Women's Basketball | 1/11/2017 4:00:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 11) – The Central Washington University women's basketball team heads to Alaska for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska.
 
The Wildcats are coming off a pair of tough losses to Simon Fraser University and Western Washington.  Despite dropping both games, the Wildcats held Western to just 60 points.  The Vikings had been averaging 80 points per game.  Central's defense proved tough, something head coach Jeff Harada prides his team on.
 
"I expect us to compete," Harada said of his team's upcoming games. I want us to not worry too much about those teams, but worry about ourselves.  I want us to execute our offense and defend the way we are capable of defending, like we showed against Western Washington.  I want us to be able to execute and put ourselves in a position to win the game."
 
The Wildcats play No. 7 Anchorage on Thursday (Jan. 12).  The Seawolves are riding a nine game winning streak, after dropping both Western Oregon and Concordia last week.  Anchorage posted 105 points against Western Oregon, a season high for the Seawolves.  A 13-1 overall record, with a 6-0 GNAC mark, has the Seawolves sitting atop the GNAC standings.
 
"They're talented and athletic, they're really fast," Harada noted.  With us being a little banged up right now, we hope we can contain the kids we need to contain.  The tricky thing is, they have more than one kid that can hurt you.  We can't focus on just one player, but we can try to take away some of the things they want to do."
 
The Wildcats will have to slow down Autummn Williams, the Seawolves leading scorer.  Williams is averaging 17.9 points per game, or roughly 21 percent of her team's scoring a night.  The Rochester, N.Y. native is dialed in on the floor, shooting 54.3 percent from the field.  She also leads the Seawolves in steals, pickpocketing opponents 35 times thus far on the season.
 
"If we can limit their top players to below their average and not allow bench players to have career nights against us, I think we can stay in the game and have a chance," Harada added.
 
Central Washington will also have to contend with Sierra Afoa and Alysha Devine, who lead Anchorage in rebounding with 4.5 and 4.1 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
As a unit, the Seawolves average 83.1 points and 36.6 rebounds per game.  They are also shooting 45.7 percent from the field.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center.
 
The Wildcats then play Alaska on Saturday (Jan. 14).  The Nanooks are 6-7 overall and 2-4 in GNAC play.  They are 2-3 in their last five games, but won back-to-back contests before falling to Western Oregon on Jan. 6.  Prior to playing the Wildcats, the Nanooks take on Northwest Nazarene University on Thursday (Jan. 12).
 
 "Fairbanks is playing well; they are a solid team," Harada said.  "They have a pair of solid post players in Kaillee Skjold and Jordan Wilson who have posted quite a few double-doubles already.  We know what they are going to do, we have played against them for two years already.  We need players to step up."
 
Wilson and Skjold are averaging over 33 minutes per game each and are the Nanooks' leading scorers.  Wilson averages 22 points per game and is shooting nearly 60 percent from the field at 59.8 percent.  Opponents have struggled to find an answer for Wilson.  On top of her proficiency from the field, Wilson is also shooting 90.2 percent at the charity stripe.  Skjold knocks in 14.5 points per game and adds 9.5 rebounds.  She is also second in assists with 53.
 
"Fairbanks in above us in the standings, they're where we want to be," Harada added.  "We haven't won at their place in awhile, being the second leg of the road trip as well, it's tough.  Every team in this league has to do it, so no excuses there."
 
The Nanooks are averaging 71 points per game, but their defense is allowing 72.  The Wildcats will have to play strong defensively to contain Alaska.  As Wilson and Skjold are both five-foot-eleven and play underneath quite often, Harada and company will need Taylor Baird to have a strong outing.
 
"Taylor has come in and established herself as one of the better post players in her first year," Harada said of his junior transfer.  "It has been a transition for her, as well.  She came from a program where she played some and she transitioned here where she had to figure out where she belonged in our system."
 
The Snohomish, Washington native is averaging a team high 13.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.  Baird has accumulated six double-doubles this season, including a double-double in each of the Wildcats' last two games.
 
"It has taken her a few games, but she has shown what she is capable of doing," Harada finished.  We count on her to do a lot in the paint."
 
Central Washington will also need another solid outing from Sadie Mensing.  The Snohomish, Washington native has pilfered opponents' pockets 21 times on the year, including three times in each of the last three games.  The sophomore guard tallied a season high 15 points against Western Washington.  Mensing averages 8.8 points per game and 1.5 steals per game.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday against the Nanooks.
 
Live stats and video are available through the GNAC's stretch portal, HERE.