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March 27, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University women's basketball team returned to its familiar role as one of the nation's best in 2008-09, finishing 19-9 overall and reaching the first round of the NCAA Division II West Regional.

It was the 10th regional appearance in 11 years as a NCAA member for the Vikings, and their 36th post-season in the 38 years of the program. Last year, an injury-decimated squad finished 9-21.

In late January, Western became just the 10th school in all divisions of the NCAA to register 800 wins and upped that to 807 by the end of the season.

The Vikings tied for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings at 11-5 behind co-champions Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific. Western lost by just three points twice to Alaska Anchorage, which won the regional title and reached the national semifinals, and split with regional No.1-seed Seattle Pacific, defeating the No.14-ranked Falcons, 84-44, in late January at Carver Gym where the Vikings were 11-2.

As an at-large entry and the No.5 seed, Western lost 74-64 to Humboldt State in the opening round of the West Region tournament.

The Vikings, coached by Carmen Dolfo (18 years, 375-152, 71.2 percent), were led by three second-team GNAC all-stars - sophomore guard Amanda Dunbar, senior center Claire Pallansch and senior forward Jessica Summers, who was the GNAC co-Newcomer of the Year.

Dunbar led team in points and assists with respective averages of 13.1 and 3.2. She ranked third in the GNAC in 3-point makes per game (2.0), sixth in scoring, seventh in assists and eighth in free-throw accuracy (78.8 percent, 63-of-80).

Dunbar was named MVP at the 2008 WWU Great Western Shootout. She scored 37 points, the second-highest total in school history, in Western's 88-79 loss at Northwest Nazarene, connecting on 12-of-19 field goals, 7-of-14 from 3-point range.

Summers averaged 12.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds. A transfer from NCAA I Idaho who missed three games with a broken thumb, she was fifth in the league in blocks (1.2), sixth in rebounds and free-throw shooting (79.3 percent, 73-of-92), ninth in scoring and 11th in field-goal percentage (46.3 percent, 118-of-255).

Summers' 17 rebounds in Western's 87-61 win over Hawaii Hilo were the most by a Viking since Sara Nichols brought down 19 against Lewis-Clark State ID on March 6, 1998. Summers was named MVP at the WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic and also earned all-tourney honors at both the GNAC/CCAA and CCAA/GNAC Challenge Classics.

Pallansch, who averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, became just the fourth player in school history with career totals reaching 1,000 points (1,050), 700 rebounds (772) and 100 blocked shots (115). She finished ninth among WWU career leaders in rebounds and blocks and 18th in points.

Junior forward Willow Cabe, who started all 27 games she played, averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. She scored double figures in 10 of her last 13 games, finishing seventh among GNAC leaders in blocks (1.0) and ninth in free-throw shooting at 78.6 percent (77-of-98).

Sharing time at point guard for Western were senior India Soo, who averaged 5.1 points, 2.8 assists and a team-leading 1.5 steals; and sophomore Megan Pinske, who averaged 4.5 points after missing the first part of the season while recovering from summer knee surgery.

Soo was eighth among league leaders in assists and 11th in 3-point shooting at 38.1 percent (24-of-63). Pinske had a 3-point accuracy of 43.8 percent (14-of-32).

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

Moehrle averaged 6.3 points, hitting 44.1 percent (49-of-111) from 3-point range, fourth-best in school history. She ranked fourth in the GNAC in accuracy from beyond the arc and fifth in 3-point makes (1.8).

McCarrell, who was an all-tourney pick at the CCAA/GNAC Challenge Classic, scored at a 6.3 per game clip. Wade averaged 6.0 points on 47.9 percent (70-of-146) field-goal shooting which ranked ninth in the league and 4.9 rebounds, and Hefflin averaged 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds.

Western finished 10th nationally in 3-point percentage, 17th in field-goal percentage defense (35.8) and 19th in blocked shots (4.5).

The Vikings were the GNAC leaders in 3-point percentage (38.5), 3-point percentage defense (28.6) and blocked shots. They were second in five other team categories - scoring offense (73.0), scoring margin (plus-11.1), rebound margin (plus-4.2), field-goal percentage (43.5) and field-goal percentage defense.