BELLINGHAM, Wash. (March 7) - The Central Washington University women's basketball team has advanced to the semifinals of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships after outlasting the Concordia Cavaliers 68-65 in their quarterfinal game on Thursday.
For the Wildcats, shooting well has been an indicator for success throughout the season. On Thursday, it was free-throw shooting that proved to be pivotal for the Wildcats (18-10) in their GNAC quarterfinal contest with the Cavaliers (16-13). The team went 14-for-16 from the free-throw line. With the game on the line, Sadie Mensing hit pair of free-throws to put the Wildcats up 66-62 with 0:15 left to play.
"We shoot free-throws everyday at practice," Mensing said. "I tried to stay confident and relax and treat it like just another free-throw."
Concordia's Olivia Vezaldenos splashed a home a three-pointer to cut the Wildcat lead to 66-65 with 0:06 to go. The Cavaliers sent Alexis Pana to the free-throw line. Pana answered the call by netting both free-throw attempts. A half court heave from the Cavaliers fell short, giving the Wildcats the 68-65 win.
"It's just another free-throw," Pana said. "I like to tune everyone out. My teammates were cheering me on and it gave me the confidence to knock them down."
Separation between the Wildcats and Cavaliers came at the charity stripe. The Wildcats made 14 free-throws while the Cavaliers made seven. The Wildcats shot 46.3 percent from the field while the Cavaliers shot 45.2 percent. The Wildcats out rebounded the Cavaliers 33-29 while the Cavaliers dished out 13 assists to the Wildcats 12.
"Really proud of our team," CWU head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "They came out and battled and competed. It wasn't the best offensive night for us, but our players did not let that defeat them. They committed to defending and competing. Concordia is a team that plays hard. They have some really great offensive players and I felt like we did a good job of defending and keeping them off the boards."
The Wildcats got on the board when Taylor Shaw buried a three-pointer from the wing. Later, Pana would do the same thing, giving the Wildcats a 6-4 lead with 6:38 remaining in the opening quarter.
With 2:34 left in the quarter, the Wildcats trailed 12-10. Kassidy Malcolm converted a tough layup. On the defensive side of the floor, she grabbed a steal and sent it ahead to Kaelie Flores who made a tricky layup through contact. Flores converted the free-throw, giving the Wildcats a 15-12 lead. The Wildcats hung on to a 17-16 lead after the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats created separation from the Cavaliers late in the second quarter. JonNae Richardson tied the game at 26 with 4:01 left to play in the first half. On the next possession, Pana flowed by driving to the right and putting up a tough shot. She'd make the basket through contact and convert the and one, giving the Wildcats a 29-26 lead. Flores followed by banking home a three-pointer from the top of the key. Flores would cap a 12-5 Wildcat run with a three-pointer with 0:04 left to play in the half.
The Wildcats enjoyed a 36-31 lead at the break. In the first half, the Wildcats shot 41.9 percent from the field, but were able to knock down just three three-pointers. Fortunately for the team, the Cavaliers also struggled from three-point range in the opening half, going just 1-for-5 in the first 20 minutes.
"We were trying to be patient and take the best shot we could," Mensing said. "We knew it was going to be a battle the whole time. Staying composed and playing hard was important."
The Wildcats were able to extend their lead to seven when Malcolm hit a layup that put the score at 42-35. The Cavaliers closed the gap, as Vezaldenos made a layup through contact. She'd cover the free-throw and tie the game at 42 with 4:45 left in the third quarter. The Wildcat lead would grow and shrink throughout the remainder of the quarter, as they led 51-50 after three periods.
Richardson opened the fourth quarter by scoring four straight points for the Wildcats. The mini run gave the Wildcats a 55-50 lead with 8:42 left in the game. Malcolm hit a three that gave the Wildcats a 64-58 lead with 3:00 to go. The Cavaliers cut the lead to two points with 1:55 to play, but the clutch free-throw shooting would down the Cavaliers.
Pana was excellent for the Wildcats. She tied for a team-high 14 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Flores was fabulous for the team, scoring 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. Malcolm also shot 6-for-9 from the field. She scored 13 points with a game-high eight rebounds.
"I think our post players really stepped up," Pana said. "They got some boards and we had some second chance shots. We really shared the love and communicated on defense. That helped us get stops and play offense."
The Wildcats take on the University of Alaska Anchorage in the semifinals tomorrow at noon.
