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Feb. 9, 2009

Complete Release

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

UPDATE: Traveling 6,602 miles over a stretch of nine days, the Western Washington University women's basketball team has road contests at nationally No.1-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Thursday (5:15 p.m. AT) and Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday (5:15 p.m. AT), followed by a journey to Montana State Billings on Wednesday, Feb. 21 (7 p.m. MT). All three games are Great Northwest Athletic Conference counters.

The Vikings, No.4 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region rating, are 14-5 overall and working on a five-game winning streak. They hold down third place in the GNAC at 6-2, their biggest win being 84-44 over then nationally No.14-ranked Seattle Pacific on Jan. 29.

During the victory string, Western has shot 50.0 percent (146-of-291) from the field and 43.6 percent (34-of-78) from 3-point range.

Sophomore guard Amanda Dunbar leads the Vikings in both scoring and assists, averaging 13.4 points and 3.2 assists per game. She has scored double figures in nine of the last 11 contests.

Senior forward Jessica Summers, a transfer from NCAA I Idaho, is averaging 12.6 points and leads the team in rebounds at 7.8 per game. She had 21 points and eight rebounds in the win over Saint Martin's.

Senior center Claire Pallansch, who needs 26 points to reach 1,000 during her four-year career, is averaging 10.2 points and 5.9 rebounds. She has reached double-figure points in each of the last seven games, averaging 13.6 on 50.0 percent (41-of-82) floor accuracy during that span.

Junior forward Willow Cabe, who is averaging 8.9 points and 6.3 rebounds, has scored 10 or more points in the last four contests, averaging 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds over that stretch.

Sophomore guard Marelle Moehrle is averaging 7.0 points, hitting 44.6 percent (37-of-83) from 3-point range which ranks fourth in the GNAC. Junior forward Gabby Wade is averaging 6.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, shooting 76.7 percent (23-of-30) from the floor over the last six games.

The Vikings rank 18th nationally in 3-point shooting (37.7 percent) and 24th in 3-point percentage defense (27.2).

Alaska Anchorage is 22-1 overall and unbeaten in nine GNAC games, surviving a 56-55 scare last Saturday at Montana State Billings. Receiving a unanimous No.1 national ranking in last week's USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA II Top 25, the Seawolves are working on a school-record 20-game winning streak and are 16-0 at home this season.

UAA's only loss was 70-65 in overtime to Lake Superior State in the championship game of the Disney East Coast Tipoff Classic.

The Seawolves have won 20 straight home games, losing only one time in their last 50 contests at the Wells Fargo Sports Center, that being 78-77 to Seattle Pacific on Feb. 7, 2008.

Last year, UAA finished 30-5, winning the West Regional crown and reaching the NCAA II Final Four.

Leading the Seawolves is second-team DII Bulletin All-American 6-foot-2 senior center Rebecca Kielpinski (10.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg-2nd GNAC, 2.2 bpg-1st GNAC), who has been the GNAC Player of the Year the last two seasons. With three-year career numbers of 1,620 points and 1,085 rebounds, she already is the GNAC all-time leader in rebounds and needs three points to move into second place in scoring.

With Kielpinski being the only returning starter, UAA coach Tom Moser (3rd year, 75-12), who has players from eight different states and four foreign countries on his roster, recruited six transfers. Leading that group are 5-9 junior guard Nicci Miller (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg) from Central Arizona College and 5-4 senior guard Jackie Thiel (7.1 ppg) from NCAA I Florida Gulf Coast. Thiel leads the nation in 3-point accuracy at 61.3 percent (49-of-80).

UAA tops the GNAC in scoring margin (plus 23.3), scoring defense (45.3 avg.), rebounding margin (11.2), field-goal percentage defense (29.6) and 3-point pct. defense (24.9).

The Seawolves rank among the top 10 nationally in five categories, leading in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, being second in rebounding margin and fourth in scoring margin and 3-point defense.

Western holds a 22-6 series advantage, but has lost the last four meetings.

Alaska Fairbanks is 5-13 overall (Feb. 12 host Central Washington) and 0-9 in league play, losing its last nine games, all conference counters, following a 5-4 start.

In his first year directing the Nanooks is Darryl Smith (14th year overall, 239-145), who also coached eight years at NCAA II Metro State and five at NCAA I Wichita State.

UAF returns two starters, 5-8 senior guard Sheena Brown (9.6 ppg), an honorable mention GNAC all-star and second-team Daktronics West Region pick last season, and 5-9 senior guard Cristina Bruketta (8.4 ppg). Another top returnee is 6-2 sophomore center Nicole Bozek (13.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg-2nd GNAC).

Smith picked up two talented transfers from Foothill Conference champion San Bernardino Valley - 5-5 junior guard Jordan La-Quita (13.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg) and 5-9 junior forward Ronisha Edwards (9.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg).

Western leads the series, 29-5, splitting a pair of meetings last year.

Montana State Billings is 11-9 overall (Feb. 12 at Saint Martin's, Feb. 14 at Western Oregon) and 5-4 in league action, coming within one point of nationally No.1-ranked Alaska Anchorage last week. The Yellowjacktets (5-4 at home) have lost four straight and seven of their last 11 after a 7-2 start.

MSUB is led by 5-8 senior guard Alira Carpenter, who is seeking her second straight league scoring title with a 23.0 average, which ranks seventh nationally, making 57-of-138 (41.3 percent) 3-pointers. A second-team all-region and first-team GNAC all-star last season, she has been the team's top scorer in all but two games this season, matching her career high with 33 points against Colorado State Pueblo.

Also back for MSU Billings is 5-10 junior guard Shantell Marquis, who received GNAC all-star honorable mention last year. She is averaging 8.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 steals. Her assist average ranks fifth nationally, and she leads the league in both that category and steals.

Two other top players, both returnees, for coach Kevin Woodin (5th year, 83-51), are 6-0 sophomore forward Kayla Ryan (11.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and 5-10 senior forward Jen Smith (9.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg).

Western holds a slim 9-8 series edge, winning 86-73 on Jan. 24 at Bellingham.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Feb. 12 (Thu.) at Alaska Anchorage* (Anchorage, AK - 5:15 p.m. AT)
Feb. 14 (Sat.) at Alaska Fairbanks* (Fairbanks, AK - 5:15 p.m. AT)
Feb. 18 (Wed.) at Montana State Billings* (Billings, MT - 7 p.m. MT)
Feb. 21 (Sat.) WESTERN OREGON*# (BELLINGHAM - 2 p.m.)

Home games (all caps) on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium (WWU campus)
#broadcast on KBAI Radio (930 AM) and via the internet at wwuvikings.com
*Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest

THREE-DOT NOTES: Western's five-game victory string is its longest since winning seven straight early in the 2006-07 season ... Senior guard India Soo has been perfect at the free throw line over the last 16 games, hitting 10-of-10 ... Dunbar, who was the GNAC Player of the Week for Jan. 25-31, ranks fourth among GNAC leaders in scoring. Summers is fifth in rebounding and seventh in scoring ... Dunbar scored 37 points, the second-highest total in school history, in Western's 88-79 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 17, connecting on 12-of-19 field goals, 7-of-14 from 3-point range ... Summers missed three games this season with a fractured thumb on her non-shooting left hand and Pallansch was out for two contests with a back injury.

The Vikings lead the GNAC in field-goal shooting (43.3 percent, 503-of-1163) and blocks per game (4.0 avg.) ... Dunbar was named Most Valuable Player at the 2008 WWU Great Western Shootout and was last season's GNAC Freshman of the Year ... Western won GNAC titles in 2002 and 2006 ... Pallansch has accumulated 974 points, 717 rebounds and 103 blocks during her four-year career.

Summers' 17 rebounds in Western's win over Hawaii Hilo on Nov. 29 were the most by a Viking since Sara Nichols brought down 19 against Lewis-Clark State on March 6, 1998 ... Summers was named MVP at the WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic, earned all-tourney honors at both the GNAC/CCAA and CCAA/GNAC Challenge Classics and received GNAC Player of the Week recognition for her performance at the Hawaii-Hilo Invitational ... The Vikings opened the season with five straight tournaments. They swept two games at both the WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic and the Hawaii Hilo Invitational, while splitting a pair of contests at each of the GNAC/CCAA and CCAA/GNAC Challenge Classics as well as the WWU Great Western Shootout.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE: The Vikings are 385-68 (85.0 percent) in 37 seasons at Carver Gym and they are 9-1 at home this season.

COACH DOLFO: Carmen Dolfo is in her 18th year as head coach at Western. She has a 370-148 (71.4 percent) record. Dolfo ranks No.14 among active NCAA II coaches in winning percentage and No.23 in victories. Dolfo's teams have reached post-season play 15 times and have won 20 or more games 13 times. She was named GNAC Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2006, Northwest small college Coach of the Year in 2000 and Pacific Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996. Dolfo was the top Viking assistant for four seasons (95-28, 77.2) and earned All-America honors as a player at Western.

TRADITION OF SUCCESS: With 802 victories (283 losses) in its 38-year history, Western is one of just 10 colleges in the nation to reach that plateau... The Vikings have made 35 post-season appearances, including one stretch of 27 straight, with one semifinal and three quarterfinal finishes ... They also have had 27 20-win seasons ... Western has had 20 winning streaks of 10 or more games with its longest being 20 ... Former Western coach Lynda Goodrich, now the Vikings' director of athletics, is a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame. She coached Western for 19 seasons, winning more than 400 games (411-127, 76.4 percent). Another Viking NAIA Hall of Famer is forward Jo Metzger (1977-81), who earned first-team All-American honors in 1980 and 1981 ... Western has had 13 first, second or third-team All-Americans.

RADIO BROADCASTS: Selected Western games are being broadcast this season on KBAI Radio (930 AM) with Doug Lange handling the play-by-play and Mark Scholten providing the color commentary. They also can be heard on the internet at www.wwuvikings.com.

ON THE WEB: For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the Western Athletic web page at www.wwuvikings.com. Up-to-date league standings and statistics can be found on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web page at www.gnacsports.com.

PROBABLE WESTERN STARTERS & TOP RESERVES:

F Willow Cabe, 5-9, **Jr., McCleary, WA/Elma
F Jessica Summers, 6-1, Sr.-TR, Blaine, WA/Blaine/Idaho)
C Claire Pallansch, 6-1, **Sr., Redmond, WA/Redmond/Oregon State
G Amanda Dunbar, 5-9, *So., Marysville, WA/Marysville-Pilchuck
G Megan Pinske, 5-9, So., Coquitlam, BC/Port Moody/UBC

F Gabby Wade, 5-9, **Jr., Lacey, WA/River Ridge
G India Soo, 5-6, **Sr., Kamuela, HI/Kamehameha/Idaho State
F Liz McCarrell, 5-11, ***Sr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale
G Marelle Moehrle, 5-9, *So., Lynnwood, WA/Meadowdale
F Lauren Hefflin, 6-2, *So., Ridgefield, WA/Ridgefield
*letters won

LAST WEEK'S GAME SUMMARIES:

Feb. 5 WESTERN 64, Northwest Nazarene 61 at Bellingham

Western scored the first 10 points and led wire-to-wire, but still had to hang on late to defeat Northwest Nazarene, 64-61, in a GNAC contest at Carver Gym. Cabe had team-highs of 15 points and 11 rebounds as Western moved into third place in the league standings. NNU fell to 12-7 overall, 5-3 in the GNAC despite a game-high 20 points from guard Janee Olds. Olds, who had 16 points in the second half, missed a possible game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds left. Western jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first 2:45, and led by as much as 12 in the opening half before holding a 30-24 advantage at halftime. The Vikings were up by 10, 36-26, with 18:22 left, but Olds scored nine straight points in a little over a minute to narrow the gap to one, 36-35, with 16:52 left. The Crusaders never led, but narrowed the gap to one twice more, the final time at 61-60 on a layin by Lindsay Brady with 1:45 to play, but Western's Summers then got a layin and free throw that put the Vikings up by four with 1:13 to go. NNU guard Mallory Whipple, who missed 12 minutes of the second half while getting stitches for a deep cut on her chin, made one of two free throws with 16 seconds left to narrow the margin to three, 64-61. Cabe then missed two free throws, setting up NNU's final missed 3-point attempt. Pallansch had 14 points for Western, and Dunbar had 11. The Vikings, who hit four of their first five shots from the field, finished at just 35.0 percent (21-of-60). The win snapped a four-game series losing streak for Western against the Crusaders and avenged an 88-79 loss at Nampa, Id., on Jan. 17.

Feb. 7 - WESTERN 86, Saint Martin's 78 OT at Bellingham

Saint Martin's guard Jamey Gelhar set an NCAA Division II record for consecutive free throws made, but Western prevailed in overtime, claiming an 86-78 victory in a GNAC contest at Carver Gym. Summers had 21 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings, who claimed their fifth straight victory and are 9-1 at home this season. Guard Roni Jo Mielke had 20 points on 8-of-12 field-goal shooting for Saint Martin's, which fell 14-7 overall and 5-4 in the GNAC. Gelhar added 16 points, making all four of her free throw attempts to extend her consecutive streak to 58, breaking the old NCAA II mark of 55. The Saints forced overtime as center Krissy Bassett hit a shot from the left wing with five seconds left to tie the score at 74-74. The Saint Martin's players believed the shot was a 3-pointer and celebrated as Western's Wade missed a 3-point shot as time expired, but Bassett's basket had immediately been ruled a 2-pointer. Western, which didn't trail in the final 30 minutes of regulation, took control in the extra period as Summers hit a post-up and free throw and Pallansch followed up with a short jumper, putting the Vikings up by five with 3:32 to play. Dara Zack scored to narrow the margin to three, but a 3-pointer by Dunbar pushed the margin back to six, 82-76, with 2:14 left, and the lead was never less than six after that. The Vikings had led by 12, 69-57, with five minutes left, but Saint Martin's ran off 11 straight points, seven of them by Mielke, to narrow the margin to one, 69-68, with 2:23 left. Summers hit a free throw with 57 seconds left to give Western a 74-70 lead, but a Michelle Short layup 16 seconds later narrowed the margin to two, setting up Bassett's shot. Cabe had 13 points for Western, which shot 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field. Moerhle had 11 points, and Pallansch, Dunbar and Wade each added 10.