Dec. 19, 2006

Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Guard Elyse Hartman (Jr., Eagle River, AK/Chugiak) scored 16 points and forward Liz McCarrell (Jr., Ferndale) added 14 as nationally ranked Western Washington University defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 82-49, on Tuesday in opening-day women's basketball action at the first Great Western Shootout being held at Valley High School.

Western, ranked No.14 in the latest USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25, improved to 7-1 with its seventh consecutive victory.

Cal Poly Pomona fell to 3-4. Forward Vanessa Dominguez led the Broncos with a game-high 20 points, and center Porsche Kirksey added 11.

Both teams started cold, with Cal Poly Pomona hitting just two of its first 14 shots and Western connecting on three of its first 23. The Vikings, who were coming off a 10-day layoff, found the range first, going on a 12-0 run in a four-minute span and opening up a 19-7 lead with 7:32 left in the first half.

The Vikings held a 28-16 lead at halftime, holding Cal Poly Pomona to 20.8 percent field-goal shooting (5-of-24). The Broncos pulled to within nine, 31-22, with 16:49 left, and were still down by just nine, 35-26, with 13:49 to go, but Western then pulled away. The Vikings went on a 14-2 run to take a 49-28 lead with 10:52 left, and never led by less than 19 after that.

Western shot 51.6 percent (33-of-64) from the field, hitting 68.8 percent (22-of-32) in the second half as it scored 54 points after connecting on just 34.4 percent (11-of-32) in the first half.

Guard Mollie Stelmack (Sr., New Westminster, B.C.) had 10 points and four steals for the Vikings, who had a 39-31 edge in rebounds. Hartman also handed out five assists.

Western had a 56-24 advantage in points in the paint and a 27-9 edge in points off turnovers. The Vikings got 46 points from their bench.

On Wednesday, Cal Poly Pomona facts Seattle Pacific at 11 a.m. and Western meets UC San Diego at 1 p.m.