Feb. 21, 2008

Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Guards Amanda Dunbar (R-Fr., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck) and Marelle Moehrle (Fr., Lynnwood/Meadowdale) each hit four 3-pointers, helping Western Washington University defeat Saint Martin's University, 68-60, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game Thursday on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

Dunbar had a game-high 20 points for the Vikings, who improved to 8-18 overall, 5-9 in the GNAC, with their fourth win in the last six games.

Saint Martin's fell to 15-7 overall and 8-5 in the GNAC with just its second loss in the last seven games. Krissy Bassett came off the bench to score 15 points for the Saints, and forward Sade Smith added 13 points.

The triumph avenged a 54-37 loss at Lacey last month for the Vikings, who had their lowest scoring output in 31 years in that game. Western surpassed the 37-point mark just four minutes into the second half Thursday.

The Vikings took control of the contest late in the first half, using a 10-2 run in a two-minute span to take a 26-15 lead with 2:19 left in the first half. Western held a 30-19 lead at halftime as the Saints shot just 25.0 percent (8-of-32) from the field in the opening period.

Western led by as much as 18 in the second half and held a 15-point edge, 54-39, with a little over six minutes left. Saint Martin's staged a late charge, pulling to within five, 59-54, on a layup by Smith with 2:18 left, but the Vikings scored on their next three possessions, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Moehrle, who had 14 points, was perfect on four 3-point attempts as Western was 8-of-16 on treys for the contest. The Vikings shot 44.7 percent (21-of-47) from the field for the game, including 55.0 percent (11-of-20) in the second half, and hit 18-of-21 free throws (85.7 percent).

The Vikings have had 89 player-games missed with injury this season and used 16 different starting lineups. Center Tara Holgate (So., Everett/Snohomish County Christian) made her first start after returning from thumb surgery and contributed 10 points and five blocked shots, and Kristin Schramm (Fr., Chelan) had 10 points off the bench.

Western makes its final home appearance Saturday (2 p.m.), entertaining Western Oregon University in a GNAC counter.