ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington women's basketball team will head to The Golden State to participate in the CCAA-GNAC Crossover, hosted by Cal State East Bay this weekend for two games against CSUEB and Stanislaus State.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Friday, November 10^th
5:00 p.m.
Central Washington at Cal State East Bay
Pioneer Gymnasium
WATCH LIVE STATS TICKETS
 
Saturday, November 11^th
1:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. Stanislaus State
Pioneer Gymnasium 
WATCH LIVE STATS TICKETS
 
LAST OUTING
 
The Wildcats are coming off a weekend participating in the CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic where they finished the weekend 1-2. CWU started out the season Friday with a 69-54 setback to Colorado Mesa where Asher Cai nailed 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds and two steals while Annalee Coronado drained 16 points with five rebounds in her collegiate debut.
 
On Saturday the Wildcats fell 82-64 to the Texas A&M International Dustdevils where Cai once again led the Wildcats getting a career-high 26 points in the game. She added on six rebounds, one block, and two steals. Sunny Huerta added on 16 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The crimson and black rebounded for the GNAC's first women's basketball win of the season with a 64-61 upset thriller over seventh-ranked Texas-Tyler on Sunday. Huerta broke out with a 27-point performance to go with her two assists, one block, and one steal. Cai maintained her pace with 20 points as well as seven rebounds, five assists, one block, and four steals.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH RANDI RICHARDSON-THORNLEY
 
"We're looking forward to another opportunity to compete, find out more about ourselves, and grow. These are two very important west region games against two very high-level opponents."
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
 
The Pioneers are coming off a 14-12 season that saw them go 11-11 in CCAA play. This will be their first regular season game of the season after a 90-52 setback at Nevada in exhibition play. They return two of their primary starters from a season ago including their leading scorer in Jaela Richardson who averaged 14.1 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. She also led CSUEB with 31 blocks and in field goal percentage, shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. Also returning for East Bay is Payton Sterk who averaged 8.8 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game a season ago.  Sterk led the Pioneers with 20 points in the exhibition against Nevada.
 
CSUEB has brought in a handful of talent with freshmen Lailah Carey (Novato, Calif.), Sierra Morris (Imperial, Calif.), and Myla Gibson (Redlands, Calif.) all joining the roster. They also found success in the transfer portal bringing in junior college standouts Josias Mickens (Garrett College), Aloha Akaka (Shoreline Community College), and Gwendilyn Aasland (Bellevue College).
 
The Pioneers and Wildcats met at Northwest Nazarene last season in the conference crossover with the Wildcats picking up the 84-63 victory. CWU was led by former Wildcat Sam Bowman who led all scores with 26 points while Huerta and Cai added 17 and 16 points, respectively and Tori Maeda tacked on 11 points. All-time the Wildcats lead the series 3-1 and are on a two-game winning streak.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
 
Stan State is coming off a 7-21 season including going 3-19 in conference play. The Warriors have an action-packed weekend playing an exhibition at the University of San Francisco Thursday afternoon before immediately diving into their season with the crossover. They'll play Northwest Nazarene on Friday before facing the Wildcats on Saturday. Stan State lost their only double-digit scorer from a season ago but wido return their second leading scorer Joia Armstrong who averaged nine points per game and led the Warriors with six rebounds a game and 30 blocks. Da'Myiah Lewis and Liliana Marques also return to Stan State after posting 7.9 and 7.8 points per game, respectively.
 
The Warriors brought back a majority of their roster from last season, but they still brought in some extra help. Kalyn Harris (Fairfield, Calif.), Asha Walker (Fremont, Calif.), and Talia Maxwell (Fresno, Calif.) all join the roster as freshmen. They also enlisted the help of San Francisco State transfer Mya Blake.
 
CWU and Stan State have played each other eight times already with the Wildcats leading the series 6-2 and are currently riding a five-game winning streak. The Wildcats and Warriors faced off in Nampa, Idaho last year as well as a part of the conference crossover with the Wildcats winning 86-62. Cai led all scores with 24 points while Ashley Schow added on 17 and Bowman tacked on 11.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Wildcats will head back to Ellensburg for their season opener next Tuesday, November 14^th with a showdown against fellow NCAA Tournament participant last year, the Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles. The Wildcats and Golden Eagles will play at 7:00 p.m. in the newly renovated Nicholson Arena. The Wildcats will then turn their attention to a showdown against new NCAA Division II members, the Westmont Warriors on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. from inside Nicholson Arena.