ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington women's basketball is set to host its final two home games of the regular season this week. The Wildcats begin the final homestand against the Wolves of Western Oregon University.
 
GAME INFORMATION
vs. Western Oregon
Thursday, Feb. 20
5:15 p.m. PT
Nicholson Pavilion
Ellensburg, Wash.
 
QUOTABLE
"This is a big week for us as we look to finish off the season strong and continue to grow as a group," CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "Western Oregon is a very well coached team who is much better than their record. We are going to have to execute at a very high rate on both sides of the ball to have success."
 
SCOUTING WESTERN OREGON | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | 2019-20 STATS
The Wolves are just 5-18 overall and 2-14 in conference play entering Thursday's showdown with CWU. They have lost each of their last 10 games, including eight straight on the road. Their last win came back on Jan. 11 against MSU Billings, 64-56.
 
Offensively, WOU is second to last in scoring averaging just 58.5 points per game on 36.4% shooting from the floor overall. They have the worst three-point shooting percentage in the GNAC at just 26.1%.
 
On the defensive end, the Wolves are in the top half of the GNAC. They rank fourth in scoring defense giving up just 64.8 points per game and are second in field goal percentage defense at 38.4%. They allow just 31.8% from deep which ranks sixth overall.
 
Just one player ranks in the top-20 in the GNAC in scoring for WOU in Keyonna Jones. She is averaging 11.1 points per game to rank 18th. She shoots 43.3% from the field overall and is 21st in conference with her percentage.
 
Shariah Green is the only other double figure scorer for the Wolves at an even 10.0 points per contest. She is the team's top rebounder averaging 4.9 per game. Her rebounding is 17th in the GNAC. She is also 16th in shooting at 45.1% overall.
 
Tresai McCarver and Jones both distribute the ball the most for the Wolves in terms of assists. McCarver is at 2.6 assists per game to lead the charge and rank 12th in the GNAC, while Jones is 15th at 2.5 assist per game.
 
Jones and McCarvers also lead Western in free throw shooting. Jones shooting 78.2% from the free throw lie to sit 12th in the conference, while McCarver is 17th at 71.6% from the charity stripe.
 
The Wolves do have the conference's leader in blocked shots in Amber Winkler. She has 47 for the year and averages 2.0 per game to lead the GNAC. As a team, WOU is third in the GNAC in blocked shots at 3.7 per game.
 
GNAC STATS LEADERS (As of Feb. 18)
The Wildcats continue to rank fifth in overall scoring with an average of 69.3 points scored per game. They are second in both field goal percentage at 44.9% and three-point percentage at 34.9%, respectively.
 
On the defensive end, CWU is third-best in points surrendered at 64.0 points per game. They are fourth in overall percentage defense at 39.2% and second in three-point percentage defense at 34.9%.
 
The Wildcats still hold he top free throw percentage at an even 76% going into the week. They rank third in rebounds per game at 38.7. Central is also second in blocked shots averaging 4.6 per game.
 
Alexis Pana continues to rank in the top-10 in scoring at fifth with an average of 14.4 points per game. She is just eight points away from scoring 1,000 for her career.
 
Samantha Bowman is 14th in scoring at 12.3 points per game. Two spots back in Kaelie Flores at 12.3 points per game. Taylor Shaw is the only other double-digit scorer at 10.8 points per game. She ranks 22nd in the GNAC with her average.
 
Bowman and Flores are sixth and seventh in rebounding at 6.7 and 6.6. boards per contest, respectively. Pana is still 15th averaging 5.0 rebounds per game.
 
Bowman still leads the entirety of the conference in field goal percentage at 62.6% shooting overall. Flores is 12th at 47.9%, while Pana is 25th at 41.7%.
 
Pana is the GNAC leader in assists per game averaging 4.9 per contest. She also ranks ninth in steals averaging 1.7. She ranks 10th in assist-turnover ratio at 1.6.
 
Flores, Pana and Bowman all still rank in the top-10 in free throw percentage. Flores is third at 85.7%, followed by Pana in fifth at 82.8%. Bowman is eighth at 80.3%. The trio also sit in the top-10 in blocked shots.
 
Flores is once again the highest ranked Wildcat in second averaging 1.6 blocks per game. Bowman is right behind her in third at 1.4 blocks per game. Pana holds the No. 8 spot averaging 1.0 swat per game.
 
Shaw leads the GNAC in three-point field goal percentage and is in the top-five in average three-pointers made. She has the top percentage at 44.3% and ranks fourth averaging 2.1 made threes per game. Pana is third, also averaging 2.1 three-pointers made per game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Central Washington University women's basketball team fell to rival Western Washington University, 77-69, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup.
 
Pana finished with a career-high 26 points. Kassidy Malcolm finished with another double-double. She tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds, including four offensive boards.  The Crimson and Black finished with 20 points in the paint, 17 points off turnovers, and 18 second chance points.
 
CWU vs. WOU HISTORY
The Wildcats are 31-17 all-time against the Wolves in 48 meetings. The two squads first met in the 1975-76 season.
 
The Wildcats already defeated the Wolves earlier this season, 70-50, on the road back on Jan. 25. Central has also won 11 of the last 12 matchups against Western Oregon.
 
The Wolves split the series last season against CWU, with their win coming on the Wildcats' home court, 74-70. In three seasons as head coach, Randi Richardson-Thornley is 4-1 against WOU all-time.