Women's Basketball | 1/16/2010 8:47:25 PM

Box Score [Box score]

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Western Oregon University women's basketball team put up 43 points in the second half to pull away from Central Washington and win its Great Northwest Athletic Conference road-opener 71-49, Saturday (Jan. 16).

The win evened the Wolves' conference record at 2-2 and moved them to 7-11 overall. This is the first time the Wolves have had a .500 or better record four games into league play since the 2003-04 season. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 4-10 on the season and 1-3 in the conference.

Western Oregon put together its biggest scoring second half of the season to extend its five-point halftime lead and earn its largest margin of victory in a GNAC-contest in five seasons. The Wolves went 8-of-11 from three-point range (72.7-percent) and 11-of-12 from the free throw line (91.7-percent) in the second period, while holding the Wildcats to just 38.5-percent shooting to earn the win.

"The second half was fun to watch," said WOU head coach Greg Bruce. "We got into an offensive rhythm and got lots of contributions from everybody."

Sara Zahler led WOU's second half surge, as she hit three of her four treys after the break to account for nine of her 16 points on the evening. Katie Torland was just 1-of-7 from the floor but connected on all 12 of free throw attempts to record 14 points. Jamie Richardson scored 10 points off the bench, as she went 4-for-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep. WOU also got contributions off the bench from Meaghan White, who led the team with eight rebounds, and Erika Wilson, with four assists.

Western Oregon led by five points at the half (28-23) despite shooting only 25.8-percent, including just 1-of-11 from three-point range. "Defensively we did a good job in the first half," said coach Bruce, "we just missed too many easy shots."

Things would open up for the Wolves in the second half. They came out of the locker room and scored the first seven points of the second half to push their lead to 12. The Wildcats would cut the lead to single-digits twice in the next minute but they would get no closer.

"This was a good overall team win led by our defensive effort," noted Bruce. "It was nice to bounce back from Thursday and I am happy to see that resolve."

WOU also had its second-best rebounding effort of the season, hauling in 47 boards compared to 32 for CWU, and went 22-of-25 from the free throw line. Both teams were 20-of-58 from the field on the evening, but the Wolves prevailed by outscoring the Wildcats by 16 points at the free throw line and by 18 from behind the arc.

The WOU women's basketball team will now prepare for its road trip to Alaska. The Wolves will face the Nanooks Thursday (Jan. 21) and the Seawolves Saturday (Jan 23).