BELLINGHAM, Wash. (March 6) – For the fifth consecutive year, the Central Washington University women's basketball team is set to compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament. The team plays in the quarterfinal round against Concordia (Ore.) at noon on Thursday.
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, March 7 | 12:00 p.m. PST
vs. No. 5 Concordia (Ore.)
WECU Court at Carver Gym | Bellingham, Wash.
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FROM THE COACH
"Proud of this group on many levels this season," CWU head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "Especially, for the growth I have seen in our team. We are excited that our season gets to continue at the GNAC Tournament and know we have to come out and execute and compete at a high level in order to move forward. Concordia is a gritty team who can score the basketball. Our team needs to come out ready to compete, communicate, and commit to defending for 40 minutes."
FROM THE PLAYERS
"We are really excited to be here at the tournament," Sadie Mensing said. "We want to go out there tomorrow, execute our game plan and have some fun. From previous years, I know that anything can happen in the tournament which is exciting. Every team plays their hardest and it's really competitive. It's really important to stay composed and for our team to play our game."
"I'm very excited heading to tomorrow's game against Concordia," Brianna Phiakhamngon said. "Being able to play in the GNAC Tournament is something I've been looking forward to since the beginning of this season, especially since it's my first year with the team. I'm excited to be abel to have fun and compete this week and I cant wait to go out on the court tomorrow with my closest friends. It will definitely be a memorable experience."
SCOUTING CONCORDIA (ORE.)
The Cavaliers enter the GNAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed, accumulating a 16-12 overall record, going 11-9 in conference play. They've been hot as of late, stringing together five consecutive wins over Alaska Fairbanks, Western Oregon, MSU Billings, Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific.
The Cavaliers feature First-Team All-Conference player Keesha Sarman and Second-Team All-Conference player Olivia Vezaldenos. Sarman the Cavaliers with her 49.6 percent shooting from the field, 115 assists, 68 steals and 7.8 rebounding average. The senior guard finished second on the team with her 13.4 scoring average. This past season, she recorded 11 double-doubles with one being by points and assists and the rest by points and rebounds.
Vezaldenos was named this year's Newcomer of the Year as well as being a Second Team All-GNAC selection. The sophomore transfer led CU with her 15.9 scoring average, 84 percent shooting from the line, 83 three-pointers made and 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc. She also had 63 assists, recorded 45 steals, shot 38 percent from three-point range and averaged 2.7 rebounds per game.
THIS SEASON
The Wildcats and Cavaliers split their season series, taking a game apiece on the others home court. The Wildcats picked up their win on January 5, in Portland, Oregon 66-58. 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 half, holding the Cavaliers to a 21.7 shooting percentage. The Wildcats held a 32-25 lead going into the break. The Wildcats held onto that lead for the remainder of the game.
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.
In Ellensburg on January 31, the Cavaliers outlasted the Wildcats 78-69 in overtime. Central faced a 64-53 deficit with 3:30 remaining in the contest before putting together an 11-0 run to force the extra time. Phiakhamngon and Kaelie Flores each nailed three-pointers, Pana made three free-throws and Mensing added a lay-in to level the score late.
Pana had a chance to win the game in regulation with a quality three-point look. 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 in overtime.
Flores led the Crimson and Black with 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting, including three from beyond the arc. Shaw contributed 17 points and Mensing pitched in 10 of her own. Central assisted on 17 of their 26 made shots and forced the visitors into 17 turnovers.
