Women's Basketball Welcomes Alaska Fairbanks

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington University women's basketball continues its homestand this Thursday when the team welcomes the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks to Nicholson Pavilion.

GAME INFORMATION
vs. Alaska Fairbanks
Thursday, Feb. 6
5:15 p.m. PT
Nicholson Pavilion
Ellensburg, Wash.

QUOTABLE
"We are excited for this game. Alaska Fairbanks is a good team with some very talented scorers who challenged us the first time around," CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "We definitely need to be committed to defending from tip-off to the final buzzer."

SCOUTING ALASKA FAIRBANKS | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | 2019-20 STATS
The Nanooks come into Ellensburg owning a 7-14 overall record and are 2-10 in conference play. In true road games this season, UAF is winless at 0-6. They are have dropped 10 of their last 11 games.

The Nanooks currently average 67.1 points per game and are 37.4% from the floor overall. They shoot 32.1% from three-point range, which is fourth in the GNAC.

Defensively, UAF is last in the conference in points allowed. They give an average of 73.8 points per game to their opposition. Opponents shoot 42% against the Nanooks overall and 29.8% from deep.

Jocelyn Gandara is not only the leading scorer for UAF but also leads the entirety of the GNAC averaging 18.3 points per game. Teammate Sam Tolliver is second for UAF and sixth in the GNAC at 14.3 points per game.

Gandara also cleans up the boards the best for the Nanooks with a mark of 6.7 rebounds per game. Kylie Wallace is not far behind averaging 5.7 boards per contest. Wallace is also best shooter on the team at 52.8%, which ranks sixth in the GNAC.

Sabbrina Ungaro leads the way in ball distribution averaging 2.9 assists per game. She has help with Tolliver dishing out 2.1 per game. Ungaro also leads the way in steals at 1.6 per game.

Ungaro is also the top three-pointer shooter in terms of percentage. She shoots 37.8% from deep which is 10th best in the GNAC. Tolliver averages 2.4 made triples per game and shoots 32% overall. He average made three-pointers per game is second highest in the GNAC.

Tolliver is also the top player in the GNAC in minutes played. She plays an average of 35.5 minutes per game. Gandara is seventh at 30.0 minutes per game.

GNAC STATS LEADERS (As of Feb. 4)
The Wildcats currently sit fifth in scoring averaging 68.1 points per game. Their 44.4% overall field goal percentage is second highest, while their 34.7% shooting percentage from beyond the arc is also second.

On the defensive side of the ball, CWU holds opponents to just 62.4 points per game, which is third best. Opponents shoot just 38.5% overall and 27.5% from three-point range against Central. Both percentages rank in the top-five of the GNAC.

The Crimson and Black are also the second-best free throw shooting team in the conference at 75.5%. Their 38.8 rebounds per game sits fourth going into Thursday and they are second in blocked shots averaging 4.8 per game.

A quartet of players average double-digit points led by Alexis Pana at 13.7 per game. She is seventh in the scoring and her teammates all rank in the top-20 of the GNAC. Pana is also 15th in rebounds at 5.4 per game.

Kaelie Flores is the second leading scorer and 13th in the GNAC at 12.7 points per game. Right behind her at 14th is Samantha Bowman at 12.0 points per game. Taylor Shaw rounds out the double figure group at 11.2 points per game which is 20th in the conference.

Bowman is the leader in rebounds with an average of 7.3 per game. Flores is second at 6.7 per contest. Bowman's average is fifth in the GNAC, while Flores is two spots back in seventh. Bowman also has the top shooting percentage at 59.6%, which is second in the GNAC. Flores is 10th at 49.5%.

Pana continues to lead not only the team but also the GNAC in assists. The senior is dishing out 4.9 per game and has 89 in 18 games played. She is eighth in the GNAC in steals averaging 1.7 per game. Her assist-turnover ratio of 1.6 is eighth in the GNAC as well.

Flores also has one of the top free throw percentages in the conference. Her team leading mark of 87.9% is currently second in the GNAC. Pana and Bowman ranks seventh and 10th at 79.6% and 78.9%, respectively.

Shaw is the conference leader in three-point field goal percentage. She is shooting 43.8% from deep and has gone 42-96 this season. She is fourth in average three-pointers made at 2.1 per game. Pana is behind her in fifth averaging 2.0 per game.

Flores, Bowman and Pana all still sit in the top-10 in blocked shots. Flores leads the way at 1.8 per game and is second in the GNAC. Bowman is behind her in third at 1.4, while Pana is seventh at 1.1.

Pana and Shaw are in the top-10 in minutes played. Pana is third averaging 32.5 minutes per game, while Shaw is ninth averaging 29.4

LAST TIME OUT
Central Washington University women's basketball picked up win No. 12 of the season with a 71-62 home win on Saturday against Montana State Billings. With the win the Wildcats improve to 12-8 overall and 7-5 in the GNAC.

The Wildcats managed to tie the season series with MSU Billings with the help of their reserves outscored the Yellowjackets bench 25-7. Of those 25 points 22 came from Samantha Bowman alone who was the game's leading scorer.

As a team, CWU shot 43.4% for the game and was 35% from deep for the night. The 'Jackets managed to shoot 44.1% for the contest and were 31.8% from deep. The Wildcats trailed early in the game but outscored the 'Jackets in every quarter to start their three-game homestand on a high note.

Bowman also had three steals and a pair of blocks. Kassidy Malcolm poured in 15 points and grabbed 13 boards for a double-double performance. Kaelie Flores added 11 points and Pana chipped in 10 to round out the double-digit scorers. Alexis Pana also had a game-high six assists.

CWU vs. UAF HISTORY
The Wildcats are 40-16 all-time against the Nanooks since they first met in the 1974-75 season. The Crimson and Black currently have won the last six matchups against UAF following a 68-65 road win earlier this season on Jan. 11.

The last time the Nanooks took down the Wildcats was back in the 2016-17 campaign with a 69-56 win at home. Since then, CWU has ripped out five-straight victories, including a pair of season sweeps.

In three seasons as head coach, Randi Richardson-Thornley is a perfect 5-0 against UAF. In five total seasons now at CWU, including her time as the top assistant, the Richardson-Thornley and the Wildcats are 7-2 when taking on the Nanooks.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Samantha Bowman: C; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#20 Kaelie Flores: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#24 Kassidy Malcolm: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#14 Alexis Pana: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#13 Taylor Shaw: F; 5' 8"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#23 Samantha Bowman
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: C

#20 Kaelie Flores
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#24 Kassidy Malcolm
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#14 Alexis Pana
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#13 Taylor Shaw
: 5' 8"; Senior
: F