ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington women's Basketball team (3-2) will have a quick turnaround for their home opener against Cal State Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Wildcats will also be hosting the Westmont Warriors (1-1) on Saturday with the Warriors also meeting Northwest Nazarene (0-2) for a battle inside Nicholson Arena on Friday.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Tuesday, November 14^th
7:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. RV Cal State Los Angeles
Nicholson Arena
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Friday, November 17^th
3:00 p.m.
Northwest Nazarene vs. Westmont
Nicholson Arena
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Saturday, November 18^th
5:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. Westmont
Nicholson Arena
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LAST OUTING
 
The Wildcats participated in the CCAA-GNAC Crossover last weekend, hosted by Cal State East Bay in Hayward, California. The Wildcats swept the weekend behind some outstanding performances.  
 
The Wildcats first defeated the hosting Pioneers by a 70-63 overtime come-from-behind win. The Wildcats were led by their starters with Sunny Huerta leading all scores with 22 points and Annalee Coronado posting 19 points. Asher Cai and Capri Sims each posted a double-double, Sims first of her young career. Cai finished the night with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Sims had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Sims and Tori Maeda each had two steals while Coronado posted three assists to lead the 'Cats in those respective categories.
 
CWU then topped Stanislaus State by a 66-58 score on Saturday afternoon. Cai led all scores this time posting a 20-20 with 24 points and 21 rebounds. Huerta was next on the Wildcats with 13 points. Sims had another productive night with eight points to pair with her 12 rebounds and all four of the crimson and blacks steals. Coronado finished the day with seven points while Malia Smith came off the bench for a solid six-point contribution. Shelby Blodgett finished the game with four points while Maeda and Keira Marsh each tacked on two. Marsh led the Wildcats with three assists.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH RANDI RICHARDSON-THORNLEY
 
"I'm excited to play our first game in Nicholson this year against one of the top teams in the west region," CWU Head Women's Basketball Coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said. "CSULA is a very well coached team who plays tremendously hard and have two of the best scorers at our level. We are excited for this challenge!"
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
 
LA is coming off a great season that saw them achieve a 20-10 record and a 16-6 CCAA record. They also made an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, falling to Montana State Billings 69-66 in the opening round. The Golden Eagles return 10 players from last year including their two leading scorers and only double-digit scorers Nicole Flennaugh (15.4 points per game) and Lilly Buggs (15.3 points per game).
 
The Golden Eagles opened their season with a 95-59 exhibition setback at UNLV where Gabriella Rones led LA with 10 points while Buggs and Cal Poly Pomona transfer Alicia Jones each tacked on eight points. Amaya Fuentes led LA with five rebounds while Flennaugh led with five assists. Four different Golden Eagles recorded a steal while Ronyae Jackson had two blocks.
 
LA was also in action over the weekend, participating in the WWU Veterans Day Classic in Bellingham. They first defeated Seattle Pacific by a 79-54 score where they were paced b Flennaugh and Buggs who scored 18 and 16 points, respectively. Amaya Fuentes and Donja Payne each had nine rebounds while Fuentes also led the Golden Eagles with four assists. Payne recorded the sole block for LA while the Golden Eagles combined for 12 steals, led by Buggs with three. LA shot 41.7 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from three-point attempts and 90.5 percent from the free throw line.
 
They then fell in a 76-69 overtime decision to the hosting Vikings. Three Golden Eagles scored in double-digits led by Flennaugh once again, this time with 21 points, Payne added on 14 points while Gabriella Rones finished the night with 15 points. Payne once again led the Golden Eagles with nine rebounds while Flennaugh dished out nine assists. The Golden Eagles combined for double-digit steals once again with 11 as Rones led LA with three of them. The Golden Eagles shot 36.2 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from three-point land, and went nine for nine at the free throw line.
 
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
 
The Warriors will be looking to make some noise in their inaugural season in NCAA Division II after posting a 25-4 record and a 16-2 conference record in their final season in the NAIA. They made it to the Sweet 16 before bowing out to Marian (Indiana) by a 68-57 final score. The Warriors return eight playmakers from a season ago. They lost their leading scorer but return their second leading scorer and only other scorer averaging double digits in Laila Saenz who put up 11.2 points per game. Also back are playmakers Kate Goostrey and Sage Kramer. Goostrey finished the season averaging 8.9 points per game while Kramer averaged eight points per game and was one of top rebounders last season, averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.
 
This will be the second trip to the Pacific Northwest this season for the Warriors. They opened their season and Division II debut at Western Oregon for a pair of games against the hosting Wolves and Saint Martin's over the weekend.
 
The Warriors first defeated the Saints in a tight 62-61 contest for their first NCAA Division II victory. Westmont finished the game with three players earning double-figures with Goostrey and Kramer each netting 11 points while Molly Garnand put up 10 points. Kramer was the leading rebounder with eight rebounds while Goostrey threw around seven assists. The Warriors had nine steals in the victory with Goostrey getting four and Bailey Fong getting three. Westmont shot 42.1 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from three-point range, and 88.9 percent from the free throw line.
 
The Warriors then fell to the hosting Wolves by a 76-68 final. The starters for Westmont balled out with four earning double-figures. Led once again by Goostrey who flamed 25 points while Aleena Cook added on 16 and Fong and Kramer added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Destiny Okonkwo snatched 10 rebounds while Goostrey had eight assists and two steals to lead the Warriors in each category. Westmont shot 41.1 percent on their field goal attempts, 36 percent from three, and 65 percent from the free throw line.
 
Westmont will be back in California to take on former NAIA conference foe Westcliff on Tuesday before their trek to Ellensburg to take on the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks on Friday, then the Wildcats on Saturday.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Wildcats will participate in the Western Washington University Thanksgiving Tournament in Bellingham. They'll first take on the Hawaii Pacific Sharks (0-2) on Friday, November 24^th at 4:30 p.m. before taking on the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons (0-2) on Saturday, November 25^th once again at 4:30 p.m. with both games happening from inside Carver Gymnasium.