ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University women's basketball team fell to in state rival Western Washington University 53-60 Saturday evening in Nicholson Pavilion. The Wildcats are now 6-8 on the season, 1-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Vikings were paced by Taylor Peacocke, who tallied a game-high 25 points (7-18), six rebounds and five assists.
 
Sophomore Sadie Mensing highlighted the Wildcat effort, recording a season-high 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting. She also recorded a season-high six points on seven attempts from the charity stripe.
 
Junior forward Taylor Baird netted her seventh double-double of the season, scoring ten points (4-9) and hauling in ten rebounds.
 
Rachel Lorentson recorded a season-high eight rebounds to go along with nine points.
 
The Vikings jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the early goings of the first quarter with Peacocke connecting on two jumpers. Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net, however, with the Wildcats only making three of their 15 attempts (20%) in the stanza to score eight points. Western Washington made six of their 19 shots (31.6%) to hold a 13-8 advantage.
 
A Viking turnover followed by a layup from Mensing kicked off the second stanza. The Wildcats would continue on an 8-1 run to gain a two-point lead (16-14). A tough defensive battle would ensure for the remainder of the quarter with neither team able to find a rhythm. With the score deadlocked at 18-18, Peacocke pulled up from behind the arch to give WWU a 21-18 advantage heading into halftime.
 
The Wildcats came out strong and controlled the action for most of the third quarter, with senior Kortney Grattic knocking down a three-pointer in the opening seconds of the half. Central battled back from a 28-23 deficit to even the score at 35 with just under four minutes remaining in the quarter. A pair of free throws by WWU's Tia Briggs gave them a 37-35 advantage, but Central responded with a layup by Baird. The Wildcats would enter the final quarter trailing 41-38.
 
Western Washington scored on their opening possession of the fourth quarter and continued on a 5-0 run to lead 46-38. The hot-shooting Vikings led by as many as ten (56-46) in the quarter, but back-to-back layups by Mensing and Lorentson would close the gap to six (56-50). Unfortunately, CWU could get no closer as Western Washington came away with the victory, 60-53.
 
The Wildcats will compete next on Jan.12 as they travel to north to compete against the University of Alaska Anchorage.