NAMPA, Idaho – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team defeated the Vanguard Lions by a 66-58 score to begin the GNAC-PacWest Crossover at Northwest Nazarene Friday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (66), Vanguard (58)
• Records: CWU (3-0), VU (2-1)
• Location: Johnson Sports Center (Nampa, Idaho)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON:
 
"I'm so pleased to get the win against Vanguard. That is a great team full of talent and we knew going in it was going to take a great effort, grit to battle through challenges, and consistency in what we were trying to achieve on both ends. It didn't always look pretty, but we got the job done and that is huge as we continue to learn more about ourselves and find our identity on both ends. It was a huge game and fourth quarter by Asher which was critical in pulling this thing out."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• It was a back-and-forth affair to begin the game with each team exchanging buckets until back-to-back three's by Rylee Leishman and Fiona Snashall made it a 10-4 CWU lead, but Vanguard tied things up before the media timeout.
• Back-to-back trey's out of the timeout by Emily Shaw saw the 'Cats boost their lead up to six, 16-10 with 3:22 left in the first.
• A bucket by Kaylee Byon ended the first with the 'Cats owning a 21-16 lead.
• The two squads traded a bucket to begin the second quarter before a layup by Capri Sims followed by back-to-back three's from Cai and Snashall forced Vanguard to call a timeout with the 'Cats up 31-18 with 6:35 left in the quarter.
• The Lions chipped away but the 'Cats had a response for the next few minutes until a pair of free-throws by Micaela Hanning and a three by Byon sent the teams to the half break with CWU on top 37-31.
• The two squads continued to exchange buckets as the Lions pulled within three to end the third, 45-42 in favor of CWU.
• Back-to-back layups by Cai and Kayla Thornton to begin the fourth quarter saw the CWU lead go back up to seven, 49-42 with 8:59 left.
• An 11-3 run halfway through the fourth helped the 'Cats balloon the lead back up to double-digits, 60-47 with 5:56 left.
• CWU answered every bucket the Lions had until it was too late as a made free-throw and layup by Aryanna Hudson ended play with the 'Cats coming out on top 66-58.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Cai led the game with 27 points, adding five rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
• Snashall added 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and one steal.
• Sims finished with nine points, a team-high nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
• Shaw tacked on eight points off the bench and added one rebound.
• Leishman finished with three points, one rebound, and two assists while Thornton, Sierra Eddie, and Aliyah Finch all added two points with Thornton adding one steal, Eddie adding a rebound, and Finch contributing two rebounds and a block.
• The 'Cats finished the game shooting 49 percent from the floor, 35.3 percent from three, and 92.3 percent at the free-throw line.
• The Lions won the rebound battle 37-28.
• VU was led by Byon with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists while Hanning added 12 points, one rebound, one assist, and three steals.
• The Lions finished the game shooting 37.1 percent from the floor, 26.3 percent from three, and 87.5 percent at the free-throw line.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• The 'Cats are now 2-0 against the Lions all-time.
• Both clashes have been neutral site games.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• CWU will face the Westmont Warriors (2-1) to conclude the GNAC-PacWest Crossover. Tip-off is set for noon PST from inside the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa, Idaho.