Women's Basketball | 1/18/2017 5:08:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 18) – The Central Washington University women's basketball returns home for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games as the hunt for the sixth playoff spot heats up.
 
"It's nice knowing we'll be home for a couple of weeks so hopefully we'll take full advantage of that," CWU Head Coach Jeff Harada said.
 
Currently, Alaska Anchorage sits atop the conference table with a perfect 8-0 record in GNAC play and a game in hand over Western Washington (8-1).  Simon Fraser holds a 7-2 record in third place.  Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene are both 5-3 in conference and occupy the fourth and fifth spots.
 
The sixth and final playoff spot has six teams vying for a conference berth.  Alaska and Montana State Billings lead the pack at 3-5, with Western Oregon and Concordia close behind (2-6).  Central Washington and Saint Martin's are only two games out at 1-7.

"Whether it's injuries or illnesses, we can't feel sorry for ourselves because every team is dealing with those same things," Harada added.  "Being mentally tough is so important this time of the year and we need to step up and have the guts to be basketball players not just this week, but the rest of the season."    
 
A pair of wins this week for the Wildcats would vault Central Washington directly into the fray for the final spot.
 
Alaska travels to Saint Martin's on Thursday (Jan. 19), while Concordia visits Northwest Nazarene and Montana State Billings heads north of the border for a matchup with Simon Fraser. The Wildcats host Western Oregon University.
 
"We've had some really good practices and I'm excited to see how we respond after a couple of tough losses," Harada noted.  "We know how important this week is as far as the standings and playoff hunt goes, but all that matters is Thursday night and a solid Western Oregon team.  We need to take care of what's in front of us first before thinking about potential games in March and I'm confident our team will be ready to do that."
 
The Wolves have lost four of their last five, including a pair of road games last week against Concordia and Montana State Billings.  Western Oregon has not won on the road since December 17, when they beat Humboldt State 69-60.
 
Western Oregon is averaging 63.1 points per game, while opponents have marginally outscored the
Wolves at a clip of 68.9 points per game.  They are shooting 39.6 percent on the year from the field and 29.7 percent from beyond the three-point line.
 
Shelby Snook leads the Wolves' offense, averaging over 15 points and three assists a game.  Sydney Aorr and Jasmine Miller are also averaging double-digit scoring efforts at just over 10 points each.  Miller leads Western Oregon in rebounding, pulling in 5.9 boards a game.
 
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday.
                                              
On Saturday (Jan. 21) the Wildcats host Concordia.  Western Oregon takes on Northwest Nazarene, while Billings travels to Western Washington, and Saint Martin's hosts Anchorage.
 
The Cavaliers have also lost four of their last five and have not won a true road game this season.  They are, however, 1-2 at neutral sites.
 
Concordia is averaging 62.1 points per game, while opponents are averaging 66.6.  From the field, the Cavaliers are shooting 36.1 percent on the season and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Danielle Hartzog leads the scoring effort at 12.9 points per game.  She is the lone Cavalier to average in double-digits, though Keesha Sarman (9.2) is close.
 
Tip-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
Live stats and video are available at wildcatsports.com