CLACKAMAS, Ore. – The Central Washington women's basketball team continues to pile on more honors to their stellar season. The tack on two more awards to their already phenomenal weekend after breaking two school and Great Northwest Athletic Conference records the past two games. 
 
GNAC TEAM OF THE WEEK
 
The CWU women's basketball team earned the GNAC team of the week honors following two convincing wins. First a 79 to 52 victory over Whitman, followed by a 92 to 44 victory over Walla Walla. 
 
The Wildcats broke their first record against Whitman as Samantha Bowman nabbed 31 rebounds which is a new not only school record but a GNAC record. Bowman's 31 rebounds broke Bria Thames of Saint Martin's record of 29 on January 18^th, 2020. 
 
Valerie Huerta "Sunshine" led all scores with 24 points, going seven for seven from the free-throw line. Bowman wasn't far behind with 19 points to go with her 31 rebounds, and both Huerta and Bowman tied with each other for the game high five assists. Asher Cai built upon a brilliant freshman year with 12 points while Tori Maeda added on 10 points. Ashley Schow added on four points, while Riley Johnson and Claire Heitschmidt added on five points. The Wildcats outrebounded the Blues 53-32. 
 
In the win against the Walla Walla Wolves the Wildcats were led by Sunshine with a new school and GNAC record of 46 points. Sunshine broke the previous record of 45 from Leada Berkey of Western Oregon back on February 21^st, 2008. Sunshine also broke another school and GNAC record in number of field goals made in a single game. The previous record was a tie at 16 from Leada Berkey of WOU in the same game as her now defeated record setting scoring night and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe of Northwest Nazarene on February 18^th, 2012. CWU also saw double-double contributions from Bowman and Cai, Bowman with 19 points and 15 rebounds while Cia added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Schow added four points, Heitschmidt added five, Johnson added three, and Shaylee Coulter-Fa'amafu added two. Maeda led the team with nine assists also also grabbing seven rebounds herself. The Wildcats shot an impressive 55.2 percent from the field while outrebounding the Wolves 51-29. 
 
"I'm happy for our team to receive the team of the week recognition," women's basketball head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "Our group has done a great job of focusing on what we can control and how we can get better and improve in the necessary ways we need to for GNAC conference play. I feel each week we have shown growth and that is all credit to their competitiveness and investment in each other. They have don't a great job up until this point, and I'm excited to continue to see how we can grow moving forward." 
 
GNAC WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK
 
Sunshine Huerta finished as the GNAC women's player of the week following her record-breaking performance this weekend. Sunshine finished with 70 points on the weekend, six rebounds, five assists, and went 13 of 14 from the free-throw line. Sunshine finished shooting 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point area. Sunshine has joined the likes of Bowman, Amanda Murdoch, Laura Wright, Alex Dunn, and Kizzah Maltezo as a GNAC record holder. 
 
"Happy for Sunny to receive this recognition from the conference," Richardson-Thornley said. "It's been so fun to see Sunny come into her own and trust herself to be herself on the floor. She has an innate feel and ability to score the basketball and it's fun to start to see that come through more in her play. She had an incredible night, it was fun to watch, and be a part of. I'm extremely proud of her."
 
The Wildcats will have more opportunities to shatter records following the holiday break. The crimson and black first invade Billings, Montana to take on the Montana State-Billings Yellow Jackets on Thursday December 29^th with a 6:30 p.m. pacific time tip-off. The conclude the weekend with a showdown against rival the Seattle Pacific Falcons in Seattle. The Wildcats hunt the Falcons on Saturday December 31^st with a 2:00 p.m. tip-off time.