.MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team looks to bounce back from losses last week as they hit the road to take on Simon Fraser and Western Washington in conference play. The Wolves visit the Clan Jan. 10 with tipoff at 7 p.m. in Burnaby, B.C. and head to Bellingham, WA to face the Vikings Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.

ABOUT SFU (6-5, 2-2 GNAC): Simon Fraser snapped a three-game losing streak Jan. 5 with a 59-46 win over Alaska on the road, helping them move into 10th in the D2SIDA West Region Poll. The 46 points for the Nanooks was the lowest opponent total of the season for the Clan, besting their previous low by a dozen.

SFU's defense has found success defending in the paint, averaging 4.6 blocks per game – just 0.1 shy of Central Washington for the best average in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The main contributor to that total has been the GNAC's leading shot-blocker, senior Samantha Beauchamp. She is averaging 3.0 blocks per game, totaling 33 on the year.

Sophomore Jessica Jones has been lethal from the outside, shooting .396 from 3-point range and leading the conference in made 3-pointers per game. Jones is also the eighth-leading scorer in the GNAC (13.7 ppg) behind her teammate senior Sophie Swant in the sixth spot with 13.9 points per game.

Thursday is Simon Fraser's first home game since Nov. 29 when they beat MSUB 81-74.

WOU vs. SFU: Western Oregon is 4-12 against Simon Fraser since 2011. The Clan have won five straight and 12 of the last 14 matchups. WOU's last win came on New Year's Eve of 2015 in a 58-57 battle. Their only win in Burnaby was in the first-ever matchup of the teams, Jan. 6, 2011, when they topped SFU 84-74. WOU is 1-7 on the road in the series.

ABOUT WWU (8-4, 3-1 GNAC): The Vikings started the season 6-2, emerging as one of three unbeaten teams in conference play coming into the new year, but were dealt their first GNAC loss last Saturday, 68-50 at the hands of No. 14 Alaska Anchorage. Despite the loss, WWU remained in the seventh spot, again picking up 24 points in this week's D2SIDA West Region Poll.

Western Washington holds opponents to a GNAC-best .376 field goal percentage while also allowing a sparse 31.7 rebounds per game. Their rebounding margin of +11.4 leads the conference and is the eighth-highest margin in all of NCAA DII.

Sophomore Kelsey Rogers ranks second in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. She is also one of three Vikings ranked in the top 12 rebounders in the conference along with Anna Schwecke (7.8 rpg, 4th) and Emma Duff (6.6 rpg, 9th).

WOU vs. WWU: Western Oregon is 4-32 against Western Washington since 2001. Although the teams split last season's two matchups, WWU is 19-1 over the last 20. WOU's last win in Bellingham was a 65-57 victory Feb. 23, 2008. The Wolves are 1-17 on the road in the series. 

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (4-6, 1-3 GNAC): Western Oregon faced a tough weekend to open the new year, facing Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene who are a combined 20-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play. While the Wolves stayed competitive in both games, they went 0-2 to drop back below .500 after winning four of their last five games coming into the week.

Olivia Denton pulled down a career-high nine rebounds against the Wildcats, falling just one point and one board shy of her first double-double. Natalie DeLonge led the team in scoring in both games, dropping 14 points in both.

LEADING SCORER: Junior Natalie DeLonge has been the Wolves' leading scorer in six of 10 games this season including four of the last six.

ASSISTS IMPROVING: WOU did not have more than 16 assists in any of their first six games. Over their last four, they have had at least 16 assists in every game and are averaging 17.5 assists per game during that span.

KEEP 'EM OFF THE BOARDS: Western Oregon has allowed the fewest opponent offensive rebounds in the conference, giving up just 101 for a .724 defensive rebounding percentage.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: The seven turnovers committed Dec. 10 against Northwest Christian is the fewest turnovers committed by the Wolves in a game during their NCAA-era history dating back to the 2000-01 season. Additionally, after giving up at least 17 turnovers in each of their first five games, the Wolves have turned the ball over 11 times or less in each of the last three games.
 
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIOR: Ali Nelke currently ranks third in the Great Northwest Athletic conference in field goal percentage (.588) while staying perfect at the free throw line this season at a perfect 17-for-17. She is also in the GNAC's top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (1st), offensive rebounds (2nd), minutes played (3rd), blocks (6th) and rebounding (6th).
 
TEAM CONTRIBUTION: In the Wolves' 79-62 win Dec. 10 over Northwest Christian, nine separate players scored at least five points in the game while four scored in double figures. Five players have a season average of seven or more points as well.
 
JONES' OFFENSIVE RUN: Sophomore guard Keyonna Jones scored in double figures in four consecutive games between Nov. 17 and Dec. 10, including a career-high 23 points Dec. 1 at Seattle Pacific. She is averaging 10.9 points per game this season.
 
BLOCK PARTY: WOU'S seven team blocks Dec. 1 at Seattle Pacific matches their highest single-game total since an eight-block performance Dec. 7, 2013 in a 71-63 overtime win against Central Washington. It also matches the highest total for a game finished in regulation since Nov. 17, 2012 when Western Oregon beat Pacific Lutheran 74-62.
 
TIGHT START TO THE SEASON: Of the Wolves' first six games, three were decided by five or fewer points.
 
REBOUNDING FORTE: Western Oregon players account for four of the top 35 list of rebounders in the conference. Currently three Wolves are averaging five rebounds or more per game. The team's 21 offensive rebounds Dec. 19 is tied for the most in a game since Dec. 17, 2014 when WOU pulled down 26 offensive boards in a 73-60 win over Holy Names.
 
NELKE PUTTING IN WORK: Senior forward Ali Nelke is currently third in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 34.3 minutes per game. That has included playing all 40 minutes of the game Nov. 17 against Colorado Mesa and logging at least 30 minutes in all but one game so far this year. Her current average leaves her just 1.2 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 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).

D2 WEST REGION POLL: Five GNAC teams were represented in the D2SIDA West Region poll this week. Undefeated Northwest Nazarene remained in the top spot while picking up five of the six first-place votes.
 

D2SIDA West Region Poll (Jan. 7, 2019)
Rank / School	Record	Points
1. Northwest Nazarene (5)	12-0	59
2. UC San Diego (1)	12-0	55
3. Alaska Anchorage	11-1	48
4. Cal Poly Pomona	9-2	42
5. Central Washington	8-3	30
6. Dominican	9-2	26
7. Western Washington	8-4	24
8. Azusa Pacific	11-3	22
9. CSU San Marcos	9-3	10
T10. Simon Fraser	6-5	4
T10. Fresno Pacific	10-4	4