The No. 9 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women’s basketball team pushed past Central Washington University in a wire-to-wire 78-60 win on Saturday night.
Western never trailed and led by as much as 29 points against the Wildcats’ high-powered offense, which leads the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in points per game.
“I felt our defense really dictated what happened and I think offensively we did a good job of going with what was working and finding where their weaknesses were,” Western head coach Carmen Dolfo said.
Western was hot from the tip-off, starting the game with a tone-setting 7-2 run that became a 27-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Senior forward Katrina Gimmaka led the charge, scoring 10 points in the first five minutes of regulation.
The second quarter was tighter than the first and Central Washington was able to claw back some lost ground. Six Wildcats fueled a 14-13 quarter, bringing them within 15 points of Western going into halftime.
The Vikings emerged from the locker room rejuvenated, and the defense held Central Washington to just two field goals in the third quarter while the offense went 9-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-3 on free throws. The lopsided quarter ended with Western up 61-34, stifling Central Washington’s progress from its second-quarter push.
Central Washington didn’t lose hope, however, scoring two points for every one the Vikings made during a seven-minute 14-7 run. Wildcats freshman guard Asher Cai — the No. 6 scorer in the GNAC — fueled the push with 12 fourth-quarter points, but it wasn’t enough to faze the Vikings.
Gimmaka finished the night with a game-high 22 points shooting an electrifying 11-for-16 on the floor.
“I’m only able to do that because of my teammates,” Gimmaka said. “They’re the ones looking up court, pushing the ball and being really selfless.”
The 22 points matched the forward’s career-high mark she initially set on Jan. 5 against Central Washington and then repeated against the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 26.
“When Katrina’s focused, she’s hard to stop,” Dolfo said. “She was ready to go. She just stepped up and wanted the ball.”
In the last matchup against Central Washington, Gimmaka led the Vikings, but it was Wildcats senior center Samantha Bowman who paced the game with 36 points. Western’s defense held the 6-foot-3 center to 10 points this time around.
Containing Bowman — who is averaging 20.3 points per game and leads the GNAC with 14.7 rebounds per game — was a significant testament to Western’s elite defense which is holding opponents to an average of 57.7 points this season.
On offense, all four of Western’s active posts flourished in the paint. Senior center Carley Zaragoza collected 13 points. Junior forward Brooke Walling posted her ninth double-double this season with 11 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore center Truitt Reilly tacked on eight points and as many rebounds.
The win keeps Western in first place in the GNAC, moving to 12-1 in GNAC play and 18-2 overall.
The Vikings will next travel to Western Oregon University to face the Wolves (10-10, 4-8 GNAC) at 5:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9.
