ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team earned a convincing victory over the visiting Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks Thursday evening to open 2025. Asher Cai led the game with 25 points.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: RV Central Washington (87), Alaska Fairbanks (54)
• Records: CWU (9-2, 2-0 GNAC), UAF (5-6, 0-3 GNAC)
• Location: Nicholson Arena, Ellensburg, Wash.

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON:
 
"I thought UAF played extremely hard and were the aggressors the whole first half. We needed to check ourselves, make some adjustments, and respond in the second half, and I'm pleased with how we did that. We started to play inside to out, moved better, and shared the ball like we are capable. Our defense did a better job in the second half on Reimers, holding her to just two points, as well as defending the three like we needed." 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Sunny Huerta opened the game draining a three-pointer helping CWU build a five-point lead three minutes into the game at 9-4.
• A three-pointer by Taylor Tiulana sparked a 9-0 run by the Nanooks that was answered to by Huerta with another three to end the first quarter with UAF clinging to a 13-12 lead.
• UAF scored the first five points of the second to take the 18-12 lead just a minute into the quarter.
• A layup by Capri Sims followed by a three from Cai gave the lead back to the 'Cats with 7:19 left in the second.
• The Nanooks once again built up a five-point lead which sparked a bucket-for-bucket contest between the teams for the next two minutes.
• Back-to-back layups by Sims and Cai once again gave CWU the lead, but the 'Nooks countered when Jayda Van Dyke hit a layup of her own.
• The first half ended with a pair of free-throws made by Cai and a free-throw by Kayla Johnson of UAF to enter halftime knotted up at 31.
• Similar to the first half, the second half opened with a five-point run by CWU that was immediately responded to with a five-point run by UAF.
• The teams continued to battle back-and-forth for the next couple of minutes as a free-throw by Halle Waram tied things up at 47 with 4:01 left in the third.
• A 12-0 run by the 'Cats that saw three-pointers by Riley Johnson and Emily Shaw, layups by Johnson and Cai, and a pair of free-throws by Huerta solidified the Wildcat lead made it a 59-49 CWU lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
• The Wildcats kept the offensive push going to start the fourth with a 14-0 run to open the quarter, making four three's in the process to make it 73-49 CWU lead.
• The 'Nooks would get on the board with a layup by Johnson that was immediately responded to with a three from Malia Smith to force UAF to call a timeout with the crimson and black leading 76-51 with 5:32 left.
• An 11-0 run following the timeout put the Wildcats commandingly in the lead, but UAF would earn the final score with a three from Anna Nevison as the 'Cats cruised to the 87-54 victory.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Cai led all scores in the game with 25 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, one block, and two steals.
• Sims finished the game with 16 points, a game-high nine rebounds, a career-high five assists, and one block.
• Huerta also finished in double-digits with 14 points, adding seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
• Shaw led the Wildcat bench with nine points to make it back-to-back games with nine points, also tacking on two rebounds and two steals.
• Smith added six points, two assists, and one steal while Johnson added five points, a career-high eight rebounds, and four assists.
• Annalee Coronado also finished with five points and five rebounds while adding one rebound, two blocks, and three steals.
• Aliyah Finch had four points, five rebounds, and one assists while Jordy DeMott added three points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal and Shelby Blodgett tacked on three rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.
• The Wildcats finished the game shooting 53.1 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three, and 83.3 percent at the free-throw line.
• UAF finished the game shooting 36.7 percent from the floor, 23.5 percent from three, and 37.5 percent at the free-throw line.
• CWU won the rebound battle 44-29.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The Wildcats now lead the series 39-12 since 1997.
• CWU is riding a 14-game win-streak over the Nanooks.
• The 'Cats hold a 22-3 record over UAF inside Nicholson Arena.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Wildcats will host the other Alaska school on Saturday as the Seawolves of Alaska Anchorage (12-2, 3-0 GNAC) come to Ellensburg for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off.