ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University women's basketball team earned a hard-fought victory inside Nicholson Arena Saturday evening over the visiting Seattle Pacific Falcons. Asher Cai finished as the leading scorer for CWU with 21 points in the win.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (71), Seattle Pacific (61)
• Records: CWU (12-4, 3-1 GNAC), SPU (5-9, 2-2 GNAC)
• Location: Nicholson Arena, Ellensburg, Wash.

 
QUOTING HEAD COACH RANDI RICHARDSON-THORNLEY:
 
"I'm pleased with the win and our composure down the stretch to make some big plays to pull ahead. SPU gave us a good fight tonight, that's good GNAC conference basketball. There was a lot of great learning to take away tonight, and we'll continue to grow and prepare for another big week next week."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• The Falcons used the paint to their advantage to a quick 4-0 lead to open the game.
• Cai got the 'Cats on the board at the 8:27 mark with a jumper to slash the SPU lead in half, 4-2, but the Falcons responded with a three to make it a five-point Falcon lead.
• Both teams battled with SPU maintaining their five-point lead, 11-6 heading into the media timeout.
• A 6-0 run by the 'Cats with buckets from Sunny Huerta, Capri Sims, and Annalee Coronado gave CWU their first lead of the night, 12-11 with 1:11 left in the first quarter.
• The Falcons wouldn't have it as they nailed five points to end the first quarter with the 16-12 lead.
• Huerta opened the second quarter with a bang, drilling a three to make it a one-point game again, 16-15 SPU.
• Seattle Pacific built out their lead back to four before Malia Smith drilled a three pointer to start an 11-0 Wildcat run capped by a three from Cai to make it a 26-19 Wildcat lead.
• SPU would dice into the crimson and black lead, but the Wildcats would lead going into halftime 32-27.
• Cai drained a three to open the third quarter and give CWU an eight-point lead, 35-27.
• The Falcons scored four quick points to tighten it up again before a Cai jumper and a Huerta three ballooned the 'Cat lead back up to nine, 40-31 forcing SPU to call a timeout.
• Both teams continued to battle before a defensive stop for CWU combined with another three from Smith put the 'Cats up by double-digits for the first time on the night, 49-38 with 1:20 left in the third quarter.
• SPU would use the last 1:20 to slice the Wildcat lead to four after a last-second three, putting CWU up 49-45 heading into the final 10 minutes.
• The teams opened the fourth quarter continuing their onslaught on each other with SPU tying the game at 54 apiece with 7:04 left in the game before Riley Johnson drilled a much-needed three-pointer.
• The teams would go back and forth with SPU tying it, then the Wildcats taking a small lead for the next few minutes.
• Buckets from Huerta and Sims followed by another three from Smith set the Wildcats up with a seven-point lead with 2:05 left in the game.
• Defensive stops and free throw conversions by Huerta and Johnson sealed the victory for CWU, 71-61.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Cai finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists to lead the 'Cats.
• Huerta wasn't far behind, finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
• Sims finished with her fourth double-double of her young career with 13 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
• Smith came off the bench and drilled nine points and had one assist.
• Johnson added six points, two rebounds, and a steal.
• Coronado continued to do a little bit of everything with two points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
• Shelby Blodgett had one points and one rebounds while Tori Maeda had one rebound and two assists.
• CWU finished shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent on their three-point attempts, and 73.3 percent at the free throw line.
• The 'Cats held SPU to 42.6 percent shooting from the floor, 40 percent shooting on their three-point attempts, and 81.8 percent at the charity stripe.
• The crimson and black held a significant advantage in the rebounding game with 38 compared to the Falcons 24.

SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The Wildcats are now on a two-game win streak, but SPU leads by a lot in the series, 30-11 all-time.
• CWU is now 8-13 against the Falcons inside Nicholson Arena.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will have another tough pair of battles next weekend as they head back on the road for the first time since opening weekend of GNACtion back at the end of November/early December.
• They travel to 14-nationally ranked Western Washington on Thursday, January 11 for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off time inside Carver Gym.
• CWU will then head north of the border for an international showdown in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada as they take on the Simon Fraser Red Leafs on Saturday, January 13 at 7:00 p.m. inside the West Gym.