MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team closes their six-game road trip to start the season with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents to open conference play. Nov. 29 the Wolves take on Saint Martin's and Dec. 1 they face off with Seattle Pacific. Both games are scheduled for a 5:15 p.m. tipoff.

ABOUT SAINT MARTIN'S (1-4, 0-0 GNAC): Despite a slow start to the season, the Saints have played tight enough to be within five points in two of their losses including a triple overtime marathon with undefeated Dixie State. That extended game has contributed to SMU having three of the top five players in minutes played in the conference so far this season. Shooting accuracy has served as the major hurdle for SMU to overcome through five games. They have shot 37.6% from the field and a conference-low 62.9% at the free throw line.
 
Of the Saints' nine returners, two are Preseason All-GNAC selections—  Saniah Simpson-Patu and Makenna Schultz. Simpson-Patu, last year's GNAC Freshman of the year, has averaged 15.8 points through five games while leading the Saints in field goals made and defensive rebounding. Schultz, the team and conference's leading scorer at 20.2 points per game, has been getting it done from deep. The junior guard leads the GNAC with 20 made 3-pointers, making at least four shots from beyond the arc in all but one game this year.
 
WOU vs. SMU: Western Oregon is 9-28 all-time vs. SMU and 3-15 on the road. Each team defended home court during the 2017-18 season. The Saints' 73-66 win at home Feb. 24 snapped a three-game winning streak for the Wolves over the Saints and gave them their first win over WOU in two years. SMU is 9-3 against WOU since 2013.

ABOUT SEATTLE PACIFIC (1-4, 0-0 GNAC): The Falcons recently snapped their four-game losing streak to start the season with an 84-73 win over Holy Names. The early slide is the slowest start to a season for the Falcons in over 10 years. This weekend's pair of games is part of an eight-game homestand for SPU, lasting nearly a month. The Falcons have allowed 76.4 points per game through five contests, the highest average in the GNAC for a defense. They counter that with the best 3-point shooting offense in the conference at a clip of 38.9% on 95 attempts.
 
SPU is led by senior guard and Preseason All-GNAC selection Riley Evans. She is currently the third-leading scorer in the conference, averaging 17.2 points per game. Evans also sits fourth in the GNAC by averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers per game for 14 total.
 
WOU vs. SPU: Seattle Pacific has dominated the all-time series, going 35-2 against the Wolves. SPU is currently on a seven-game winning streak against WOU and has not lost since Jan. 22, 2015 in Monmouth. WOU is 0-19 in Seattle.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (1-3, 0-0 GNAC): Western Oregon comes into the week working on 12 days of rest, not having played since a 69-64 win over Colorado Mesa Nov. 17. The win snapped a three-game losing streak to go into the holiday break on a high note. Tresai McCarver came off the bench to lead the Wolves with 19 points in the final game of the Dixie State Classic. The freshman also added in six rebounds and five assists to her night. It was the highest scoring game yet for WOU and the second time they have eclipsed 50 points this season. They currently hold the stoutest 3-point defense in the conference, holding opponents to a 23.1% clip from deep. The Wolves additionally are the only team in the GNAC averaging more than 30 defensive rebounds per game (30.8).

REBOUNDING FORTE: Western Oregon players account for 18% of the top 40 list of rebounders in the conference. Currently seven Wolves are averaging 3.5 rebounds or more per game, the most in the GNAC.
 
NELKE PUTTING IN WORK: Senior forward Ali Nelke is currently fourth in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 34.5 minutes per game through four contests. That has included playing all 40 minutes of the game Nov. 17 against Colorado Mesa and logging at least 30 minutes in three of the first four games. Her current average leaves her just 1.0 minutes shy of the school NCAA-era record for single season average set by Michelle Laski during the 2003-04 campaign.
 

	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).