Nov. 11, 2016 Box Score | Game Book
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Led by a game-high 28 points from senior guard Taylor Peacocke and a career-high 26 points from senior forward Kiana Gandy the No. 20 Western Washington women's basketball team to a commanding 91-49 season-opening victory over Humboldt State Friday afternoon in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic at Brougham Pavilion.
The Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak to the Lumberjacks with their eighth victory in the last nine season openers. WWU entered the season as the favorites to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and are ranked 20th in the nation in the D2SIDA Preseason Media Poll.
Peacocke (Kenmore, WA/Inglemoor) was 10-for-16 from the field and hit 6-of-9 three-point attempts while narrowly missing her second career 30-point game. The senior also recorded a team-high 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a pair of steals in 31 minutes on the court.
Gandy (Des Moines, WA/Mount Rainier) matched Peacocke shooting 10-for-16 from the floor, pouring in a career-high 26 points in 27 minutes. Gandy was 4-for-8 from three-point range and added 6 rebounds.
Sophomore center Nikki Corbett (Camas, WA) also reached double-digits with 12 points (6-for-9 shooting).
"We started a little slow, but when our defense kicked in our offense started to take off," said head coach Carmen Dolfo, who enters her 26th season at the helm of the Vikings. "Kiana and Taylor shot the ball very well, and we did a great job of moving the ball and finding the open player."
The Vikings trailed much of the first quarter, including an early 7-2 deficit. Peacocke hit a three-pointer with 49-seconds remaining in the opening frame to tie the game at 10-10 and then freshman Lexie Bland (Ellensburg, WA) connected on a short-range jump shot with 4-seconds remaining to give WWU a 12-10 lead.
Western then opened the second quarter with a blistering 13-0 run to extend the lead to 25-10 and never looked back. Gandy scored 13 of WWU's 23 second-quarter points and Peacocke poured in 18 of her game-high 28 points in the second half.
The Vikings return to action tomorrow in the season-opening Sodexo Tip-Off Classic facing Fresno Pacific at 1 pm.
Game Notes: Taylor Peacocke moved into sole possession of 11th place in WWU history with 1,223 points...Peacocke has scored in double-digits in 30 consecutive games...WWU has won 8 of last 9 season openers...WWU scored 32 points off turnovers.
