BELLINGHAM, Wash. (Mar. 7) – The Central Washington University women's basketball team is heading to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference semifinals for the first time under head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley. The Wildcats are set to take on the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves for the first time ever in the GNAC Tournament on Friday at noon.
GAME INFORMATION
Friday, March 8 | 12:00 p.m. PST
vs. No. 1 University of Alaska Anchorage
WECU Court at Carver Gym | Bellingham, Wash.
Watch | Live Stats | Fan's Guide
FROM THE COACH
"Happy for our team that we get to play another day," Richardson-Thornley said. "Tomorrow will be a challenge and excited to see how our team responds. UAA is a team who plays hard and executes at a high level. We have to compete for 40 minutes. "
FROM THE PLAYERS
"I'm super excited for tomorrow's game," Kassidy Malcolm said. "We know their tendencies and know what they do so we just have to go out there and give it everything we got and play our game. We have nothing to lose. I can't wait."
"Really excited to get another shot against Anchorage tomorrow," Taylor Shaw said. "Going to go out and give it all we've got, execute our game place and have some fun."
SCOUTING THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
The Seawolves enter the GNAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, sporting a 27-1 overall record with a 19-1 conference performance. The Seawolves extended their winning streak to 20 and earned their fourth outright GNAC regular-season title in five years with last week's victories over Northwest Nazarene (64-55) and Central Washington (69-51) at home.
The Seawolves have captured five of the first eight GNAC Tournament titles. UAA has an 11-3 record in GNAC Tourney games, including 5-1 in the semifinals and 5-0 in the finals. Last year, the Seawolves were the No. 2 seed and were upset by Seattle Pacific, 74-65, in the semifinals in Anchorage.
The team features GNAC Player of the Year Hannah Wandersee. Wandersee met her Preseason Player of the Year expectations and then some. She finished the regular-season at the top of the Seawolves' scoring list and inside the top-five throughout the league with an average of 14.3 points per game. Along the way she picked up three GNAC Player of the Week honors, leading the conference in the award that's issued throughout each week of the season.
Tara Thompson was earned Second-Team All-Conference honors. Thompson ranks ninth in the GNAC in three-point field goal percentage at 37.7 percent, along with other league ranks of seventh with 2.1 three-pointers per game. She's also the league's best in assist-turnover ratio at 2.9.
Yazmeen Goo and Sydney Stallworth earned GNAC Honorable Mention nods. Goo averages 9.6 rebounds per game while 56.3 percent from the field. Stallworth is incredible from three-point range, cashing in on 59.3 percent of her three-point attempts and is averaging 10.2 points per game. Head Coach Ryan McCarthy was named the GNAC Coach of the Year.
THIS SEASON
The Seawolves got the better of the Wildcats in both of their meetings during the regular season. The Seawolves took the meeting in Ellensburg 74-60 on November 29, 2018 before besting the Wildcats 69-51 in Anchorage last Saturday.
The first game featured back and fourth action between the Wildcats and Seawolves. Central and Anchorage exchanged baskets once again as both sides jostled for a chance to break away. The Seawolves found the break first, staking out a six-point lead with 3:56 left in the first half. Anchorage edged its advantage to 10, 43-33, as the buzzer sounded for halftime.
Trailing 43-33, the Wildcats came out of the locker room and cut the deficit to just three. Malcolm started the scoring with a layup, before Kaelie Flores knocked down a layup of her own. Alexis Pana was next on the Wildcats' run, hitting a jumper following a layup from Anchorage's McNair. After an Anchorage possession ended on a missed jumper, Shaw reeled in the rebound and Pana sank a trey. Wandersee responded with a layup, but Shaw found the mark from beyond the arc, bringing the score to 48-45 in favor of the Seawolves.
The Crimson and Black outscored Anchorage 21-14 in the third quarter, starting the final stanza 57-54 in favor of Anchorage. Wandersee found the score sheet first in the final period, knocking down a jumper to reinstate a five-point advantage for the Seawolves at 59-54. A free throw from Samantha Bowman and a layup from Sadie Mensing cut Anchorage's lead to 62-57, but the Seawolves were able to hang on for the victory.
Last Saturday, the Wildcats were uncharacteristically cold from three-point range against the Seawolves. The team shot a mere 17.2 percent (5-for-29) for the game. Flores and Brianna Phiakhamngon were the only Wildcats to knock down three-points, as Flores led the way with three. The Wildcats did find an advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Seawolves 45-32.
The Seawolves jumped out to a hot start in the opening quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 26-14. With 6:51 to go in the first half, a three-pointer from Flores cut the Seawolves lead to six points as the score sat at 28-22. Again, the Seawolves created separation and led 43-33 at halftime.
A three-pointer from Phiakhamngon made it a six-point game again with 3:55 to go in the third quarter. The Seawolves stretched their lead to 53-40 by the end of the period. The Wildcats were unable to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter.
