 
Edwards finished with 15 points, seven assists, and four steals.  Baird also added two blocks and two steals to her night. 
 
The Wildcats are back in action on Saturday (Dec. 31) as they take on Saint Martin's University in Lacey.  Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.