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Feb. 23, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

UPDATE: Making its final two home appearances of the season, the Western Washington University women's basketball team entertains Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) and nationally No.6-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Vikings, No.4 in last week's NCAA Division II West Region rating, are 16-7 overall and tied for third in the GNAC standings at 8-4 with Northwest Nazarene. Alaska Anchorage, which has lost its last two games, is tied for first-place at 11-2 with Seattle Pacific.

Last week, Western split a pair of league contests. The Vikings lost 67-62 at Montana State Billings, completing a 6,600-mile road trip to Alaska and Montana, then returned home for an 83-67 triumph over Western Oregon.

Western is 10-1 at Carver Gym this season. This week's home games are the last for four Viking seniors. They are center Clair Pallansch, forward Liz McCarrell, guard India Soo and forward Jessica Summers.

Western is led by the inside-outside combination of sophomore guard Amanda Dunbar and Summers, who are averaging 13.3 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. Dunbar, who scored 39 points in the two games last week, also leads the team in assists (3.2 avg.), and Summers tops the squad in rebounds (8.2).

Dunbar, who was the GNAC Freshman of the Year, ranks fourth among GNAC leaders in scoring, seventh in assists and ninth in free-throw accuracy (78.3 percent, 54-of-69). Summers, a transfer from NCAA I Idaho, is fifth in the league in rebounding and blocks (1.2), sixth in free-throw shooting (81.9 percent, 59-of-72) and 11th in scoring.

Pallansch is averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. In Saturday's win over Western Oregon, she became the 20th player in school history to score 1,000 career points (current total 1,005).

Junior forward Willow Cabe, who is averaging 9.5 points and 6.1 rebounds, has scored double figures in seven of Western's last eight games. She ranks sixth among GNAC leaders in blocks (1.0) and seventh in free-throw shooting at 81.3 percent (65-of-80).

Sharing time at point guard are Soo, who is averaging 5.1 points, 2.7 assists and a team-leading 1.6 steals; and sophomore Megan Pinske, who is averaging 4.3 points after missing the first part of the season recovering from summer knee surgery.

Soo ranks sixth in the GNAC in 3-point shooting at 42.0 percent (21-of-50). She is averaging 5.8 assists over the last four games.

Western has received strong play off the bench from sophomore guard Marelle Moehrle, McCarrell and junior forward Gabby Wade.

Moehrle is averaging 7.2 points, hitting 43.9 percent (47-of-107) from 3-point range. She ranks third in the GNAC in 3-point makes (2.0) and fifth in accuracy from beyond the arc.

McCarrell is scoring at a 6.7 per game clip, and Wade is averaging 6.3 rebounds and 5.1 rebounds.

Western leads the league in blocked shots, averaging 4.4 per game. The Vikings are second in the GNAC in five team categories - scoring offense (73.4), field-goal percentage (43.3), field-goal percentage defense (36.9), 3-point percentage (38.2) and 3-point percentage defense (29.0).

Alaska Fairbanks is 5-17 overall and 0-13 in league play, losing its last 13 games, all conference counters, following a 5-4 start.

In his first year directing the Nanooks is Darryl Smith (14th year overall, 239-149), who also coached eight years at NCAA II Metro State and five at NCAA I Wichita State.

UAF, which has lost nine of its original 15 roster players to season-ending injuries, is led 5-8 senior guard Sheena Brown (12.6 ppg), an honorable mention GNAC all-star and second-team Daktronics West Region pick last season.

Brown scored a school-record 44 points, one shy of the GNAC standard, in an 89-85 overtime loss to Central Washington on Feb. 12. In that contest, she made 14-of-25 field goals, 6-of-11 from 3-point range, and hit 10-of-12 free throws.

The Nanooks also have a talented transfer from Foothill Conference champion San Bernardino Valley in 5-9 junior forward Ronisha Edwards (11.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg). Western leads the series, 30-5, winning 81-48 at Fairbanks on Feb. 14.

Alaska Anchorage, 24-3 overall (Feb. 26 at Central Washington) and the GNAC co-leader at 11-2, had a school-record 22-game winning streak snapped last Thursday in a 54-42 loss at No.14 Seattle Pacific, then lost again Saturday, 71-48 at Northwest Nazarene.

The Seawolves, who were ranked No.1 in the USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA II Top 25, had nearly lost twice in their previous three contests, surviving 56-55 at Montana State Billings and 70-67 on their home floor against Western on Feb. 12.

Leading the Seawolves is second-team DII Bulletin All-American 6-foot-2 senior center Rebecca Kielpinski (9.8 ppg, 8.3 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 1,652 points, 1,115 rebounds and 242 blocks, she already is the GNAC leader in rebounds and is second in the other two categories.

With Kielpinski being the only returning starter, UAA coach Tom Moser (3rd year, 77-14), 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 (10.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) from Central Arizona College and 5-4 senior guard Jackie Thiel (6.4 ppg) from NCAA I Florida Gulf Coast. Thiel leads the nation in 3-point accuracy at 56.7 percent (51-of-90).

UAA tops the GNAC in scoring margin (plus 19.7), scoring defense (47.5 avg.), rebounding margin (10.3), field-goal percentage defense (30.9) and 3-point pct. defense (27.1).

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.

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

Western holds a 22-7 series advantage, but has lost the last five meetings.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Feb. 26 (Thu.) ALASKA FAIRBANKS* (BELLINGHAM - 7 p.m.)
Feb. 28 (Fri.) ALASKA ANCHORAGE* (BELLINGHAM - 7 p.m.)
March 5 (Thu.) at Western Oregon* (Monmouth, OR - 7 p.m.)
March 7 (Sat.) at Saint Martin's* (Lacey - 7 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: The Vikings already have upset two Top 25 teams this year, beating Seattle Pacific and Quincy IL, currently ranked No.10 and No.12, respectively ... Moehrle has hit 47.2 percent (17-of-36) from 3-point range over the last nine contests ... Western's five-game victory streak earlier this season was its longest since winning seven straight early in the 2006-07 season ... Dunbar was the GNAC Player of the Week for Jan. 25-31 ... 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 ... 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 1,005 points, 731 rebounds and 108 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 386-68 (85.0 percent) in 37 seasons at Carver Gym and they are 10-1 at home this season.

COACH DOLFO: Carmen Dolfo is in her 18th year as head coach at Western. She has a 372-150 (71.3 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 804 victories (285 losses) in its 38-year history, Western is one of just 10 colleges in the nation to reach the 800-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 India Soo, 5-6, **Sr., Kamuela, HI/Kamehameha/Idaho State

F Gabby Wade, 5-9, **Jr., Lacey, WA/River Ridge
F Liz McCarrell, 5-11, ***Sr., Ferndale, WA/Ferndale
G Marelle Moehrle, 5-9, *So., Lynnwood, WA/Meadowdale
G Megan Pinske, 5-9, So., Coquitlam, BC/Port Moody/UBC
F Lauren Hefflin, 6-2, *So., Ridgefield, WA/Ridgefield
*letters won

LAST WEEK'S GAME SUMMARIES:

Feb. 18 - Montana State Billings 67, WESTERN 62 at Billings, Mont.

Weary from traveling nearly 6,000 miles over the last eight days, Western lost 67-62 to Montana State Billings in a GNAC game at Alterowitz Gymnasium. Dunbar paced Western, which had split two games in Alaska last week, with 18 points, 13 in the second half. MSUB improved to 13-10 overall and 5-6 in GNAC play. The Yellowjackets were led by the game-high 24 points of guard Alira Carpenter. The Vikings trailed 17-2 after the first 7:37, missing 14 straight shots over a stretch of nearly eight minutes after a game-opening layup by Cabe gave them a 2-0 lead. MSUB made six of its first seven shots, including two from 3-point range. Western cut the deficit to two, 33-31, at halftime, and took its second and last lead of the game, 35-34, on a layup by Dunbar with 17:24 remaining. MSUB then took advantage of eight Viking turnovers over the next 7:34 outscoring Western, 14-2, during that span for a 48-37 advantage with 10:21 to go. The Vikings did not get closer than eight after that until Moehrle came off the bench to make two 3-pointers in the final 38 seconds. MSUB got 17 points and eight rebounds from forward Kayla Ryan, and forward Jen Smith had a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Guard Shantell Marquis had game-highs of 11 assists and five steals to go along with seven points and eight rebounds. Western shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the field, hitting 4-of-14 3-pointers. The Yellowjackets shot 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the floor, connecting on 8-of-16 from beyond the arc.

Feb. 21 - WESTERN 83, Western Oregon 67 at Bellingham

Dunbar scored 14 of her team-high 21 points in the second half as Western began its final home stand of the season with an 83-67 victory over Western Oregon in a GNAC at Carver Gym. Cabe had 14 points and Summers added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Vikings, who have won 10 of 11 home games this season. Western Oregon fell to 8-15 overall and 3-9 in conference play despite a game-high 22 points from guard Katie Torland. It was the fifth straight loss for the Wolves and their seventh in the last eight games. Western led by as much as 13 in the first half and held a 37-32 advantage at halftime, but Western Oregon scored the first seven points of the second half to take its only lead of the game, 39-37, on a 3-pointer by Torland with 17:35 to play. The Vikings quickly reasserted control, going on a 15-2 run to take a 52-41 lead with 12:42 to go. The Wolves were still within nine, 65-56, with 5:50 left, but Western then took complete control, running off 10 straight points to put the game away. The Vikings shot 50.8 percent (31-of-61) from the field and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) on free throws, and also committed only 14 turnovers. Dunbar made 7-of-11 field goals, 3-of-6 from 3-point range, and connected on all four of her free throws. She had seven assists to tie for game-high honors with Soo. Pallansch became the 20th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points on a jump shot with 7:55 left in the first half. She finished with six points, giving her 1,005 in her four-year career.