Women's Basketball | 12/19/2013 6:46:00 PM

Box Score

LAS VEGAS – The Dixie State University women's basketball team won the consolation game of the 2013 Las Vegas Challenge over Western Oregon University, 88-78, Thursday at the Orleans Arena.

Dixie State (3-6, 1-1 PacWest Conference) had two players score 20 points, as Kaylah Miller totaled 21 and Brianna White finished with 20. The duo both made four three-pointers. Miller was 4-of-8 from behind-the-arc and White was 4-for-9. Miller also made all nine free throws attempts she had. Haley Holmstead entered the game as the third leading scorer in NCAA Div. II averaging 24.9 per outing. She finished with 16 Thursday.

Taylor Mann was one rebound shy of a double-double for the Red Storm. She had 10 points and nine rebounds. Haleigh Emerine also had nine rebounds. Miller dished out a game-high six assists. Jessica Anderson led all players with four blocks.

The Red Storm improved to 3-0 all-time versus WOU. DSU outrebounded Western Oregon, 48-33, and had a 49 percent to 41 percent advantage in shooting from the field. DSU was 9-of-22 from three-point range, while the Wolves made 6-of-16. WOU struggled from the free throw line making 12 of its 21 attempts. Dixie State was 21-for-24. The Wolves turned 20 DSU turnovers into 23 points. Western Oregon committed 13 turnovers.

"Everything on the stat sheet indicated a win for us," WOU Head Coach Holli Howard-Carpenter said. "We made more shots, took care of the ball and scored 23 points off their turnovers. We just didn't get stops when we needed them and again, struggled from the free throw line."

Five minutes into the game, Dixie State jumped out to a 13-5 lead. WOU tied the game four minutes later at 18. The Red Storm built its lead back to nine points with 6:33 remaining in the first half. The nine-point margin was the largest of the opening stanza, and the halftime edge, 45-36, in favor of DSU.

Dixie State took a 13-point lead just into the second half, and built the margin to 66-49 with 12:55 remaining in the game. The Wolves made a run and cut the lead to 70-63 four minutes later. The Red Storm answered with a 12-2 run to help pull away. The largest lead of the game was 18 points just minutes later.

Dana Goularte had another stellar game for WOU. The junior finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for her ninth career double-double and fifth 20-point game. She also had two blocks and three assists. Chantel Divilbiss added 11 points.

"I thought our bench was solid tonight, Shyla (Akins) came in and attacked and Jackie (Steiger) knocked down some big shots," Howard-Carpenter said. "We made a good push towards the end but just didn't have enough to take a lead."

The Wolves (3-6, 1-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) return home to host Simpson (Calif.) Saturday. 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. The non-conference matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m. Live video and stats will be on WOUWolves.com and live video on WOUTV.

The WOU men follow the women at 4:15 against South Dakota Mines. This will be the final time fans can watch Western Oregon Athletics in 2013, as both teams take a break for the holiday season. WOU faculty and staff are invited to the doubleheader for free. Local elementary school students and staff are also invited to the games for free. Fans will have a chance to meet Wolfie and a special guest from the North Pole at the games. An autograph session with the WOU women and men will follow the men's game inside the New P.E. Building gym.

Western Oregon vs Dixie St.
12/19/13 4:00 pm at Las Vegas, NV (Orleans Arena)
At Las Vegas, NV (Orleans Arena)
DIXIE ST. 88, WESTERN OREGON 78
WESTERN OREGON (3-6)
Goularte,Dana 8-17 7-10 24; Divilbiss,Chantel 5-16 0-0 11; Akins,Shyla 3-8
2-2 8; Mottershaw,Jordan 4-8 0-0 8; Steiger,Jackie 2-3 0-0 6; Miller,Elise
2-5 0-2 6; Henry,Kelsey 1-5 3-4 5; Fowler,Melissa 2-3 0-3 4;
Rodriguez,Whitney 1-2 0-0 2; Titus,Angie 1-1 0-0 2; Goddard,Katie 1-4 0-0 2;
Nicklason,Leah 0-1 0-0 0; Buck,Rebecca 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-73 12-21 78.
DIXIE ST. (3-6)
Miller, Kaylah 4-9 9-9 21; White, Brianna 7-16 2-2 20; Holmstead, Haley 7-10
2-2 16; Mann, Taylor 3-5 4-5 10; Anderson, Jessica 4-5 0-0 8; Moore, Miranda
2-3 2-4 6; Maynes, Taylor 1-3 0-0 3; Woods, Nanea 1-4 0-0 2; Emerine,
Haileigh 0-3 2-2 2; Lantor, Caroline 0-0 0-0 0; Harris, Austen 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 29-59 21-24 88.
Western Oregon................   36   42  -   78
Dixie St......................   45   43  -   88
3-point goals--Western Oregon 6-16 (Steiger,Jackie 2-3; Miller,Elise 2-2;
Divilbiss,Chantel 1-6; Goularte,Dana 1-2; Goddard,Katie 0-1;
Mottershaw,Jordan 0-1; Akins,Shyla 0-1), Dixie St. 9-22 (White, Brianna 4-9;
Miller, Kaylah 4-8; Maynes, Taylor 1-2; Mann, Taylor 0-1; Holmstead, Haley
0-2). Fouled out--Western Oregon-None, Dixie St.-Woods, Nanea.
Rebounds--Western Oregon 33 (Goularte,Dana 10), Dixie St. 48 (Mann, Taylor
9; Emerine, Haileigh 9). Assists--Western Oregon 10 (Goularte,Dana 3), Dixie
St. 18 (Miller, Kaylah 6). Total fouls--Western Oregon 19, Dixie St. 16.
Technical fouls--Western Oregon-None, Dixie St.-None. A-154