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Dec. 12, 2011

Link to Great Western Shootout Webpage

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Continuing to show improvement, a young Western Washington University women's basketball team travels to Las Vegas, Nevada, this week to host the sixth annual Great Western Shootout at The Arena at South Point.

The 5-3 Vikings meet University of Central Oklahoma on Thursday and nationally ranked Drury University MO on Friday. Both contests begin at 1 p.m. Completing the four-team field is Central Washington University which flip-flops opponents with WWU, the CWU games each having 11 a.m. tip-offs.

Both WWU games can be heard live on KPUG Radio (1170 AM - www.kpug1170.com) with Doug Lange handling the play-by-play and Mark Scholten providing the color commentary. They also can be viewed on the internet at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/great-western-shootout-2011 and live stats are available at http://www.wwuvikings.com/multimedia/livestats.html.

Accomplishing its primary goal of better starts, WWU split a pair of games last week in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference/California Collegiate Athletic Association Challenge Classic held at Seattle Pacific University.

The Vikings led 12-4 after the first four minutes in a 66-63 loss to tourney champion Chico State on Friday and they were in front 14-3 after the opening five minutes of a 70-53 win over Sonoma State on Saturday.

The Great Western Shootout is the last of four regular-season tournaments for WWU. The Vikings split a pair of games at the CCAA/GNAC Crossover Classic in early November and two weeks later won their own WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic.

WWU is 1-1 in GNAC play, splitting a pair of home contests two weeks ago. The Vikings defeated Montana State Billings, 80-72, in their conference opener, before falling to Seattle Pacific, 82-66.

Two WWU players, junior point guard Corinn Waltrip and senior shooting guard Kristin Schramm, were all-tournament picks at the GNAC/CCAA Challenge Classic. It was the third time this season that Waltrip received all-tourney honors. She scored 28 points, 17 versus Chico State, and handed out eight assists in the two contests, connecting on 10-of-19 field goals.

Schramm, who was the MVP at the WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic, had 20 points, 12 in the second half, and eight rebounds in the win over Sonoma State.

Waltrip leads WWU in average points per game at 13.6, reaching double figures in each of her last five outings. She also tops the squad and is second in the GNAC in assists at 4.5, leading the team in every game.

Schramm is averaging 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds. She and Waltrip each have a team-best 13 steals.

Junior center Britt Harris is averaging 8.3 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds. The Vikings are out-boarding their opponents by nearly 10 per game.

Junior guard Trishi Willams, a transfer from Columbia Basin CC where she earned NWAACC East Region MVP honors, is averaging 7.4 points on a team-best 58.5 percent (24-of-41) field-goal accuracy.

Also averaging 7.4 points is redshirt freshman guard Katie Colard, who hit four treys for 12 points against Sonoma State.

Freshman forward Sydney Donaldson, who made her first two collegiate starts last week, tops the team with 10 blocks as WWU leads the GNAC in that category, averaging 4.0 per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hill, who grabbed 18 rebounds last week, is averaging 5.9. Junior forward Erika Ramstead is bringing down 5.8 rebounds per game and redshirt freshman guard Erin Feeney is hitting 40.0 percent from three-point range, making 12-of-30.

CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: The 8-3 Bronchos (Dec. 15 vs. Central Washington) have made national tournament appearances and won 20 or more games in each of the last four seasons. They have split their last six games following a 5-0 start. UCO is led by 5-4 sophomore guard Britney Morgan (11.2 ppg, 4.1 apg), the Lone Star Conference North Division Freshman of the Year. A top transfer from Southwestern Oklahoma, who was a redshirt last season, is 5-11 junior forward Courtney Harper (9.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg). Completing the first five for coach Guy Hardaker (6th year, 118-48) are three players who sat out last year with injuries. They include 5-9 sophomore guard Jill Bryan (10.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .500 3-pt. pct.), 6-0 redshirt freshman center Paiten Taylor (11.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg) and 5-11 junior forward Savannah Hamilton (9.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg). First meeting.

DRURY: The Lady Panthers, 5-3 and ranked No.21 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, are looking for their 10th straight trip to the NCAA II National Tournament. Leading DU is 5-10 sophomore forward Bethanie Funderburk (14.8 ppg), the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Another standout back for coach Steve Harold (5th year, 100-34; 17th year overall, 362-141) is 5-7 junior guard Katie Pritchard (12.4 ppg, .613 3-pt. pct.), who missed last season with a knee injury after leading the nation in three-point accuracy as a sophomore in 2009-10. Three more returnees complete the starting lineup. They are 6-1 senior center Erica Grosse (7.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), 5-9 senior guard Kassie Walker (5.0 ppg, 4.3 apg) and 5-11 junior forward Abby Bracker (3.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg). First meeting.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON: The Wildcats are off to a 3-4 start under first-year coach Shawn Nelson, who posted a 201-70 record over eight seasons at NAIA Carroll MT. The Wildcats are led by two transfers from Carroll, 5-7 senior guard Alex Dunn (11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.3 spg) and 5-9 sophomore guard Jessica Van Dyke (11.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg). Another top newcomer is 5-11 freshman forward Courtney Johnson (9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Rounding out the starting lineup are two returnees, 5-10 senior forward Sophie Russell (9.7 ppg) and 6-2 junior center Stacy Albrecht (7.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg).

WWU NOTES: The Vikings have held opponents under 40 percent field-goal shooting in all five of their wins, but they are averaging 19.8 turnovers per contest ... WWU has already made nine or more three-pointers in a game five times this season ... Schramm earned tourney MVP honors at the Lynda Goodrich Classic, helping the Vikings to a share of the title with victories over Simpson CA, 108-63, and Northwest WA, 87-67. Two other WWU players receiving all-tourney recognition were Williams and Waltrip ... Waltrip also was named to the CCAA/GNAC Crossover Classic all-tournament team, the Vikings defeating host San Francisco State, 64-50, and losing to nationally No.13-ranked UC San Diego, 79-60 ... WWU has won 27 of 30 games (90.0 percent) at the Goodrich Classic, winning or tying for 13 of the 15 titles ... The Vikings' 108 points against Simpson marked just the third time that they had reached triple digits in the last eight years and it was the first time they had gotten 100 points at home since a 100-48 victory over Northwest during the 2006-07 season.

VIKINGS FOURTH IN GNAC COACHES POLL: WWU was voted fourth in the GNAC coaches' preseason poll. Alaska Anchorage, looking for its third straight title, received nine of 10 first-place votes in being selected No.1. Seattle Pacific, which has won eight league crowns, was picked second, followed by Northwest Nazarene.

POST-SEASON TOURNAMENT: This year, the GNAC championship will be decided with a six-team tournament at Saint Martin's University (Marcus Pavilion) beginning Thursday, March 1. The No.1 and No.2 regular-season finishers will earn first round byes and play Thursday's winners in semifinal action Friday, March 2. The championship game will be Saturday, March 3. Alaska Anchorage won the first GNAC tourney last year, when it consisted of eight teams and games were played at the highest seed.

SISTER ACT II: Three members of this year's WWU squad have sisters who were former Viking standouts. They are Katie Colard (Kelly), Sarah Hill (Celeste) and Kristin Schramm (Sarah). Celeste Hill was a first-team NCAA II All-American in 2000 and is a member of the school's All-Century team. Kelly (Colard) Dykstra was a second-team GNAC all-star as a senior in 2005-06, averaging 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Sarah Schramm averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds for WWU in 2007-08, and 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 2006-07 after transferring from NCAA I Gonzaga.

HOME COURT DOMINANCE: The Vikings are 416-71 (85.4 percent) in 40 seasons at Carver Gym. Their longest home court win streak was 29 from 1983 to 1986.

COACH DOLFO: Carmen Dolfo is in her 21st year as head coach at WWU. She has a 429-164 (72.3 percent) record and prior to the season ranked No.12 among active NCAA II coaches in winning percentage and No.18 in victories. Dolfo's teams have reached post-season play 19 times and have won 20 or more games 15 times. She has been named GNAC Coach of the Year in 2004, 2006 and 2011; 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 WWU.

TRADITION OF SUCCESS: With 861 victories (299 losses, 74.2 percent) in its 40-year history, WWU is one of just 15 colleges in all divisions of the NCAA to reach the 850-plateau... The Vikings have made 39 post-season appearances, including one stretch of 28 straight, with one national semifinal and three quarterfinal finishes ... They have made 12 West Regional appearances in their 13 seasons as a NCAA II member, and also have had 29 20-win seasons ... WWU has had 21 winning streaks of 10 or more games with its longest being 21 ... Former WWU coach Lynda Goodrich, now the Vikings' director of athletics, is a member of the NAIA National Hall of Fame. She coached WWU 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-America honors in 1980 and 1981 ... WWU has had 13 first, second or third-team All-Americans.

CARVER GYM CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY: Dedicated on March 30, 1962, WWU's Sam Carver Gymnasium is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season. It is named for Sanford E. Carver, a NAIA Hall of Famer who was WWU's first director of athletics and the chairman of the physical education department from 1914-55. Carver Gym was an addition to the existing physical education facility. It added 54,233 square feet of floor space at a cost of $1.04 million. The most significant addition was the present main gymnasium. The facility opened in time for the 1961-62 basketball season, although it wasn't named for Carver until the dedication ceremony the following spring. Dr. James L. Jarrett, then Western's president, and Dr. E.V. Pullias, a professor at the University of Southern California, were the main speakers at the gathering. Basketball has been one of the primary activities at Carver Gym. The Seattle Pacific men were Western's opponent in the first game played on the new floor on Dec. 6, 1961. The Viking women have racked up an impressive record during their time in the building, going 416-71 (85.4 percent) in 40 years.

COLLEGIATE FIRST FOR WWU: Last season, WWU became the first college in the country to boast two 400-win women's basketball coaches. Lynda Goodrich, now in her 25th year as the Vikings' director of athletics, posted 411 victories from 1971 to 1990, and current coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 21st season with 429.

ON THE WEB: All Viking home games are being video streamed live and are available free at http://wwu.nmtvsports.com. For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the WWU 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 WWU 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 Erika Ramstead, 6-0, **Jr., Everson, WA/Nooksack Valley
F Sydney Donaldson, 6-0, Fr., Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway
C Britt Harris, 6-2, **Jr., Marysville, WA/Marysville-Pilchuck
G Corinn Waltrip, 5-6, **Jr., Tigard, OR/Tigard
G Kristin Schramm, 5-9, ***Sr., Chelan, WA/Chelan

G Trishi Williams, 5-9, JC-Jr., Mabton, WA/Mabton/Columbia Basin CC
C Sarah Hill, 6-3, So., TR, Richmond, VA/Lloyd C. Bird/
  Maryland-Baltimore County
G Katie Colard, 5-9, R-Fr., McCleary, WA/Elma
C Kayla Bernsen, 6-3, Fr., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake
G Erin Feeney, 5-8, R-Fr., Bothell, WA/Jackson
G Jenni White, 5-5, R-Fr., Spokane, WA/East Valley
*letters won

RECENT GAME SUMMARIES:

Dec. 9 - Chico State 66, WWU 63 at Seattle, WA (GNAC/CCAA Classic)

Corinn Waltrip, who scored a game-high 17 points, had a three-point shot to tie blocked in the final seconds as WWU fell 66-63 to Chico State at the GNAC/CCAA Challenge Classic at Royal Brougham Pavilion. The Vikings were within one point, 64-63, following two free throws by Sarah Hill with 1:50 remaining. They missed a shot to take the lead with 54 seconds left. After Chico State increased its advantage to three on a jumper by Natasha Smith with 25 seconds to go, WWU had three-point attempt to tie go off the iron with five ticks left and Courtney Hamilton swatted Waltrip's shot in the final two seconds. Chico State, which improved to 4-2, was led by the 14 points of Synchro Bull. Smith finished with 11 and Jazmine Miller added 10. Crystal Sewell grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Wildcats. Britt Harris scored 15 points for WWU, and Erika Ramstead had 10. WWU made five of its first six shots to take a 12-4 lead over the first four minutes. The Wildcats responded by scoring 13 of the next 15 points to go in front, 17-14, with 12 minutes left in the opening half. Waltrip tied the game with a three-pointer and scored 13 of her 15 first-half points over the last 11:39 of the period as WWU used a 15-6 run to take a 29-23 advantage with 7:10 to go in the half. The Vikings led, 38-34, at the intermission. There were five lead changes and three ties in the first nine minutes of the second half. Chico State took the lead for good, 51-50, on a three-pointer by Miller with 11:03 to go and a three-point play by Smith increased the advantage to four. The Vikings had a 46-39 rebound advantage with Hill having 10. Sydney Donaldson, making her first collegiate start for WWU, finished with four points, six rebounds and a game-high four blocks.

Dec. 10 - WWU 70, Sonoma State 53 at Seattle, WA (GNAC/CCAA Classic)

Kristin Schramm had game-highs of 20 points and eight rebounds, lifting WWU to a 70-53 victory over Sonoma State at the GNAC/CCAA Challenge Classic at Royal Brougham Pavilion. Corinn Waltrip had 11 points, six rebounds and five steals for the Vikings, and Katie Colard added 12 points on four three-pointers. Sonoma State, which shot just 25.4 percent (18-of-71) from the field, fell to 2-4 with its third straight loss. The Seawolves got 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench from Tori Carroll, and forward Travis Newman contributed 10 points. WWU led 14-3 after the first five minutes and expanded its advantage to 40-22 at halftime. Colard had nine points in the opening period, hitting all three of her three-point attempts. The Vikings shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from the floor in the first half, connecting on 6-of-11 three-pointers (54.5 percent). WWU never led by less than 12 points in the second half and its biggest advantage was 22 on two occasions, the last, 66-44, with 2:32 remaining. Schramm had 12 of her points in the final 20 minutes. WWU matched its season-high with nine three-pointers, shooting a season-best 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from beyond the arc.