Ellensburg, Wash. – A 17-7 run in the middle of the fourth quarter lifted the Central Washington University women's basketball team over Saint Martin's 85-82 on Thursday night in Nicholson Pavilion.
"I was extremely proud of them," CWU head coach
Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "It was a night where we struggled defensively and all credit goes to Saint Martin's. They have young kids who can really score and they play hard. I think when we started taking better shots on the offensive end, that helped our transition defense. Once we got stops defensively our offense started rolling a bit."
The Wildcats (9-3, 4-1) were held scoreless for the first 1:40 seconds of the first quarter against the Saints (4-10, 1-4).
Kassidy Malcolm opened the scoring with a layup through contact. She'd add the free-throw to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. The bucket started a 13-4 run that lasted a quick 2:34.
Kaelie Flores was dominate during that run, scoring eight consecutive points for the Wildcats. The Saints cut into the Wildcat lead as the quarter ended 21-17.
"I came into the game knowing that we needed to get it done," Flores said. "My teammates gave me great looks. Our offense was flowing really well in the first half and even better in the second half. The coaches had confidence in me and it was my time and we made it happen."
Claire Dingus knocked down a three-pointer to open the second quarter for the Saints as the Wildcats led by just one. At the 4:08 mark, Dingus scored a layup that tied the game at 34. The Saints used a 10-4 run lasting 2:03 to take a 44-38 lead in the closing moments of the first half.
Kassidy Malcolm splashed home a three, followed by a buzzer beating shot from long range from
Brianna Phiakhamngon, cutting the Saints lead to 46-44 at halftime.
The Wildcats shot 53.1 percent from the field in the first half, despite a 3-for-12 percent performance from three-point range. They made up the difference at the free-throw line, making all seven of their attempts. Flores led the team with 11 points at the break.
Alexis Pana had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. Malcolm scored eight points while leading the Wildcats with six rebounds.
Sadie Mensing got the scoring started for the Wildcats in the third quarter, tying the game at 46. Again, the Saints' Dingus hit a three-pointer that sparked a 2:34 run in which the Wildcats were outscored 12-4. Dingus scored seven points during that span.
The Wildcats answered with a nifty sequence of their own. Pana drilled a three-pointer, followed be a layup and a jumper from Mensing. After a Saints basket,
Aliyah Pana netted her own long-range shot, cutting the Saints lead to to 63-60 with two minutes to go in the third quarter. The Saints would hold a 68-60 going into the last quarter.
A layup from
JonNae Richardson got the Wildcats offense rolling in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats went on a 17-7 that lasted the middle 5:20 of the fourth quarter. Pana powered the run with a pair of clutch three-pointers, aided by four points from Shaw. The Wildcats would hang on in the closing moments for an 85-82 win.
The Wildcats offensive efficiency stuck with them throughout the game, finishing 53.1 percent from the field. Pana led the group with 21 points, going 8-for-12 from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from downtown. Pana had 11 assists and eight rebounds, nearly earning a triple-double. Flores poured in 17 points, going 7-for-10 from the field. Mensing had a strong night from the field, hitting seven of her 14 shot attempts. She finished the game with 14 points.
"The crazy thing about Lex is that she does it kind of quiet," Richardson-Thornley said. "You look at the stat sheet at the end of the game you realize the impact she had. Lex did a good job of controlling the game and handling the pressure of their defense and making smart decisions. Sadie in the second half attacked hips, got to the paint, finished the basketball. She got offense rebounds when we needed them. She was making gritty plays down the stretch when we needed them."
The Wildcats are back in action on Saturday at 5:15 when they host Seattle Pacific. The first 200 fans will receive a voucher to get a t-shirt prior to the men's game at 7:30 p.m. against Western Washington.
