Women's Basketball | 12/16/2013 9:27:00 PM

ACADEMY OF ART GAME NOTES (PDF)        DIXIE STATE GAME NOTES (PDF)       SIMPSON GAME NOTES (PDF)

MONMOUTH, Ore. -- The Western Oregon University women's basketball team plays its first games away from home this week as it travels to the Las Vegas Challenge for a pair of games, then returns home for its final non-conference game against Simpson University. WOU plays three games in a four-day span.

WESTERN OREGON TRAVELS FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
• After seven games at home to open the season, Western Oregon travels to the Las Vegas Challenge hosted by Dixie State University.
• The Wolves face Academy of Art for the second time this season.
• The game will be the first of three over a four-day span for WOU.
• Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. Wednesday at the Orleans Arena. The game will be broadcast online for pay-per-view on WOUWolves.com.

LAST TIME OUT
•  Behind an amazing night by Dana Goularte, Western Oregon won a thrilling overtime game over Central Washington, 71-63, on Dec. 7.
• After a 26-point performance in the previous game, Goularte scored 19 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked six shots against CWU.
• After the Wildcats took their first lead in the game with 48 seconds remaining, Katie Goddard made a three with 17 seconds left to tie.
• It was the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference for the Wolves and Head Coach Holli Howard-Carpenter.

WESTERN OREGON STORYLINES
• Dana Goularte is second in the GNAC in rebounds per game (10.0), third in blocked shots per game (1.71), and fourth in field goal percentage (50.6).
• Goularte is currently averaging a double-double with 17.4 points and 10 rebounds per outing. She is second in the GNAC in double-doubles.
• The Wolves are 1-4 this season when scoring under 70 points, but 2-0 when scoring over 70.

THE OPPOSITION
• Academy of Art rides into the matchup on a three-game win streak. All three wins were at home, and opened the conference schedule.
• The Urban Knights take care of the ball very well, ranking first in the PacWest in turnover margin (4.67) and turnovers per game (15.1).
• ART U was picked first in the PacWest preseason poll.
• Alisa Griggs and Jasmin Guinn top the PacWest in rebounds.
• Guinn has three double-doubles already this season.
• Zoie Sheng is 23rd in NCAA Div. II at a 2.67 assist-to-turnover ratio.

SERIES HISTORY
• Academy of Art has won all three of the all-time meetings.
• The series dates back to a 61-59 victory at a Thanksgiving tournament hosted at Dixie State in 2011.
• Western Oregon has never scored over 59 points in the series.
• This will be the fourth time the non-conference foes will meet in the past three years.

WESTERN OREGON CONTINUES PLAY IN SIN CITY
• After seven games at home to open the season, Western Oregon travels to the Las Vegas Challenge hosted by Dixie State University.
• The Wolves face Dixie State University for the first time since 2011.
• The game will be the second of three over a four-day span for WOU.
• Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at the Orleans Arena. The game will be broadcast online for pay-per-view on WOUWolves.com.

THE OPPOSITION
• Dixie State enters the tournament after a loss at Point Loma.
• Haley Holmstead's 24.9 points per game is third in NCAA Div. II.
• She is making 44 percent of her shots from the field, which is second in the PacWest.
• Kaylah Miller is making three three-pointers per game at 33.3 percent shooting from behind-the-arc.
• Haleigh Emerine is grabbing eight rebounds per contest.
• The Red Storm's 7.9 rebound margin leads their conference.

SERIES HISTORY
• The Red Storm has won both prior meetings with WOU.
• DSU won the first meeting, 97-85, at Western Oregon in 2010.
• Dixie State then won the following year at its 2011 Thanksgiving tournament, 83-76.
• This will be the first meeting between the programs on a neutral court.

WESTERN OREGON HOSTS FINAL NON-CONFERENCE FOE
• After its first road games of the season, Western Oregon returns to Monmouth to host Simpson University (Calif.).
• The matchup will be the final non-conference game of the regular season and the last game in 2013 for the Wolves.
• The game will be the last of three over a four-day span for WOU.
• Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in the New P.E. Building. The game will be broadcast online at WOUWolves.com.

THE OPPOSITION
• Simpson rides into the week on a two-game skid, and has lost four of its past five games.
• Nichole Jones leads the Redhawks with 13.9 points per game.
• She is also 15th in NAIA Div. II with 3.09 steals per game.
• As a team, Simpson is taking the ball away from its opponents 10.7 times per outing, which is 22nd in NAIA Div. II.
• SU has five players averaging over four rebounds a game, led by Madison Cox's 4.5.
• All of the Redhawks' losses have been by double digits.

SERIES HISTORY
• Western Oregon has won two of three all-time meetings.
• The Wolves won the first meeting in 2009, 55-44..
• Simpson won the last meeting, 77-74, in Monmouth, in 2012.
• This will be the first meeting between the programs on a neutral court.

NEXT UP...
• Western Oregon has a 12-day break between games for the holidays.
• The Wolves then travel to their travel-partner Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash., on Jan. 4.
• The Saints are off to a hot start winning seven of their first 10 games.
• SMU opened its GNAC schedule with a pair of wins, and has won its last four contests.