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Dec. 20, 2007

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

UPDATE: Following a short break for the Christmas holidays, the Western Washington University women's basketball team competes in its fifth tournament of the season, participating in the California Collegiate Athletic Association/Great Northwest Athletic Conference Crossover Classic at LaJolla, Calif.

The Vikings will play Cal Poly Pomona on Friday, Dec. 28, at 5 p.m., and for the third time this season meet host and nationally ranked UC San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 7 p.m.

Western, which is 3-7 with four of its losses being to nationally ranked teams, split a pair of games at the Great Western Shootout on Dec. 18-19 at Las Vegas, Nev. The host Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak with an 87-72 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay, then lost 83-64 to UC San Diego, ranked No.3 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll.

The victory over Cal State Monterey Bay was No.350 for coach Carmen Dolfo, who celebrated her birthday the same day. She has posted a 350-129 record during her 17-year tenure, the 73.1 winning percentage being No.9 nationally among active coaches.

Western redshirt freshman guard Amanda Dunbar was an all-tournament choice at the Great Western Shootout. She scored 45 points in the two games, including a career-high 23 points in the win over Cal State Monterey Bay.

Dunbar is averaging 13.8 points and 1.7 steals, both team-leading figures. She has made 30-of-35 free throws (85.7 percent).

Western already has had seven different starting lineups this season. The only player to start every game is junior forward Claire Pallansch. Pallansch is averaging 10.7 points on 52.4 percent (44-of-84) field-goal shooting and a team-high 7.7 rebounds.

Sophomore center Tara Holgate has started the last four games for the Vikings. The 6-foot-4 transfer from NCAA I Eastern Washington is averaging 7.0 points on a team-best 60.0 percent (27-of-45) floor accuracy and has blocked a team-high 12 shots.

Rounding out the first five are junior forward Sarah Schramm, who is averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds, and junior point guard India Soo, who is averaging a team-high 4.0 assists and 6.8 points.

Providing quality minutes off the bench for Western have been freshman guard Marelle Moehrle, who is averaging 7.0 points and has hit 15 3-pointers, and sophomore forward Gabby Wade, who is averaging 5.1 rebounds.

Cal Poly Pomona is off to a 2-4 start. The Broncos have two returning second-team all-league players in 5-8 senior forward Vanessa Dominguez (9.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 spg) and 5-7 senior guard Ashley Moody (10.8 ppg). A big addition is 5-6 freshman guard Reyana Colson (13.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who helped Lynwood High School in Compton, Calif., to the CIF championship as a high school senior.

UC San Diego, the defending West Region champion and national semifinalist last year, has lost just once in 10 games. Besides the win over Western at the Great Western Shootout, the Tritions posted a 55-45 victory over the Vikings at Disney's DII West Coast Tip-Off Classic.

UCSD has a veteran front line, including 6-1 junior forward Michelle Osier (13.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg), 6-0 senior forward Meaghan Noud (12.4 ppg) and 6-2 senior center Alexis Gaskin (14.0 ppg & 5.3 rpg). Osier and Gaskin were all-tourney picks at the Great Western Shootout.

Following the CCAA/GNAC Crossover Classic, Western opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 5, entertaining undefeated Central Washington (8-0) on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

The Wildcats, who upset UC San Diego, 65-57, at the Great Western Shootout, are led by 5-9 senior guard Hanna Hull (14.9 ppg, 20-of-41 3-pointers, 48.8 percent), who was the GWS MVP. Another top returnee is 6-1 senior center Kristina Klapperich (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), and a pair of standout newcomers are 5-9 freshman guard Jenn Jacobs (12.4 ppg) and 5-7 junior guard Brooke Fernandez (10.9 ppg), a transfer from NCAA I Portland. Central is shooting 45.4 percent (64-of-141) from 3-point range.

UPCOMING GAMES:

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: The Vikings' home game with Central on Jan. 5 will be their first at Carver Gym since Nov. 24 ... Western is averaging 24.6 turnovers per game this season compared to 17.6 by the opposition ... Holgate and Soo were all-tourney picks at the 11th annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic, and Dunbar and Pallansch were all-tourney choices at Disney's DII West Coast Tip-Off Classic .... The Vikings have made nine straight NCAA II national tournament appearances.

VIKINGS' PAINFUL START: It has been a season like no other for Western in regards to injuries and related issues. A timetable of the events follows:

* It is determined during the spring that junior point guard Elyse Hartman, a part-time starter, must redshirt in order to completely recover from an injury to her left knee that ended her 2006-07 season on Feb. 2 and required surgery.

* In late September, junior forward Willow Cabe, who averaged 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds off the bench, decides not to return to school.

* During pre-season practice, senior forward Liz McCarrell suffers a season-ending dislocation and torn ligament in her right foot that required surgery. McCarrell, a returning starter, averaged 10.9 points and was a second-team league all-star.

* On Nov. 9, senior forward Krystal Robinson suffers a career-ending ACL tear in her left knee during an exhibition game with Pacific Lutheran. She was a returning starter who averaged 10.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and a GNAC-leading 2.9 blocks, which ranked fourth nationally. Robinson finished second among school career leaders in blocks with 190.

* Redshirt freshman guard Amanda Dunbar misses two games with stress fracture suffered at Disney's DII West Coast Tip-Off Classic.

* Junior point guard India Soo misses two games with Achilles' tendon injury, being hampered by shin splints.

* Sophomore forward Krista Lersch has missed the last two games and will be out another 3-4 weeks with an injured right knee.

* Junior forward Sarah Schramm has not missed a game, but has been hampered by a shoulder injury and dental surgery.

SISTER ACT: Sarah and Kristin Schramm are the first sisters to play together on a Western team. Sarah, a junior, transferred to Western last year after spending a season at Gonzaga University. Kristin walked on this year after graduating from Chelan High School.

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 350-129 (73.1 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 782 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
G Kristin Schramm, 5-9, Fr., Chelan, WA/Chelan
G Kaitlin McBride, 5-7, Fr., Bothell, WA/Bothell
C Lauren Hefflin, 6-2, Fr., Ridgefield, WA/Ridgefield
*letters won

GAME SUMMARIES:

Dec. 18 - WESTERN 87, Cal State Monterey Bay 72 at Great Western Shootout

The defense that has been a trademark of her WWU teams helped coach Dolfo pick up her 350th career victory as the Vikings held Cal State Monterey Bay without a field goal for five minutes in the second half and claimed an 87-72 triumph in first-day action at the Great Western Shootout being held at Centennial Hills Center in Las Vegas. Dunbar led Western with a career-high 23 points as the host Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak. CSUMB fell to 2-5. Forward Dana Andrews led the Otters with a game-high 26 points. Dunbar scored 19 points, hitting four 3-pointers, in a first half that featured 10 ties and no leads of more than five points. The score was tied 39-39 at halftime. Dunbar left the game with an ankle injury five minutes into the second half and did not return. But even without Dunbar, the Vikings were able to make the decisive run of the game. Trailing 60-57 with 9:44 to play, Western went on a 19-2 run over the next five minutes, taking a 76-62 lead with 4:48 left. Holgate scored all 12 of her points in the run. CSUMB pulled to within 10, 76-66, on consecutive baskets by guard Alma Lopez, but got no closer the rest of the way. Lopez finished with 14 points and a game-high 11 assists. Pallansch had 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Western, which had a 48-35 edge on the boards. Moehrle came off the bench with 16 points, 10 in the second half. In her 17th season at Western, Dolfo has a 350-128 record.

Dec. 19 - UC San Diego 83, WESTERN 64 at Great Western Shootout

Despite team highs of 22 points and eight rebounds from Dunbar, Western fell to nationally top-10 ranked UC San Diego, 83-64, in final-day action at the second annual Great Western Shootout held at Centennial Hills Center. The Vikings also got 11 points and eight rebounds from forward Claire Pallansch. UC San Diego, ranked No.3 in the WBCA/USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll, improved to 9-1. Forward Michelle Osier paced the Tritons with game-highs of 23 points and 16 rebounds, and center Alexis Gaskin added 16 points. Western led 11-5 after the first 3:35 as Dunbar had a hand in every point with three assists and two field goals, one a 3-pointer. But UCSD rallied with a 14-4 run, taking a 19-15 lead on a layin and free throw by Diahnn Futalan with 10:53 left in the first half. The Tritons led the rest of the way. The Vikings pulled within one three times in the first half, but UCSD closed the period with an 11-3 burst and led 42-31 at halftime. Western was still within eight, 48-40, after a basket by Pallansch with 14:43 to play, and had an opportunity to cut the margin to six only to miss a layup and a putback. UCSD then put the game away, going on a 14-1 run in a 3:51 span to take a 62-41 lead with 10:17 to play. The Vikings went more than eight minutes without a field goal after Pallansch's basket, not breaking the drought until a layin by Holgate with 6:31 left. The margin was never less than 16 points in the final 10 minutes. UCSD shot 50.0 percent from the field (33-of-66) for the game. Western shot 47.8 percent (22-of-46) from the floor, but committed 27 turnovers to just 13 for the Tritons.