Portland, Oregon - The Central Washington University women's basketball team completed the weekend sweep against Concordia (Ore), picking up a 66-58 win on the road on Saturday afternoon.
"I'm proud of our team for playing together down the stretch," CWU head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "We had multiple players step up and make big shots to help put the game into our control."
The Wildcat (8-3, 3-1) offense struggled throughout the first quarter against the Cavaliers (5-7, 0-4). With 4:33 remaining in the quarter, Kaelie Flores had scored all of the team's five points, as the Wildcats trailed 6-5. Alexis Pana came alive late, adding six points by quarter's end. As a team, the Wildcats shot 26.7 percent in the opening stanza. Despite the tough shooting performance, the Wildcats trailed by just four as the Cavaliers led 17-13 heading into the second quarter.
The Wildcats kept the game close with some stout defense. Three minutes into the second quarter, the Cavaliers were shooting the same 26.7 percent from the floor. The Cavaliers gained their advantage at the free-throw line, going 10-for-12 to that point.
With 6:54 left in the first half, Sadie Mensing made a backdoor cut that gave her enough space to bank in a layup, cutting the Cavalier lead to 19-17. The basket sparked an 17-4 run for the Wildcats that featured baskets from Pana, Brianna Phiakhamngon, Samantha Bowman and Taylor Shaw. The Wildcat defense was fierce throughout the first holding, holding the Cavaliers to a 21.7 shooting percentage in the half. The Wildcats held a 32-25 lead going into the break.
The Cavaliers shooting struggles disappeared in the second half against the Wildcats. The home team mustered a 17-7 run that lasted nearly entirety of the quarter. Mensing kept the Wildcats in the game, scoring seven of the team's 12 points in the quarter. In the closing seconds, Shaw nailed a three-pointer that gave the Wildcats a 42-44 lead heading into the final period.
The Cavaliers led 48-46 with 7:15 left in the game, when a three-pointer from Flores ignited a pivotal run. It was a 12-3 run that lasted 5:12, capped by a three-pointer from Shaw. Shaw went 3-for-4 from three-point range, with each bucket coming at the most opportune time. The Wildcats were able to fend off the Cavaliers for a 62-58 win.
Flores was solid for the Wildcats, leading the group with 16 points, while tying for a team-high seven rebounds. Pana also added seven rebounds, scoring 13 points along the way. Mensing and Shaw both chipped in 11 points. The Wildcats pulled in just three more rebounds than the Cavaliers, but earned 14 second-chance points while to the Cavaliers four. The Wildcats held the Cavaliers to a 5-for-19 shooting performance from three-point range.
"This was one of the best defensive efforts this team has had this season," Richardson-Thornley said. "We knew we needed to defend the 3 and built our defensive game plan around that. Being able to hold Concordia to 26% from behind the arch was key to getting this win."
The Wildcats are back in Ellensburg on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. against Saint Martin's inside Nicholson Pavilion.
