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Dec. 11, 2007

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

UPDATE: Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, which matches the longest in the storied history of the school's women's basketball program, Western Washington University hosts the 2nd annual Great Western Shootout on Dec. 18-19 at Centennial Hills Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Vikings, who are taking a week off from competition to concentrate on fall quarter final examinations, meet Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday (1 p.m.) and nationally top 10 ranked UC San Diego on Wednesday (3 p.m.).

Western, 2-6, suffered a pair of double-digit losses last week at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference/California Collegiate Athletic Association Crossover Classic in Seattle, falling 76-56 to No.9 Chico State and losing 62-49 to Sonoma State.

Starting junior point guard India Soo did not compete in the Crossover Classic games because of an Achilles' tendon injury. Averaging 7.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds, she is expected to play against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Redshirt freshman shooting guard Amanda Dunbar is averaging a team-leading 11.3 points. Dunbar, who missed one contest with a stress fracture, has made 21-of-24 free throws (87.5 percent) and has a team-high 12 steals.

Western already has had five different starting lineups this season. Losing two starting forwards with season-ending injuries and having three other first-stringers at less than 100 percent, the Vikings are off to the worst start in school history.

The only players to start every game are junior forwards Sarah Schramm and Claire Pallansch. Pallansch is averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds. Schramm, who has been hampered by a shoulder injury, is averaging 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Sophomore center Tara Holgate made her first two starts at the Crossover Classic. The 6-foot-4 transfer from Eastern Washington is averaging 6.4 points on a team-best 58.3 percent field goal shooting.

Carmen Dolfo is still seeking her milestone 350th coaching victory. Her record over 17 seasons is 349-128.

Cal State Monterey Bay, which entertains Cal Baptist on Saturday, has won just one of its first five games. The Otters are led by 5-foot-11 junior forward Dana Andrews, who is averaging 21.8 points and 5.8 rebounds.

UC San Diego is ranked No.3 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today/ESPN Division II Poll. The Tritons, who host Grand Canyon on Sunday, are unbeaten in seven games, including a 55-45 win over Western at the Disney Classic.

UCSD has a veteran front line, including 6-1 junior forward Michelle Osier (12.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg), 6-0 senior forward Meaghan Noud (12.7 ppg) and 6-2 senior center Alexis Gaskin (12.1 ppg & 5.9 rpg).

UPCOMING GAMES:

WWU Great Western Shootout (Las Vegas, NV - Centennial Hills Center)
Tue., Dec. 18
Central Washington vs. UC San Diego, 11 a.m.
WESTERN vs. Cal State Monterey Bay, 1 p.m.#
Wed., Dec. 19
Central Washington vs. Cal State Monterey Bay, 11 a.m.
WESTERN vs. UC San Diego, 1 p.m.#

CCAA/GNAC Crossover Classic (La Jolla, CA - host UC San Diego)
Fri., Dec. 28
WESTERN vs. Cal Poly Pomona, 5 p.m.
Seattle Pacific vs. UC San Diego, 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 29
Seattle Pacific vs. Cal Poly Pomona, 5 p.m.
WESTERN vs. UC San Diego, 7 p.m.

Jan. 5 (Sat.) CENTRAL WASHINGTON*# (CARVER GYM - 7 p.m.)

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

THREE-DOT NOTES: Holgate and Soo were all-tourney picks at the 11th annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic, and Dunbar and Pallansch were all-tourney choices at the Disney's DII West Coast Tip-Off Classic ... Junior point guard Elyse Hartman is redshirting this season as she is still recovering from surgery to her left knee on Feb. 2 which ended her 2006-07 season .... The Vikings have made nine straight NCAA II national tournament appearances.

SEASON-ENDING INJURIES: Senior forward Liz McCarrell was lost for the campaign when she went down in a preseason practice session with a dislocation and torn ligament in her right foot that required surgery. In an exhibition game with Pacific Lutheran on Nov. 9, senior forward Krystal Robinson suffered a career-ending ACL tear in her left knee that will require surgery.

McCarrell earned second-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star honors, averaging 10.9 points on team-best 49.1 field-goal shooting on last year's 18-10 squad that reached the first round of the NCAA II West Regional. Robinson received all-GNAC honorable mention, averaging 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, which led the league and ranked fourth nationally. She finished second among the school's career leaders in blocked shots with 190.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE: The Vikings are 372-62 (85.7 percent) in this their 36th year at Carver Gym (1-2 this season). Western has reached double-digit victories at home in each of the last 10 years with an 11-1 record on Haggen Court in 2006-07. Western was 14-1 in 2005-06, 12-1 in 2004-05, 11-2 in 2003-04, 12-2 in 2002-03, 13-1 in 2001-02, 13-1 in 2000-01, 12-0 in 1999-2000, 13-2 in 1998-99 and 10-4 in 1997-98.

COACH DOLFO: Carmen Dolfo is in her 17th year as head coach at Western. She has a 349-128 (73.2 percent) record. Entering this season, Dolfo ranked No.9 among active NCAA II coaches in winning percentage and No.25 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 781 victories in its 37-year history, Western is one of just four NCAA Division II schools that has reached the 775 milestone and 10 nationally in all NCAA divisions ... The Vikings have made 27 straight post-season appearances and 33 overall, reaching nationals 16 times, including 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, and its longest losing streak is just four games ... 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 (411-124, 76.7 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 Claire Pallansch, 6-1, *Jr., Redmond, WA/Redmond/Oregon State
F Sarah Schramm, 6-0, *Jr., Chelan, WA/Chelan/Gonzaga
C Tara Holgate, 6-4, So., Everett, WA/Snohomish County Christian/EWU
G Amanda Dunbar, 5-9, R-Fr., Marysville, WA/Marysville-Pilchuck
G India Soo*, 5-6, Jr., Kamuela, HI/Kamehameha/Idaho State

G Marelle Moehrle, 5-9, Fr., Lynnwood, WA/Meadowdale
F Gabby Wade*, 5-9, So., Lacey, WA/River Ridge
F Krista Lersch*, 6-2, So., Lynnwood, WA/Blanchet
G Kaitlin McBride, 5-7, Fr., Bothell, WA/Bothell
C Lauren Hefflin, 6-2, Fr., Ridgefield, WA/Ridgefield
G Kristin Schramm, 5-9, Fr., Chelan, WA/Chelan
*letters won

Nov. 2 - No.22 Augustana 83, WESTERN 58 at Disney's DII Tip-Off Classic

Dunbar scored a game-high 18 points, but 36 turnovers proved too much to overcome as Western fell 83-58 to nationally ranked Augustana to begin the inaugural Disney's Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic. Augustana, coming off a 25-6 season and ranked No.22 in the preseason WBCA Coaches Top 25, had five players score in double figures, led by guard Amy Puthoff and center Ashley Holiday with 15 each. Guard Molly Hayes had 13 points and forward Whitney Hofer and reserve Liz Helsper 12 apiece. Augustana shot 50.8 percent (32-of-63) from the field, converting 11-of-22 3-pointers. Western also got eight points each from two true freshmen - Kristin Schramm and Moehrle. Dunbar was 5-of-11 from the field, connecting on 4-of-8 3-pointers, and made 4-of-5 free throws. She scored 17 of her points in the second half after missing all four of her shots in the first period. Augustana got out to a 10-2 lead and led by 16 points, 33-17, with 1:43 left in the first half following a 12-2 run. The South Dakota team led 35-22 at halftime. An 18-3 run over a span of 4:29 gave Augustana a 27-point margin, 67-40, with 5:15 to play and its biggest margin was 28 points, 83-55, at 0:55. Western shot 39.6 percent (19-of-48) from the floor, hitting just 7-of-22 shots (31.8 percent) in the first 20 minutes.

Nov. 3 - WESTERN 72, Colorado Christian 63 at Disney's DII Tip-Off Classic

Robinson scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, both game-high figures, as Western rallied to claim a 72-63 victory over Colorado Christian in second-day action at the Disney's Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic. Pallansch had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Vikings, who evened their record at 1-1. Colorado Christian, which fell to 0-2, was led by guard Talmai Aguirre, a preseason Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference all-league pick who scored 16 of her 18 points in the final 15 minutes. The Vikings, who jumped to an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes, held a 28-20 lead at halftime as they held Colorado Christian to 23.1 percent (6-of-26) field goal accuracy in the first half. Western still led by 10, 42-32, after two Robinson free throws with 15:22 to play. Colorado Christian then went on a 22-8 run in an eight-minute span, taking a 54-50 lead on a 3-pointer by Sara Davis with 6:43 to go. Aquirre had the first nine points in the charge, hitting a 3-pointer, then converting a pair of 3-point plays. But Western had a rally of its own left. The Vikings went on a 10-2 run, taking a 60-56 advantage with 2:25 to go. Dunbar hit a layup to give Western the lead for good at 57-56, then capped the charge with a 3-pointer. Colorado Christian twice pulled within two points, but baskets by Robinson and Dunbar pushed the lead back to four, and Western preserved the victory by hitting eight straight free throws in the final 36 seconds. Dunbar finished with 13 points, nine of them in the final 3:25. The Vikings made 18-of-20 free throws (90.0 percent) and held Colorado Christian to 34.0 percent floor shooting (18-of-53), including just 4-of-18 from 3-point range. Western had a 41-30 edge in rebounds.

Nov. 4 - UC San Diego 55, WESTERN 45 at Disney's DII Tip-Off Classic

After rallying to take a one-point lead, Western did not score in the final 5:12 as it fell 55-45 to UC San Diego at the Disney's Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic. The Vikings, who lost two of three games at the season-opening tournament, were led by Dunbar with a game-high 12 points. Pallansch tied for game-high honors with 10 rebounds. UC San Diego, which won all three games at the tourney, had three players score nine points each and forward Michelle Osier grabbed 10 rebounds. Trailing by 10 points, 41-31, with 11:23 remaining, Western scored 12 of the next 13 points to take a 43-42 lead with 7:45 to go on a jumper by Robinson. The Vikings still led by one, 45-44, on another basket by Robinson with just over five minutes left. But from that point on they were outscored 11-0, missing seven shots and having three turnovers. Osier had five points, five rebounds and a steal for UC San Diego during that stretch. Western shot just 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from the field in the game and turned the ball over 23 times, but had a 45-38 edge in rebounds. The Vikings held UC San Diego to 31.6 percent (18-of-57) floor accuracy, including just 5-of-17 from 3-point range. The Tritons had 12 steals and 14 turnovers. UC San Diego scored 10 unanswered points over a three-minute span to take a 21-11 lead with 7:21 left in the first period and led 29-25 at halftime. The Tritons extended that advantage to 10 points five minutes into the second half and maintained that midway through the period. Robinson finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Nov. 16 - WESTERN 69, BYU-Hawaii 39 - Bellingham

Western held BYU-Hawaii without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes and went on to claim a 69-39 victory in a non-conference game at Carver Gym. It was the home opener for the Vikings, who were led by Sarah Schramm with 14 points. It was the season opener for BYU-Hawaii. Freshman guard Richelle Fenenbock led the Seasiders with a game-high 18 points. The Vikings led by just three, 22-19, with less than four minutes left in the first half, but closed the period with a 12-5 run to take a 34-24 lead at halftime. Western then broke the game open by scoring the first 10 points of the second half and eventually opening up a 55-27 advantage before BYU-Hawaii got its first field goal on a 3-pointer by Fenenbock with 10:03 left. The margin never went below 23 points after that. Holgate and Kristin Schramm and Moehrle each contributed 10 points for Western. BYU-Hawaii shot just 29.2 percent (14-of-48) from the field, including 22.7 percent (5-of-22) in the second half.

Nov. 23 - San Francisco State 68, WESTERN 63 - WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic

Soo scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-11 field goal shooting, but it wasn't enough as Western fell to San Francisco State, 68-63, in first-day action at the 11th annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic at Carver Gym. Pallansch added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Vikings, who lost for just the second time in 21 Goodrich Classic games. SFSU, which was led by the 20 points and 10 rebounds of forward Krystle Mays, improved to 2-1. Center Dominique Hunter added 17 points for the Gators. Soo, who entered the game having hit just 7-of-25 shots from the field through the first four games, was 5-of-6 in the first half, including 3-of-4 on 3-pointers. Her shooting helped the Vikings overcome an early 13-3 deficit and take a 34-31 lead at halftime. The Vikings led by as much as nine in the second half and held a seven-point advantage, 63-56, after a 3-pointer by Moehrle, who made her first career start, with 3:11 to go. But SFSU rallied, holding Western scoreless the rest of the way. A driving layup by Brio Rode tied the game at 63-63 with 1:05 left, and Hunter's layin and free throw with 38 seconds to go put the Gators in front to stay. Western had a 41-33 edge in rebounds and held the Gators to 36.8 percent field-goal shooting (25-of-68), but committed 12 more turnovers, 26-to-14. Western's last loss in the Goodrich Classic was 100-80 to North Dakota State on Nov. 22, 2002.

Nov. 24 - Western State CO 65, WESTERN 60 - WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic

Tournament MVP Sarai Martinez scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-11 field goal shooting, leading Western State CO to a 65-60 victory over Western in final-day action at the 11th annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic at Carver Gym. Holgate had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots for the Vikings. Sarah Schramm added 14 points for Western. Western State, which improved to 3-1, claimed the tourney title. Forward Chelsea Wilkins had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Mountaineers, who defeated Saint Martin's, 65-56, on Friday. Holgate had given the Vikings a 57-56 lead on a layup with 3:01 to play. Taryn Brennan then made two free throws to put the Mountaineers back in front by one with 2:40 to go. Western's final chance to regain the lead came with 1:10 left, as a 3-point attempt by Dunbar rimmed out. Wilkins then hit a 3-pointer at the other end, and Western State hit four free throws in the final 27 seconds to put the game out of reach. The Vikings, who had trailed by 10 early in the contest and were behind by five, 26-21, at halftime, used a run of eight straight points to take a 51-47 lead, their biggest advantage of the game, with 7:11 to play, and did not trail again until a Brennan layup gave the Mountaineers a 54-53 edge with 3:52 left. Martinez was joined on the all-tournament team by center Audra Lawson of Western State, Holgate and Soo of Western Washington, guard Jamey Gelhar of Saint Martin's, and forward Krystle Mays of San Francisco State.

Dec. 7 - No.9 Chico State 76, WESTERN 56 at GNAC/CCAA Crossover Classic

With Soo sidelined indefinitely because of an Achilles' tendon injury, Western fell 76-56 to nationally top-10 ranked Chico State in first-day action at the GNAC/CCAA Crossover Classic at Brougham Pavilion on the Seattle Pacific campus. Chico State, ranked No.9 in the latest WBCA USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 6-1. The Wildcats were led by reserve Natasha Smith with a game-high 21 points. Western got a team-high 14 points from Holgate, who was making her first start. Holgate scored 10 points in the first half on 5-of-8 field-goal shooting. With the score tied at 8-8 four minutes into the game, Chico State scored 15 straight points, eight by Smith, over the next five minutes for a 23-8 lead at 10:59 of the first half. Chico State increased the margin to 36-18 with 3:24 left in the first period, but the Vikings scored the last eight points to trail 36-26 at the intermission. The Wildcats outscored Western 27-7 over the first 10 minutes of the second half for their biggest lead of 30 points, 63-33, with 10:22 remaining. The Vikings never got closer than 20 after that. Dunbar scored 11 points for Western. Smith was 6-of-8 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and made all six of her free throws. Also scoring in double figures for Chico State were forward Audriana Spencer with 13 points, Christine Vest with 12 and Renee Goldoff with 11.

Dec. 8 - Sonoma State 62, WESTERN 49 at GNAC/CCAA Crossover Classic

Forward Danae Wellander scored a game-high 20 points and guard Chelsey Armacost added 16, each scoring 10 points during the final 13 minutes as Sonoma State overcame a nine-point deficit to defeat Western, 62-49, in final-day action at the GNAC/CCAA Crossover Classic held at Brougham Pavilion on the Seattle Pacific campus. The Vikings got a team-high 16 points from Dunbar, while Pallansch added 14 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Sonoma State improved to 5-1. Wallander had 14 points and Armacost 11 in the second half. Western held a seven-point advantage, 28-21, at halftime, and led by nine, 40-31, with 13:05 remaining. The Seawolves scored nine straight points to tie the score at 40-40 on a 3-pointer by Wellander with 9:41 to go and took the lead for good, 43-42, on a layup by Chelsey Anderson at 8:03 as they outscored the Vikings, 31-9, the rest of the way. Anderson finished with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Western was within three, 50-47, with 4:10 left, before Sonoma State finished with a 12-2 run. The Vikings led 5-4 on a jumper by McBride four minutes into the game and they never trailed again in the first half. Pallansch scored 12 points in the period on 5-of-7 floor shooting. Western finished the game, shooting just 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from the field. The Vikings connected on only 3-of-15 3-pointers (20.0 percent) and made just 10-of-17 free throws (58.8 percent). Sonoma State shot 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the floor in the second period after hitting just 30.3 percent in the first half.