ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The 11th-ranked Central Washington University Women's Basketball Team grinded out a tight victory in Nicholson Arena Thursday evening and saw senior guard Asher Cai overtake the record for most career points in CWU history, now sitting at 1,969 career points.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 

• Final: Central Washington (57), Saint Martin's (54)
• Records: CWU (17-1, 8-0 GNAC), SMU (10-7, 6-2 GNAC)
• Location: Nicholson Arena (Ellensburg, Wash.)

 
QUOTING CWU HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH RANDI RICHARDSON:
 
"I was pleased to hold SMU to 54 points while also feeling like we sent them to the line too many times. SMU plays hard and disrupted us offensively and we struggled to find a consistent rhythm. However, our team didn't give in and continued to grind and find ways to make enough plays. Asher stepped up big in the fourth and gave us a huge lift. She's a special player and we needed that tonight.
 
I'm so incredibly happy for Asher to reach another incredible milestone of breaking the CWU scoring record. It's an amazing achievement and one that is earned and deserved. She's one of the hardest workers our program has seen which says a lot considering her company. Congrats to Asher, I'm so proud of her."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• A technical foul on the 'Cats gave Saint Martin's a free-throw to begin the game which Laiken Hill drained and backed it up with a layup a minute later and a couple minutes later Kiana Rios drained a three to make it a 6-0 start for SMU with 7:03 left in the first.
• A layup by Capri Sims at the 6:32 mark to make it a 6-2 SMU lead.
• The two teams battled back-and-forth forth for the rest of the quarter but a jumper by Annalee Coronado followed by a three from Cai to beat the buzzer sent the teams to the second quarter with SMU on top 15-14.
• Avery Oaster started the second quarter with a layup but was answered to by a jumper from Kayla Thornton and a layup from Sims to give CWU their first lead of the game at 18-17 with 8:49 left in the quarter.
• Harper Wagner got a layup for the Saints, but a pair of free-throws and a layup by Cai made it a 22-19 CWU lead with 6:53 left.
• Rios tied things up 30 seconds later with a three but was answered by back-to-back layups from Sims and Thornton to make it a 26-22 CWU lead with 3:16 left before half.
• A layup from Oaster and a pair of free-throws by Jada Travis tied things up for the Saints as the teams went into the halftime break knotted up at 26 apiece.
• Fiona Snashall earned the first points of the second half with a layup, but the Saints responded with back-to-back buckets to take the 30-28 lead with 6:47 left in the third.
• The teams exchanged a basket but a pair of free-throws and a layup by Rios made it a 36-31 SMU lead with 2:22 left in the third.
• Sierra Eddie drained a clutch three sparking a back-and-forth battle for the final two minutes of the third as a layup by Travis to beat the buzzer sent the teams to the final 10 minutes with Saint Martin's on top 40-36.
• Cai began the fourth quarter with a three followed by a jumper to give CWU the lead back at 41-40 with 8:58 to go.
• The two teams exchanged threes and a free-throw before a three from Coronado made it a 48-44 CWU lead with 5:08 to go.
• The Saints came back and tied things up with back-to-back buckets only to spark a back-and-forth battle as the 'Cats clung to a 53-52 lead with 1:54 left.
• Free-throws proved to be the difference maker as Cai drained a pair followed by Oaster of SMU draining a pair to cut it to a one-point game with nine seconds left.
• Cai drained another pair of free-throws and to make it a 57-54 CWU game thanks to a last second three attempt by the Saints getting blocked by Eddie.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:
 

• Cai led the game with 24 points, adding five rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.
• Thornton and Sims both tallied eight points and five rebounds with Thornton adding three assists and a block and Sims tacking on two assists, a block, and a steal.
• Eddie and Coronado added six points off the bench with Eddie contributing four rebounds, three assists, and a block and Coronado adding a rebound, an assist, and a block.
• Aliyah Finch added three points, four rebounds, and a steal while Snashall finished with two points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and a steal.
• Rylee Leishman had a rebound, an assist, and a block.
• The 'Cats shot 38.2 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from three, and 72.7 percent at the free-throw line.
• The Saints were paced by Rios with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Oaster added 13 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, one block, and three steals.
• SMU shot 32.7 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three, and 82.4 percent at the free-throw line.
• CWU won the rebound battle by a slight 38-37 margin.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
 

• CWU now leads the all-time series by a 43-36 margin.
• The 'Cats are 24-15 inside Nicholson Arena over SMU.
• CWU is 42-33 in GNAC contests against the Saints.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• The 'Cats will welcome the Western Oregon Wolves (9-7, 4-4 GNAC) for a Saturday evening showdown.
• The 'Cats and Wolves clash at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday inside Nicholson Arena.