ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University women's basketball team takes on Concordia (Ore.) on the road in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, January 23
At Concordia
5:15 p.m.
Portland, OR
 
QUOTABLE
"This is a big week for our team as we have been striving to take steps forward in our growth and would like to finish off the first round of conference on a strong note," CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said.  "With Concordia, we really have to continue to take steps forward with being intentional in executing our game plan defensively every possession.  Offensively, we have to be more dynamic and play with more intent to utilize our roster's versatility."
 
SCOUTING CONCORDIA (ORE.) | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | 2018-19 STATS | 2019-20 STATS
The Cavaliers are 3-13 overall and just 2-6 in GNAC play.  The Cavs are currently in a three-game skid. 
 
Riley Friauf has been on a consistent stretch that has turned her into the focal point of the CU offense. Friauf is now averaging 9.9 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the field to go along with an average of 6.6 boards per game and is the only player to have started all 16 games this season. While her 9.9 average is second to Olivia Vezaldenos, Friauf does lead the team in points per game in conference play averaging 11.0 in GNAC contests.
 
Coming into the week, Vezaldenos ranks as one of the better 3-point shooters in the GNAC. The junior guard is top-four in the conference in 3-point field goals made, attempted, per game, and 3-point field goal percentage.
 
With 12 games left in the season, CU sits at number five in the GNAC in blocked shots and blocked shots per game. The Cavs are led by the duo of Dorcas Wu and Nakiyah LeSure. The two are both tied for 10th with 15 total blocks this season. LeSure sneaks ahead of Wu in the average category with 1.15, ranking sixth while Wu averages 1.07 and ranks ninth.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Central Washington comes into the week on a 2-4 stretch since conference play resumed after the holiday break and just one game back of Western Washington, whom they took down just last week, of the fourth spot in the conference standings.
 
Offensively the 'Cats are led by Alexis Pana who averages 14.4 points in 32.87 minutes per contest. Pana shoots at a solid rate from all over the court, hitting at a 41.4 percent clip from the field, 32.9 percent from deep, and 79.5 percent from the line.
 
CWU boasts three other scorers in double-figures as Kaelie Flores (12.7 ppg), Samantha Bowman (12.0 ppg), and Taylor Shaw (11.1 ppg) give the Wildcats a balanced scoring effort. Shaw currently leads the GNAC in 3-point field goal percentage hitting at a 43.8 percent rate from deep.
 
On defense, CWU is the top shot blocking team in the conference, averaging 5.1 blocks a game. Flores, Bowman, and Pana are two, three, and four in the conference averaging 1.81, 1.47, and 1.36 blocks per game, respectively.
 
 
CWU v CU HISTORY
Central Washington last met Concordia in the GNAC tournament a year ago.  The Wildcats got the better of the Cavs in a 68-65 affair, thanks to last second free throws from Alexis Pana. 
 
Overall, Central is 6-4 against Concordia since 2014.  Away from Ellensburg, the Crimson and Black are a perfect 4-0.  The Cavaliers' last victory over CWU came on January 31, 2019 in Ellensburg, when Concordia came away with a 78-69 victory.