Jan. 29, 2009

Box Score

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Guard Amanda Dunbar (So., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck) had a game-high 19 points, hitting all five of her 3-point attempts, helping Western Washington University topple nationally ranked Seattle Pacific University, 84-44, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game Thursday on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

Forward Willow Cabe (Jr., McCleary/Elma) had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Vikings, who improved to 11-5 overall and 3-2 in the GNAC. Center Claire Pallansch (Sr., Redmond) added 14 points for Western.

Seattle Pacific, ranked No.14 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 10 Poll, slipped to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the GNAC. The 44 points matched the fewest by the Falcons, who have won five of the last seven GNAC titles, since the 1986-87 season.

The Vikings trailed only in the first three minutes, but were up by just six, 26-20, with 7:30 left in the first half before closing the half with a 14-3 run to take a 40-23 lead at halftime. Dunbar scored the first eight points of the charge with two 3-pointers and a layup.

The margin was still 17 just under six minutes into the second half, but Western then blew the game completely open with a 16-4 burst over the next seven minutes that gave the Vikings a 67-36 advantage with 7:07 to play.

Western shot 57.9 percent (33-of-57) from the field, including 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) on 3-pointers. Seattle Pacific shot just 32.1 percent (17-of-53), slumping to 25.0 percent (7-of-28) in the second half. No Falcon reached double figures, with Megan Hoisington and Maddie Maloney sharing team-high honors with nine points each.

The triumph was the 799th in school history for Western. The Vikings can become the ninth NCAA school to reach 800-win plateau when it travels to Central Washington on Saturday (7 p.m.) for a GNAC counter.

Western turns back the clock in win over SPU

JOE SUNNEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

The race for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball title just got a lot more interesting.

The Western Washington women's basketball team looked a lot like the team that won a GNAC title four years ago, toppling 14th ranked Seattle Pacific University 84-44 at Carver Gym on Thursday, Jan. 29.

The Vikings held a 40-23 lead at halftime after going 6 of 7 from beyond the 3-point line, and cruised to their most lopsided win of the season.

"It feels unreal right now, " WWU senior Liz McCarrell said. "We knew we could win, but we really expected it to be a close game. In the past when we've beaten them it's come down to the wire, so this just seems unreal."

Western (11-5, 3-2) trailed just once in the early minutes of the game and never held a lead of fewer than 15 points in the second half. It was a far cry from the disappointing 85-68 loss the Falcons handed to WWU at the start of the conference season a few weeks ago.

"We haven't been consistent on defense and that hasn't allowed us to do our thing which is running, " WWU coach Carmen Dolfo said. "I think we were much more consistent on defense, we started to run, and that got our confidence going. Then we were able to start rolling together."

Western's defense forced SPU (12-4, 5-2) into 24 turnovers and managed 10 steals. The Falcons' 44 points matched its fewest points scored since the 1986-87 season. SPU came into the game ranked No. 14 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II poll. The Falcons had won the last four meetings between the two rivals.

"I think we just started clicking as a team during the (Montana State) Billings game on Tuesday, " Dolfo said. "I hope we can build off of this. We just have to keep working and stay focused."

Amanda Dunbar provided much of Western's spark in the first half, going off for 14 points and hitting four 3-pointers. She finished with a game-high 19 points. Willow Cabe added 16 points.

With the win Western jumps right back into the thick of the conference race. The Vikings now trail league-leading Alaska Anchorage by three games with home and away contests against the Seawolves still left on the schedule.

The women's basketball program will be looking for its 800th career win on Saturday, Jan. 31 on the road against Central Washington University.

"The last few times we've played SPU we got kicked, " Dolfo said. "So it was just great to see us focused and stay focused for the whole time."