ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team will conclude the regular season this Saturday as they travel to Idaho to square off against Northwest Nazarene.
GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, March 1
12:00 p.m. PST
Central Washington at Northwest Nazarene
Johnson Sports Center
Nampa, Idaho
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QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON
"This is another big week to finish off our conference season. NNU is a very good team who plays very hard and they can hurt you inside and out. We have to come prepared, ready to compete, and execute at our highest level on the road for our last conference game."
LAST WEEKEND
The Wildcats wrapped up the home portion of their schedule with a weekend sweep first defeating the Western Oregon Wolves 64-56 then backed it up on Saturday to honor three seniors
Shelby Blodgett,
Sunny Huerta, and
Malia Smith with an 81-74 victory over the St. Martin's Saints.
A 33-14 run over the second and third quarters helped the Wildcats push ahead to defeat the Wolves. Huerta paced the 'Cats with 20 points, adding six rebounds and four assists.
Capri Sims and
Annalee Coronado also finished with double-figures at 16 and 12 points with Coronado contributing the sole CWU block on the night.
Asher Cai had 13 rebounds. CWU finished the night shooting 36.5 percent from the floor, 23.1 percent from three, and 92.3 percent at the free-throw line while WOU shot 36.5 percent from the floor, 20 percent from three, and 77.8 percent at the free-throw line. The Wildcats won the rebound battle 48-30.
A fourth quarter surge helped the Wildcats secure the victory over the Saints. Four different Wildcats scored in double-digits led by Huerta with 26 while Cai and Coronado each added 14 points and Sims tacked on 13. Sims and Coronado each had six rebounds while Cai dished out six assists with Blodgett getting the sole CWU block on the night. The 'Cats shot 44.6 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from three, and 86.2 percent at the free-throw line while SMU shot 40.5 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three, and 50 percent at the charity stripe. The Saints won the rebound battle 46-33.
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
NNU is 16-10 on the season and 10-7 in GNAC play and have clinched a spot in the GNAC Tournament. The 'Cats and 'Hawks met in the first GNAC matchup of the season taking place in Ellensburg with CWU winning 74-60 back on December 7. The Nighthawks have posted a sweep of Alaska Fairbanks, Simon Fraser, and Western Oregon while splitting with Montana State Billings, Saint Martin's, Seattle Pacific, and Western Washington and were swept by Alaska Anchorage and posted a nonconference victory over Metro State in the process since the two teams met in Ellensburg.
The Nighthawks average 72.4 points per game and give up 72.0 points per contest to their opponents. NNU averages 41.9 percent from the floor, 31.6 percent from three, and 75.6 percent at the free-throw line while opponents have averaged 40.5 percent from the floor, 32.4 percent from three, and 72.2 percent at the free-throw line. The Nighthawks outrebound their opponents 38.0 rebounds per game to 37.4 their opponents grab. NNU dishes out 14.2 assists per game and match their opponents' turnovers per game at 20.4 with 10.8 coming as steals for the 'Hawks. The Nighthawks average 3.0 blocks per game.
Kendall Clark and Madeline Gebers lead the Nighthawks with 15.6 and 11.3 points per game, respectively. Clark leads the rebounding efforts at 7.2 per game while Gebers has the most blocks with 17 on the season. Chloe Deharo has contributed the most assists and steals at 64 assists and 51 steals.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will turn their attention to the postseason as they head back to Lacey, Wash. for the GNAC Tournament, hosted by St. Martin's. The Wildcats are currently slotted third in the GNAC and would play the hosting Saints in the first round if the tournament were to happen tomorrow, but the 'Cats could finish anywhere from second to fourth depending on what happens this weekend with Montana State Billings and Western Washington as those two schools meet each other in Billings on Saturday. The hosting Saints are currently slotted in the sixth and final spot for the tournament and only need to win one of their games this weekend against the Alaska schools to clinch the final spot with Simon Fraser lurking on the outside needing a sweep this weekend at MSUB and Seattle Pacific and SMU to get swept by the Alaska schools to land a tie for the sixth spot.
