ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 31) – The Central Washington University women's basketball team (12-6, 7-4) erased an 11-point lead to force overtime, but lost 78-69 to Concordia University Thursday evening in Nicholson Pavilion. 
 
Central faced a 64-53 deficit with 3:30 remaining in the contest before putting together an 11-to-0 run to force the extra time. Bri Phiakhamngon and Kaelie Flores each nailed three-pointers, Alexis Pana made three free throws and Sadie Mensing added a lay-in to level the score late. 
 
Pana's game-winning attempt from beyond the arc bounced in and out at the buzzer. Concordia separated in the extra period outscoring the Wildcats 14-5. Central scored all five of their points at the charity stripe; they shot 0-for-11 from the field. 
 
"We had an opportunity to win the game there at the end and just didn't execute what we wanted to do," Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "It's hard to win a game when you shoot 30 percent from the field and 25 from three."
 
Mensing led the home team with 18 points on 5-for-12 shooting. Pana added 16 of her own with six assists and Kassidy Malcolm tallied a 14 point, 15 rebound double-double.
 
The teams opened the contest trading baskets with the score knotted at 5 at the 6:56 mark. The Wildcats scored ten of the next twelve points to take an eight-point advantage near the end of the first period. 
 
The Cavaliers closed the period scoring 11 of the last 17 points to bring the Wildcat lead to three at 21-18. Mensing led the Wildcats with seven points in the opening frame. Malcolm and Alexis Pana added six each as well. 
 
Concordia opened the second period with a 10-to-3 run to take a four-point advantage with 6:27 left in the quarter. The teams battled the remainder of the frame trading baskets and bringing the score to a 37-36 advantage for the home team headed into halftime. 
 
Flores pitched in five points in the period, including one from the beyond the arc. The Wildcats shot 40 percent from the field for the half, but turned the ball over nine times.
 
The Cavaliers quickly tied the game at 39 a minute into the third period. The teams traded baskets for the following five minutes with neither gaining any separation. The visitors closed the period scoring eight of the last eleven to take a 53-48 lead into the final period. 
 
Mensing scored seven in the period to bring her total to 14 points. Malcolm added four points and six rebounds, notching a double-double at the end of three. 
 
The Cavaliers pushed their lead to ten three minutes into the fourth quarter 61-51. The home team put together 13 of the last 16 points to force the extra period. 
 
"Credit to Concordia for coming out and playing a great game," Richardson-Thornley said. "All of us need to get better heading into Saturday."
 
Western Oregon University comes to town Saturday, February 2nd. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. in Nicholson Pavilion.