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Nov. 30, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - A hot-shooting Western Washington University women's basketball team, off to its best start in four years at 4-0, plays its final game before fall quarter final examinations Thursday (7 p.m.), entertaining University of Hawaii Hilo on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The game will be video streamed live and available free at http://www.greatnorthwest.tv.

The Vikings, who won their first six games in 2005-06, are shooting an eye-popping 45.7 percent (32-of-70) from 3-point range. They are also hitting 77.0 percent (47-of-61) at the free throw line and 49.8 percent (112-of-225) overall from the field.

Junior guard Amanda Dunbar, who leads Western with a 17.3 per game scoring average, is red-hot, hitting 13-of-17 treys for 76.5 percent. Her overall floor shooting is 66.7 percent (24-of-36) and she has made 8-of-10 (80.0 percent) free throws.

Dunbar also has helped the Vikings defensively with a team-best 12 steals (3.0 avg.). Western is allowing opponents an average of just 46.5 points on 31.2 percent (67-of-215) field-goal shooting.

Senior center Jessica Summers is averaging 14.8 points on 53.1 percent (26-of-49) floor accuracy and 6.3 rebounds. Senior forward Willow Cabe tops the squad with 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, along with 11.5 points and 3.2 assists.

Last week, Western rolled to its 11th title in 13 years at the WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic with victories over Notre Dame de Namur CA, 73-36, and NAIA No.16-ranked Lewis-Clark State ID, 75-43.

Summers was named tourney MVP for the second straight year, and Cabe and Dunbar also were all-tourney picks, Dunbar for the second consecutive time.

Dunbar made all seven of her shots, five from 3-point range (one short of school record), in scoring 22 points against L-C State, and Summers, who has scored double figures in every game this season, had 20 points versus Notre Dame de Namur.

Hawaii Hilo, which has yet to play a home game, is 2-4, but has won two of its last three. The Vulcans are led by guards Hina Kimitete (14.2 ppg, 3.0 spg), Kristi Imai (12.8 ppg) and Kayce Kirihara (9.5 ppg).

It is the second meeting between the two schools, Western winning 87-61 on the road over Hawaii Hilo last year.

THREE-DOT NOTES: The Vikings have won 23 of 26 games all-time in the Goodrich Classic and have either won or tied for 11 of the tourney's 13 titles ... Pinske saw action on the Canadian National Team in September, competing in an Olympic-qualifying tournament in Brazil ... Junior Lauren Hefflin, the Vikings' starting center in their first two exhibition games, suffered a fractured finger on her left hand against Simon Fraser and is not expected back for another two weeks ... Senior center Krystal Robinson ranks second among Western career leaders in blocked shots with 194 ... Last season, Dunbar 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 ... Dunbar was the 2007-08 GNAC Freshman of the Year and a second-team league all-star in 2008-09 ... Summers was the GNAC co-Newcomer of the Year and a second-team all-league choice in 2008-09 ... Western won GNAC titles in 2002 and 2006.

VIKINGS FOURTH IN GNAC COACHES POLL: Western, which finished 19-8 last year, was picked to place fourth in the preseason Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coaches Poll. Last year, the Vikings tied for third place in the GNAC at 11-5 with Northwest Nazarene; and Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific tied for first place at 14-2. Alaska Anchorage was picked No.1 this season by the coaches, receiving 72 points. Seattle Pacific was second (69), Northwest Nazarene third (65) and Western fourth (64). Alaska Anchorage received three first-place votes with two each going to Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacific and Western.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE: The Vikings are 389-69 (84.9 percent) in their first 37 seasons at Carver Gym.

EXHIBITION SEASON: Western posted a 1-2 record in a tough exhibition schedule. The Vikings defeated Trinity Western BC, 80-58, then fell 65-62 to three-time defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport national champion Simon Fraser BC, and lost 80-66 at NCAA Division I and Big Sky Conference favorite Portland State.

COACH DOLFO: Carmen Dolfo is in her 19th year as head coach at Western. She has a 379-152 (71.4 percent) record and ranks No.14 among active NCAA II coaches in winning percentage and No.23 in victories. Dolfo's teams have reached post-season play 16 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 811 victories (287 losses) in its 39-year history, Western is one of just 10 colleges in all divisions of the NCAA to reach the 800-plateau... The Vikings have made 36 post-season appearances, including one stretch of 28 straight, with one national semifinal and three quarterfinal finishes ... They have made 10 West Regional appearances in their first 11 seasons as a NCAA II member, and 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.

ON THE WEB: All Viking home games are being video streamed live and are available free at http://www.greatnorthwest.tv. For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the Western Athletics 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

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.

PROBABLE WESTERN STARTERS & TOP RESERVES:

F Willow Cabe, 5-9, ***Sr., McCleary, WA/Elma
F Megan Pinske, 5-9, *Jr., Coquitlam, BC/Port Moody/UBC
C Jessica Summers, 6-1, *Sr., Blaine, WA/Blaine/Idaho
G Amanda Dunbar, 5-9, **Jr., Marysville, WA/Marysville-Pilchuck
G Ashley Fenimore, 5-8, Sr.-TR, Lynnwood, WA/Meadowdale/CWU

F Kristin Schramm, 5-9, *So., Chelan, WA/Chelan
C Krystal Robinson, 6-1, ***Sr., Kent, WA/Kentridge
F Erika Ramstead, 6-0, Fr., Everson/Nooksack Valley
G Corinn Waltrip, 5-6, Fr., Tigard, OR/Tigard
Inj. F Lauren Hefflin, 6-2, **Jr., Ridgefield, WA/Ridgefield
*letters won

GAME SUMMARIES:

Nov. 27 - WESTERN 73, Notre Dame de Namur 36 at Bellingham, Wash.

Summers scored a game-high 20 points on 9-of-12 field-goal shooting to lead Western to a 73-36 victory over Notre Dame de Namur in first-day action at the 13th annual Lynda Goodrich Classic held at Carver Gym. Cabe had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Vikings. NDNU fell to 0-5. Forward Laura Zasky led the Argonauts with 10 points. Western was never threatened, holding the Argonauts scoreless for more than 11 minutes and opening up a 27-4 lead with 6:44 left in the first half. The Vikings led 36-19 at halftime, and never led by less than 25 points in the final 13 minutes. Western shot 48.0 percent (24-of-50) from the field, including 53.8 percent (14-of-26) in the first half, and held NDNU to just 20.8 percent shooting (11-of-53). The Vikings also had a 41-28 advantage in rebounds and made 20-of-23 free throws (87.0 percent). Pinske (Jr., Coquitlam, BC/Port Moody) had 10 points, six assists and five rebounds for Western.

Nov. 28 - WESTERN 75, Lewis-Clark State 43 at Bellingham, Wash.

Dunbar was perfect on seven field-goal attempts, including five 3-pointers, scoring a game-high 22 points to lead Western to a 75-43 victory over Lewis-Clark State to claim the championship in final-day action at the 13th annual Lynda Goodrich Classic held at Carver Gym. Summers, who was named tournament MVP for the second straight year, had 12 points, 10 in the first half, for the Vikings. L-C State, ranked No.16 nationally in the NAIA Poll, had a five-game winning streak snapped in falling to 7-2. Forward Jasmine Stohr led the Warriors with nine points. L-C State had an early 6-2 lead, but the Vikings went on a 15-2 run to take a 17-8 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half and never looked back from there. Western held a 41-19 lead at halftime and led by as much as 35 in the second half. The Vikings were 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) on 3-pointers. In addition to Dunbar going 5-for-5, Waltrip was 3-for-3. Dunbar had 17 points in the second half.