ELLENSBURG, Wash.—Central Washington women's basketball is set to host Simon Fraser and conference rival Western Washington for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups this week.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, February 10^th
5:15 p.m.
Vs. Simon Fraser
Nicholson Pavilion
Ellensburg, WA
WATCH VIA SWX | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, February 12^th
4:00 p.m.
Vs. Western Washington
Nicholson Pavilion
Ellensburg, WA
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
QUOTABLE
"I'm excited to be back in Nicholson for two tough games this week," said Central Washington Head Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley. "SFU is a team who can put points up quickly and has one of the best players in the league. They will challenge us on both sides of the floor with their ability to shoot and their length on defense. WWU has been one of the best teams in the country all year. They are team who plays extremely hard, they're disciplined, and have a ton of depth. We will have to bring our best both nights to be able to come out on top."
 
SCOUTING SIMON FRASER
Simon Fraser is currently 8-10 overall with a 4-5 conference mark. The Wildcats and SFU squared off earlier this season in Burnaby, British Columbia, resulting in a 72-60 win for the Wildcats. Since then, Simon Fraser has put together a 3-1 run only losing on the road to Saint Martin's in Lacey, Washington.
 
Since her return Jessica Jones has been Simon Fraser's leading offensive threat. The 5-9 guard averages 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
 
As a team Simon Fraser is averaging 70.1 points per game and shooting .398 from the floor. SFU sits in second behind the Wildcats in the GNAC for three-point shots made per game, averaging 7.8 on a .313 shooting percentage.
 
SCOUTING THE No. 8 VIKINGS
The Vikings will head to Ellensburg after facing off against the Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, on Thursday night. Currently the Vikings sit 14-1 overall with a 6-1 conference mark. The single loss on the Vikings record this season came at the hands of the Wildcats 76-68, on their home court. 
 
The Vikings sit atop the GNAC in points allowed per game, holding opponents to scoring just 52.3 on average. WWU also leads the GNAC in shooting percentages averaging .463 from the floor and .341 from beyond the arc.
 
Western has leaned on senior Emma Duff all season. The 6-0 guard leads the roster averaging 15.9 points per game alongside 7.4 rebounds. Most notably, Duff is shooting .492 from the floor .840 from the charity stripe.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats are finally back in Ellensburg after a three-game trip up to Alaska. Central finished their trip 2-1, sweeping Alaska Fairbanks and falling to Alaska Anchorage in their final game. The Wildcats remain 15-5 overall with an 8-3 conference record. After the loss to Anchorage, the Wildcats are in a tie for second place with the Seawolves with both trailing Western Washington.
 
Central continues to lead the GNAC in offensive scoring averaging 72.9 points per game. CWU is also second in the conference in shooting behind the Vikings, shooting .431 from the floor and .330 from beyond the arc. The 'Cats also lead the GNAC averaging 8.8 three-point field goals per game.
 
Kizzah Maltezo continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 19.3 points per game on shooting .412 from the field and .333 from beyond the arc. Maltezo also leads the Wildcats roster with a total of 38 steals thus far this season.
 
Kassidy Malcolm is just behind Maltezo averaging 19.0 points per game. Last week Malcolm dropped a career high 30 points in the Wildcats 80-67 win over Alaska Fairbanks. Malcolm is second on the roster shooting .498 from the floor, but also leads the Wildcats shooting .431 from beyond the arc and .853 at the line.
 
Samantha Bowman continues to be the Wildcats weapon down low. Averaging 15.9 rebounds per game, Bowman leads all NCAA levels in rebounds per game. Bowman's 15.9 points per game makes her an offensive threat as well, shooting .502 from the floor. Bowman is tied for fourth in all of NCAA DII with 14 double-doubles thus far this season.

COVID-19 PROTOCOL
Masks are required inside Nicholson Pavilion, regardless of vaccination status.