ST. GEORGE, UTAH –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team heads to Southwest Utah this week for the Dixie State Tournament at Burns Arena. The Wolves play the Trail Blazers Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. and Colorado Mesa Nov. 17 at 3 p.m.

ABOUT DIXIE STATE (1-0, 0-0 RMAC): The Trail Blazers ran away in their lone regular season game this season, cruising past Northern New Mexico College, 93-52. DSU posted 20+ points in every quarter while shooting 42.5% as a team. They got double-digit scoring from five players and five or more rebounds from another four. Morgan Myers pulled down 13 boards, including six offensive, while scoring eight points in 23 minutes of work off the bench. Western Oregon won this same matchup a year ago, 81-70 in the Hampton Inn D2 Shootout in Monmouth for their second straight win over Dixie State. Taisha Thomas led all scorers with 15 points as well as six rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. WOU is 2-3 all-time vs. DSU and have not lost to the Trail Blazers since Dec. 19, 2013.

ABOUT COLORADO MESA (0-0, 0-0 RMAC): With no exhibition schedule in 2018-19, the Mavs take the floor for the first time Friday afternoon against Saint Martin's before their matchup with the Wolves Saturday. After finishing 19-10 overall a season ago, CMU returns three starters including senior guard Jaylyn Duran who averaged nearly 15 points per game last season. She is one of two returning players to start all 29 games for the Mavs last year. This will be the first meeting between these two teams since 2010 when the Mavs topped the Wolves 55-47 Nov. 26 in Grand Junction, Colo. WOU is 1-1 all-time vs. CMU.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (0-2, 0-0 GNAC): The Wolves have been unable to repeat their hot start of a year ago when they won their first five contests of the season, falling last week to the Academy of Art and Cal State East Bay. Western Oregon was able to hold a second-half lead in both games, but the fourth quarter has presented problems. WOU scored 13 or fewer points in the fourth quarter of both games and are being out-scored by opponents 41-23 in the fourth this year. Sophomore Olivia Denton has finished in double figures in scoring in both games so far, averaging 12.0 points. She also came within a rebound of a double-double against the Urban Knights and has 16 combined rebounds in the two games. Ali Nelke did not miss much time on the floor against CSEB, playing 37 of the 40 minutes last Friday. Nelke (66) along with Denton (67) are the only players on the team to have logged more than 53 minutes this season. The Wolves come into the weekend shooting 31.5% from the field and 14.6% from three.
 

	2018-19 GNAC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll
.	Team (1st Place Votes)	2017-18 Record (Finish)	Points
	1. Northwest Nazarene (6)	22-5 (18-2, T-1st)	116
	2. Alaska Anchorage (5)	27-5 (18-2, T-1st)	115
	T3. Simon Fraser	14-15 (9-11, 6th)	83
	T3. Western Washington	12-16 (8-12, T-7th)	83
	5. Central Washington	15-14 (11-9, 5th)	77
	6. Concordia	14-14 (8-12, T-7th)	76
	7. Seattle Pacific	23-8 (15-5, 3rd)	55
	8. MSU Billings	25-12 (12-8, 4th)	46
	9. Saint Martin's	8-20 (4-16, 10th)	36
	10. Western Oregon	11-15 (7-13, 9th)	27
	11. Alaska	4-22 (0-20, 11th)	12

2018-19 GNAC PRESEASON POLL: The Wolves were picked to finish in 10th place according to the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll… Picking up six first-place votes, Northwest Nazarene was chosen to repeat as regular season champions after going 22-5 overall and 18-2 in GNAC play a year ago… Also picking up first-place votes was Alaska Anchorage (5).

2017-18 REVIEW: The Wolves ended last year with an 11-15 overall record and a 7-13 record in GNAC play to place 9th in the league standings… were ranked ninth in the GNAC after scoring 65.8 points per game… ranked seventh in defense, allowing 68.6 points per game and second in free throw percentage (.793).