ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team officially begins their 2025-26 campaign with a trip to California to participate in the CCAA-GNAC Crossover, hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt.
 
GAME INFORMATION:
 
Friday, November 14
Central Washington vs. Cal State East Bay
5:30 p.m.
Lumberjack Arena
Arcata, Calif.
WATCH ($): HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
TICKETS: HERE
 
Saturday, November 15
Central Washington at Cal Poly Humboldt
7:30 p.m.
Lumberjack Arena
Arcata, Calif.
WATCH ($): HERE
LISTEN: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
TICKETS: HERE
 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON:
 
"We're excited to get the season going with two highly competitive west region games. Our team has been working hard and doing their part in getting themselves ready for this moment. I'm excited for them to go out and compete."
 
LAST SEASON:
 
CWU finished last season with a 23-8 overall record and a 14-4 GNAC record that helped the 'Cats tie for second in the GNAC standings. The crimson and black advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships a season ago where they advanced to the programs first-ever Sweet 16 taking down the third-seeded Point Loma Sea Lions by a 74-53 margin before taking down seventh-seeded Chico State in the battle of the Wildcats by a 79-73 score before falling to the top-seeded and eventual national runners-up the Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros by a 70-47 score.
 
CWU was led by a trio of 2024-25 GNAC All-Conference honorees; Sunny Huerta, Asher Cai, and Capri Sims. Huerta was tabbed the GNAC Player of the Year with unanimous First Team All-GNAC honors and finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in CWU history with 1,960 points. Huerta added WBCA Honorable Mention and D2CCA Third Team All-American honors last season as well. Cai was also a unanimous First Team All-GNAC honoree last season and also added D2CCA All-West Region honors. Sims added a second-straight Honorable Mention All-GNAC to her resume along with averaging just shy of a double-double last season.
 
LAST MEETINGS:
 
The Wildcats and Pioneers are meeting for the fifth-straight year with the 'Cats taking all four matchups during this span and CWU holding a 5-1 overall lead. Last season the 'Cats downed CSUEB during the opening weekend by a 92-57 score.
 
Huerta paced the 'Cats last season against East Bay nabbing 20 points. Cai added 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals while Shelby Blodgett tacked on 11 points and six rebounds. Aliyah Finch was one point shy of a double-double at nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
 
This will be the first clash with the Lumberjacks since 2009 for the crimson and black. The 'Cats own the all-time series 14-3 including a perfect 8-0 record in Ellensburg. The 'Jacks earned one of those three wins the last matchup on Nov. 20, 2009 in Seattle by an 88-72 score.
 
The Wildcats and 'Jacks met in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Seattle Pacific last time they clashed. Sophie Russell led the 'Cats with 19 points while Amanda Murdoch and Brooke Fernandez added 12 and 10 points off the bench, respectfully. Shaina Afoa led the 'Cats with eight rebounds and five steals while tacking on eight points.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS:
 
Cal State East Bay finished last season with a 9-19 overall record including a 7-15 CCAA record. They rattled off four-straight victories coming out of the holiday break, but their biggest victory of the season came at the end of the season when they took down NCAA playoff participant Chico State by a 73-67 score.
 
CSUEB is returning their top two scorers from a season ago in Taylor Eldredge and Aloha Akaka who averaged 11.1 and 10.5 points per game, respectfully. Eldredge was a CCAA Honorable Mention honoree last season. The Pioneers will be looking to replace two defensive standouts in Gwendilyn Aasland at 7.3 rebounds a game and Aunika Hornung who tallied 21 blocks to lead East Bay in those categories. The Pioneers will also be looking to replace their third-leading scorer and CCAA Honorable Mention honoree, Ariyah Smith who tallied 9.3 points per game but led the team with 99 assists and 64 steals last year.
 
The Pioneers welcome eight newcomers to the team this season. Freshmen Mia Va'asili and Monroe Anderson join East Bay with both earning All-Conference honors during their high school careers. CSUEB welcomed four junior college transfers this season in Hailey Estrada (Orange Coast College), Nivea Campbell (Phoenix College), Princess Byrd (Moorpark College), and Sanaa Dennis-Burch (Seward County Community College). They also added talent from fellow CCAA schools in Lucca Lowenberg (Cal State San Marcos) and Meredith Gilbertson (Sonoma State).
 
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS:
 
Cal Poly Humboldt finished the 24-25 campaign with a 9-19 record that included an 8-14 CCAA record. They began their February rattling off four-straight victories that saw them earn the season sweep over San Francisco State, Cal State East Bay, and Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
Headlining the 'Jacks this season will be 2024-25 Second Team All-CCAA forward Kyori Lloyd. Lloyd paced CPH with 11 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game while adding 20 assists, nine steals, and six blocks last season. Cal Poly Humboldt will look to replace Kaiija Lesane who led the team with 80 assists and 58 steals while being second on the team with 8.8 points per game. Riley Sanz is also back for Humboldt after having a solid freshman season with 8.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 38 assists, 19 steals, and five blocks on the season.
 
The Lumberjacks have a large class of newcomers to the program, three of which are freshman: Jada Barnes from Compton, California, Jordyn Smith from Tigard, Oregon, and Keana Gosney from Spokane Valley, Washington. Cal Poly Humboldt welcomed in a big junior college transfer class of six: Leamsi Acuna (Eastern Wyoming College), Alyssa Dreessen (Orange Coast College), Shade Satica (Butte College), Kya Kanoho (Lane Community College), Jaden Hill-Massarotti (Rio Hondo College), and Shayla Kantarevic (Cerro Coso Community College), and welcomed one NCAA Division II transfer in Sienna Cherwinski from Sonoma State.
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Wildcats will head to familiar territory as they travel to Nampa, Idaho for the GNAC-PacWest Crossover, hosted by Northwest Nazarene. CWU will first play the Vanguard Lions on Friday, November 21 at 4:00 p.m. PST and conclude the weekend against Westmont on Saturday, November 22 at 12:00 p.m. PST with all the action happening from inside the Johnson Sports Center.