ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team (6-0) will welcome the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (5-3) to Nicholson Arena this Saturday to open GNAC play for the 2024-25 season.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Saturday, December 7
1:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. Northwest Nazarene
Nicholson Arena
Ellensburg, Wash.
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QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON
 
"We're excited to get into conference play. NNU is a very good team with some very good individual players who can make some really big impacts. I'm excited for the challenge they present and to see how our team comes ready to compete."
 
LAST WEEKEND


The Wildcats hosted the CWU Thanksgiving Tournament last weekend and came away with a pair of gritty victories. They first defeated Westminster (UT) 54-36 with a big second half surge to firmly put CWU on top. They followed that up with another big second half in a 59-48 victory over Biola.
 
In the victory over Westminster, the Wildcats were led by Asher Cai who finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Sunny Huerta and Capri Sims also finished in double-figures at 11 and 10 points. Huerta led CWU in rebounds and assists with 10 and four and added a steal while Sims finished with seven rebounds and a steal. The Wildcats finished the game shooting 40.7 percent from the floor, 26.1 percent from three, and 57.1 percent at the free-throw line. CWU outrebounded the Griffins 39-38.
 
Huerta and Cai led the 'Cats past Biola as they finished with 21 points and 18 points, respectively. Huerta added six rebounds and once again led CWU with four assists while Cai added nine rebounds, two assists, and led the crimson and black with four steals. Sims led CWU in rebounds with 10 while Keira Marsh had two blocks. The 'Cats collectively shot 39.3 percent from the floor, 26.1 percent from three, and 64.3 percent at the charity stripe while also outrebounding the Eagles 41-31.
 
LAST MEETING
 
CWU and NNU last clashed last season in Ellensburg with the Wildcats coming away with the 81-69 victory back on February 24, 2024.
 
Huerta (18), Sims (17), Cai (16), Annalee Coronado (14), and Shelby Blodgett (13) all finished in double figures in the game. Blodgett and Cai each had a double-double with Cai logging 16 points and 10 rebounds and Blodgett tacking on 13 points and leading CWU with 11 rebounds. Cai finished with two blocks while Blodgett had two steals.
 
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
 
Northwest Nazarene is currently 5-3 on the season. They earned a pair of wins to open the season in the GNAC-CCAA Crossover hosted by CWU, first defeating Cal State East Bay 83-69 before downing Stanislaus State 88-53. They put up a fight but fell 80-52 at NCAA Division I Oregon State. They also traveled down to California with the Wildcats where they earned a split, first an 86-68 setback at Westmont before bouncing back for the 56-53 victory over Vanguard. They won 77-60 at Cal Poly Humboldt before falling 75-65 in the first game of the SFU Thanksgiving Tournament but bounced back to wrap up the tournament with a 77-64 victory over Concordia Irvine.
 
As a unit, the Nighthawks are averaging 70.8 points per game compared to their opponents 67.4 points per game. NNU is shooting 41.6 percent from the floor, 30.6 percent from three, and 79.9 percent at the free-throw line. Northwest Nazarene is getting slightly outrebounded by their opponents 36.4 to the 35.8 NNU is averaging.
 
Kendall Clark and Madeline Gebers are both averaging in double figures for the Nighthawks with Clark averaging 15.4 points and Gebers averaging 10.9 points. Clark is also the rebound leader for NNU averaging 6.3 rebounds per game. Gebers has been the leader in assists with 20 on the season and is tied with Danika Starr for blocks, each with five. Chloe Deharo is leading NNU with 15 steals with Gebers not far behind with 14.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Wildcats will wrap up the remainder of their nonconference schedule in southern California over the holiday break. They open their road trip with a battle at 12th-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-0) on Wednesday, December 18 at 2:00 p.m. from inside the Torodome in Carson, Calif. They then take on Cal State Los Angeles (5-1) on Thursday, December 19 at 5:30 p.m. inside the University Gym in LA. The 'Cats wrap up their nonconference schedule with a rematch at Biola (1-7) down in La Mirada, Calif. inside Chase Gymnasium on Saturday, December 21 at 2:30 p.m.