MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon women's basketball team returns home this week following a road-heavy end to 2019. After playing just one game in Monmouth in the month of December, the Wolves will host the Western Washington Vikings and Simon Fraser Clan in a battle of Great Northwest Athletic Conference foes to flip the calendar.

Western Oregon (3-6, 0-2 GNAC) put on a show for the home crowd in their most recent game, overcoming a 19-point deficit to beat the Corban Warriors 59-56 on Dec. 16. Being out-scored 18-4 in the first quarter, the Wolves then dominated CU in the remaining three periods, including a 26-13 advantage in the third to chew through most of the Warriors lead. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and gave WOU their second home victory of the year.

Defense has been the highlight of the early season for WOU, allowing only 61.6 points per game, good for the second-best defensive mark in the GNAC. Western is additionally averaging 3.0 blocks per game as well as 7.3 steals.

Sophomore Amber Winkler has been a key part of that defense with 17 total blocks on the year through nine appearances. She currently ranks second in the GNAC in blocks, just 0.2 behind leader Kaelie Flores of Central Washington.

Keyonna Jones is the only player averaging double figures in scoring, posting 11.2 points per game. She is also shooting 40.4 percent from the field and doling out 2.3 assists a night.

Western Washington (7-3, 1-1 GNAC) enters the week riding a three-game winning streak. After losing their conference-opener, the Vikings have won each of their last three games by at least 16 and not allowed more than 61 points to opponents. WWU has won five of their last six dating back to Nov. 22. Of their three losses on the season, two have been to top-10 opponents, falling to then-No. 6 UC San Diego and No. 4 Azusa Pacific.

Vikings senior Anna Schwecke averages 13.1 points per game and 7.2 rebounds to lead WWU. She is also shooting 56.0 percent from the field, good for third in the GNAC.

WOU is 4-34 against WWU in the all-time series. The Vikings have won three straight dating back to 2018. Western's last win in the series and in Monmouth was on Jan. 6, 2018, with a 54-50 win at NPE gym. They are 3-16 at home.

Simon Fraser (6-6, 1-1 GNAC) dealt Western Washington that conference loss that has denied the Vikings a six-game winning streak. This week will represent the first road games for the Clan since Nov. 10, having played their last seven games in Burnaby.

SFU has allowed the highest field goal shooting percentage of the league with opponents hitting 42.4 percent of shots.

Junior Jessica Jones is in a battle for the conference's top spot in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game and trailing GNAC-leader Jocelyn Gandara of Alaska by 0.1 points a night. Jones is also good for 5.5 rebounds a game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field.

WOU is 5-13 in the all-time series against Simon Fraser. SFU has won six of the last seven meetings going back to 2015. Western's last win in the series was Jan. 10, 2019, and their last win in Monmouth on Dec. 31, 2015. The Wolves are 3-6 at home.

The Wolves host Western Washington Thursday, Jan. 2, at 5:15 p.m. and Simon Fraser Saturday, Jan. 4, at 2 p.m. PST in NPE Gym. Both games will have live stats and video available here.