The Basics

• Final score: Western Oregon 62, Concordia 52
• Records: WOU 4-19, 3-12 GNAC; CU 5-18, 3-12 GNAC
• The Wolves improved to 37-11 in the all-time series.
• Location: Portland, Ore. – Cavalier Court

 
How It Happened
The Wolves encountered a hole as they stood in the middle of a 15-point deficit at the end of the first quarter. However, Western Oregon went onto the court in the second period as a brand new team.
 
First, Ali Nelke shot a layup and a jumper to get the Wolves going on the right note, and Michelle Bromagem followed with a three-pointer. The scoring streak continued as Emily Howey hit a layup and put the Wolves within six points of the Cavaliers.
 
Sydney Azorr's layup and three-pointer brought the game within reach of two points, but Concordia went on a six-point run and held onto a 31-27 advantage before halftime.
 
Four minutes into the third quarter, the Wolves flipped the game as Natalie DeLonge and Jazmin Bembry each finished a layup to tie the match and then take the lead at 39-37. Western Oregon would not let go of the lead for the remainder of the game.
 
The Wolves maintained at least a four-point edge on Concordia for the majority of the final quarter. With less than three minutes remaining, however, the Cavaliers came within two points after Erin Higbie scored both of her free throw shots. Bromagem gave the Wolves some breathing room as she continuously got to the free throw line and knocked down all six free throw shots. Azorr earned the last bucket of the game with a free throw, giving Western Oregon their largest lead of 10 points and sealing the win.
 
Wolves' Top Performers

• Michelle Bromagem matched her season high with 15 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line and 3-for-4 behind the arc. She also added six rebounds and two assists.
• Sydney Azorr earned 14 points, knocking down each of her three three-point attempts. She also posted six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
• Emily Howey made it to double digits after going a perfect 5-for-5 in field goals, totaling 10 points. Howey tallied three rebounds, two steals, and one assist.
• Ali Nelke led the Wolves with seven rebounds and also posted eight points, two assists, and one steal.

 
For the Cavaliers

• Erin Higbie carried the Cavaliers with 21 points, six rebounds, five steals, and two assists. She went 7-for-12 from the field.
• Bailey Cartwright had nine points, going 4-for-4 in free throws, while adding four rebounds and one assist.

 
Stats of the Game

• The Wolves reached their highest field goal percentage of the season with 46.7 percent (21-45). They had a higher percentage in the first half with 48 percent.
• Western Oregon won the battle on the boards with a total of 36 rebounds, whereas Concordia had 29.
• The Wolves had 26 points in the paint, compared to the Cavaliers' 14.
• Western Oregon scored 23 points off of Concordia's 18 turnovers, and Concordia scored 22 points off of Western Oregon's 23 miscues.
• Concordia had the lead for 22:27 minutes of the 40-minute game, while the Wolves led for 15:47 minutes.

 
Coach Quotes
WOU head coach Holli Howard-Carpenter after the win:

• "I'm so proud of the way we fought tonight. We had a great comeback in the second quarter and played poised down the stretch. It's nice to see them get rewarded for their hard work."
• "Concordia defends well, and we let their pressure disrupt our offense early. After the first quarter, we settled in and found an offensive rhythm. It's been a while since we've had three in double figures, and that makes a huge difference."
• "Sydney and Michelle shot the ball with confidence tonight, and Emily finished well inside."
• "Ali Nelke controlled the boards for us, and Natalie DeLonge gave us some great minutes in the second half."

 
Up Next
The Wolves will travel to Montana State Billings on Thursday, February 11 at 7 p.m. MT (6 p.m. PT). As the game will be featured on Root Sports Northwest, WOU athletics will host Root for WOU, a watch party in the Werner University Center's Deschutes Lounge. Free pizza will be provided for all attendees. The Root for WOU event will also serve as a pregame bash for the men's basketball game that will start at 7 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.