ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University women's basketball team (12-4, 3-1 GNAC) faces another tough pair of games this weekend as they head on the road to square off against 21^st ranked Western Washington (10-3, 2-1 GNAC) and Simon Fraser (9-7, 1-2 GNAC).
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Thursday, January 11
7:00 p.m.
Central Washington at #21 Western Washington
WECU Court at Carver Gym
Bellingham, Wash.
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Saturday, January 13
7:00 p.m.
Central Washington at Simon Fraser
West Gym
Burnaby, B.C., Canada
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QUOTING HEAD COACH RANDI RICHARDSON-THORNLEY
 
"This is a very challenging week against two top-level opponents who compete at such a high level. We need great and consistent efforts in practice this week to make sure we have the confidence to execute and play at that level both nights."
 
LAST WEEKEND
 
The Wildcats opened 2024 and the resumption of GNAC play with a hard-earned split at home, falling first to 17^th-ranked Montana State Billings 82-73 before bouncing back for a 71-61 victory over Seattle Pacific.
 
Sunny Huerta led the charge against the Yellowjackets of MSUB dropping 29 points while Asher Cai added 22 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Annalee Coronado finished with nine points while Capri Sims finished with eight points. Tori Maeda dropped three points and a team-high four assists while Shelby Blodgett added two points.
 
Against the Falcons of SPU, Cai led the charge with 21 points while Huerta wasn't far behind with 19 and a game-high six assists. Sims added a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Malia Smith tallied nine points while Riley Johnson added six. Coronado finished with two points while Blodgett tacked on one.
 
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
 
WWU picked up right where they left off last season sweeping their opening weekend against two NCAA Division II Tournament teams from last season. They defeated Elite Eight participant and 11^th-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills 70-47 before backing it up with a 76-69 overtime victory over Cal State Los Angeles. They then traveled down to southern California where they split against two more NCAA Division II Tournament teams last season, falling first to 22^nd-ranked Cal State San Marcos 73-68 before getting revenge over 12^th-ranked Azusa Pacific by a 62-46 score after they eliminated the Vikings in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The Vikings posted big wins over Minnesota State Moorhead, Hawaii Pacific, and Biola before defeating Simon Fraser in their GNAC opener 64-57. WWU traveled back to California where they suffered their second loss of the season in a 74-69 decision at Dominican before bouncing back with wins over Cal State East Bay and Cal State San Bernardino. Last weekend WWU split up in Alaska, falling first 61-54 at Alaska Anchorage before getting a big 86-45 victory at Alaska Fairbanks.
 
The Vikings are led by Brooke Walling who's been a double-double machine for WWU, posting seven already this year to lead the Vikings in both points (16.9 per game) and rebounds (9.8 per game). Mason Oberg is also scoring in double-figures with 12.5 points per game. Stephanie Peterson has the most assists (47) and steals (31) for WWU. Walling is also the leader in blocks with 36 already on the season. The Vikings have the best defense in the GNAC so far in the season allowing only 55.9 points per game while scoring 70.6 points per game. They're shooting 44.5 percent from the floor, 30.8 percent on their three-point attempts, and 73 percent at the free-throw line. The Vikings are outrebounding their opponents 39.9 to 34.2 rebounds per game.
 
SCOUTING THE RED LEAFS
 
Simon Fraser hosted the CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic where they fell in all three games, 64-50 to 7^th-ranked Texas-Tyler, 77-60 to Colorado Mesa, and 82-75 to Texas A&M International. They bounced back to sweep their weekend in California defeating San Francisco State 71-56 and Cal State Monterey Bay 74-65. They posted two more wins in California, defeating Cal State East Bay and Stanislaus State before heading back north of the border for a victory over Minnesota State Moorhead. SFU traveled back to California where they posted two more victories over Concordia Irvine and Point Loma. They fell to Biola before falling in their GNAC opener at Western Washington. They split their series at Sonoma State before splitting up in Alaska last weekend, defeating Alaska Fairbanks 85-74 before falling to Alaska Anchorage 89-68.
 
SFU has four players averaging in double-figures led by the Wisotzki sisters, Jessica with 18 and Sophia with 14.7 Gemma Cutler and Grace Killins are each averaging 13.3 and 11.6 points per game, respectively. Cutler has been the leader in rebounds for SFU grabbing eight a game while Makenna Gardner has dished out the most assists with 47 on the season. Sophia Wisotzki and Gardner each have 24 steals on the season while Cutler has recorded an impressive 44 blocks. The Red Leafs are shooting 41.6 percent from the floor, 31.5 percent on their three-point attempts, and 75.7 percent at the free-throw line. They're outrebounding their opponents 40.3 to 36.9 rebounds per game.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Wildcats will head back to Ellensburg to welcome Alaska Anchorage (8-5, 2-2 GNAC) and Alaska Fairbanks (2-12, 0-4 GNAC) for a pair of battles. The crimson and black will entertain the Seawolves of UAA on Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. before the UAF Nanooks come to Ellensburg for a Saturday, January 20 battle at 4:00 p.m. with both games coming from inside Nicholson Arena.