ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team earned a huge victory in a physical matchup Saturday afternoon over the 6th-ranked Montana State Billings Yellowjackets inside Nicholson Arena. Sunny Huerta led the charge for the 'Cats with 22 points.  
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (48), #6 Montana State Billings (45)
• Records: CWU (12-4, 5-2 GNAC), MSUB (16-4, 5-2 GNAC)
• Location: Nicholson Arena, Ellensburg, Wash.

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON
 
"This game was a grind it out defensive battle. Billings is a great team and dictated the pace. However, Coach Jes gave our team a great scout and I was so pleased with how they executed. Our commitment to defend all night, even when our offense was struggling, shows a ton of growth and maturity. Sun stepped up big in the second half to provide some consistent scoring to keep us close. In the fourth we executed down the stretch and came up with some big plays as well as big free-throws to seal the win. I'm so happy for our ladies."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Chloe Williams of MSUB started out with a hot hand nabbing the first five points of the game, but Sunny Huerta responded with a five-point run of her own to tie things up with 7:43 left in the first.
• A 9-1 run by the Yellowjackets forced Coach Richardson to call a timeout with MSUB leading 16-8 with 2:27 left in the first.
• A jumper by Asher Cai to beat the buzzer cut the CWU deficit to 16-10 after the first 10 minutes.
• Williams scored the first bucket of the second quarter but was responded to with a pair of buckets from Annalee Coronado and Capri Sims as well as a three from Malia Smith to cut it to an 18-17 Yellowjacket lead.
• The Yellowjackets responded with a quick 5-0 run but was answered by a pair of buckets from Huerta and a layup from Aliyah Finch to give CWU their first lead of the game, 23-22.
• MSUB wrapped up the first half with a pair of buckets to take the 26-23 halftime lead.
• The first bucket of the third quarter came at the 6:24 mark when Dyauni Boyce tipped in an offensive rebound to make it 28-23 MSUB.
• A pair of free-throws from Huerta and a layup by Sims once again cut the deficit to one, 28-27, but a jumper by Aspen Giese put MSUB back up 30-27.
• A three by Huerta tied things up at 30, sparking a bucket-for-bucket affair the rest of the quarter with a jumper by Cai knotting things up at 36 heading into the final 10 minutes.
• MSUB earned the first six points of the fourth to force Coach Richardson to call a timeout with the Yellowjackets leading 42-36 with 6:44 left.
• Coming out of the timeout, the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run thanks to a pair of buckets from Huerta and layups from Coronado and Finch to put the 'Cats up 44-42 with 2:56 left.
• Kortney Nelson would go 1/2 at the free-throw line to make it a 44-43 CWU lead with 2:40 left, but Cai connected to a wide-open Finch under the basket to make it 46-43 'Cats with 1:03 left and MSUB calling a timeout.
• A three by Nelson with 18 seconds to go to tie it was blocked by Huerta.
• Boyce earned another layup to make it 46-45 CWU, but Cai would swish a pair at the free-throw line with five seconds left to secure the Wildcats upset bid over the 6th-ranked Yellow Jackets by a 48-45 score.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Huerta led all scores in the game with 22 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal.
• Cai finished with seven points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
• Sims and Finch each had six points with Sims adding eight rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal and Finch adding three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
• Coronado had four points and two rebounds while Smith had three points and two assists.
• Shelby Blodgett had five rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
• The Wildcats shot 35.7 percent from the floor, 16.7 percent from three, and 62.5 percent at the free-throw line.
• MSUB finished the game shooting 33.9 percent from the floor, 11.8 percent from three, and 75 percent at the free-throw line.
• The Yellowjackets edged CWU in the rebound battle 38-37.

 
SERIES HISTORY
 

• CWU is 18-31 against Billings since 1997.
• The Wildcats hold a 10-13 record inside Nicholson Arena.
• CWU broke a five-game losing streak to the Yellowjackets.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will head back on the road as they travel to Lacey, Wash. to take on the St. Martin's Saints in Marcus Pavilion on Thursday, January 23 at 5:15 p.m.
• They'll conclude the road weekend at Western Oregon on Saturday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m. from the New PE Building in Monmouth, Ore.