ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Nov. 7) – The Central Washington University women's basketball team hosts the 2017 Wildcat Crossover Classic starting Friday (Nov. 10).  The Crossover is a two-day featuring the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Central Washington and Alaska Anchorage, the PacWest's Hawaii Pacific, and the California Collegiate Athletic Association's Cal State Los Angeles.
 
QUOTABLE
"I'm excited," CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said on making her coaching debut.  "I'm excited with the team we have and to make my debut at Central Washington."
 
"I want us to compete," Richardson-Thornley added, "I want us to control the tempo.  We have the talent and the depth to compete every possession.  There's no reason for us to play tentative."
 
"I'm expecting a tough team," Richardson-Thornley said of Cal State LA.  "They are going to test us.  It's a great in-region game for us.  Cheryl is a seasoned coach and has done a great job in her time with the Golden Eagles.  Her teams are tough to defend and are solid on offense."
 
"Hawaii Pacific brings back a lot of experience and talent from their NCAA run last season," Richardson-Thornley noted of the Sharks.  "They play an exciting style of basketball.  It should be a battle between two teams with depth.  Both games are a great way to start out the season for us with a pair of quality in-region opponents."
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE LA
The Golden Eagles finished last season with a 15-14 record, but recorded a 12-8 record in CCAA play.  In their lone meeting with the Wildcats, Central Washington came away with an 82-71 victory.
 
Rikke Fabricius returns as the lone senior for Cheryl Miller.  Fabricius averaged 14.1 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during the 2016-17 campaign.  Cal State LA averaged 63 points and 34 rebounds per game, while shooting at a clip of 40.2 percent.  The Golden Eagles allowed 65 points per game.
 
SCOUTING HAWAII PACIFIC
The Sharks posted a 21-7 record last year under Reid Takatsuka, including a 17-3 mark in PacWest play.  The Sharks' run came to an end in the NCAA Division II West Regional with a 63-53 loss to Alaska Anchorage.
 
Breanna Mackenzie returns for the Sharks after leading the offense last season.  As a junior, Mackenzie averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.  The Sharks averaged 70 points per game, while holding teams to 60.  As a unit, the Sharks shot 39.5 percent from the field.
 
WILDCAT CROSSOVER CLASSIC
The schedule for the Crossover is as follows:
Friday, November 10
12:00 pm - Alaska Anchorage vs Hawaii Pacific
2:30 pm – Central Washington vs Cal State LA
 
Saturday, November 11
1:00 pm – Alaska Anchorage vs Cal State LA
3:00 pm – Central Washington vs Hawaii Pacific
 
All games will have live stats and a live stream, HERE.