MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team returns home for a pair of games this week, hosting Western Washington and Simon Fraser. They take on the Vikings Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. and the Clan Feb. 9 in the second game of a doubleheader, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at NPE Gym.

ABOUT WWU (11-9, 6-6 GNAC): The Vikings got back on the winning side of things Feb. 2 in a convincing 66-36 win over Alaska. This win snapped a three-game losing streak. WWU has dropped four of their last 6.
 
Getting offense going against the Vikings has been a tall task this season. WWU has held opponents to a GNAC-best 38.9 field goal percentage and 29.2 percent from 3-point range. Their +8.9 rebounding margin is ranked 14th in NCAA Division II.
 
Led by the 14.3 points per game of sophomore Kelsey Rogers, they have two players averaging double figures in scoring. Junior Anna Schwecke is amongst the conference's top 10 in several categories, including rebounding (7.8/g, 4th), field goal percentage (54.8, 3rd) and blocks (1.0/g, 7th).

WOU vs. WWU: WOU is 4-33 since 2001 against WWU. The Wolves' last win was a 54-50 victory Jan. 6, 2018 in Monmouth that snapped an 18-game losing streak in the series. They have lost the last two meetings and are 3-15 at home.

ABOUT SFU (12-7, 8-4 GNAC): The Clan were able to do on Jan. 26 what no other team has done this season; beat Northwest Nazarene. Then ranked 1st in the nation, Simon Fraser knocked off the Nighthawks, 76-73 as a part of a six-game winning streak. That run was halted Feb. 2 in a 68-63 loss to No. 11 Alaska Anchorage at home.
 
SFU has no problem pulling up from three. They rank 11th in the country in made 3-pointers per game, averaging 9.3 per contest. Also accomplished defensively in the paint, the Clan lead the GNAC with 4.6 blocks per game.
 
Senior Sophie Swant's 14.9 points per game is good for 4th in the GNAC. Ozioma Nwabuko is the most efficient shooter in the conference at 57.8 percent.

WOU vs. SFU: Western Oregon is 5-12 against Simon Fraser since 2011. The Wolves won their last meeting to snap a five-game losing streak in the series. It was their first win in Burnaby since Jan. 6, 2011 and only the second ever. They are 3-5 at home in the series.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (7-11, 4-8 GNAC):  The Wolves snapped a three-game losing streak last week. After falling to No. 8 Northwest Nazarene 77-43, they rallied back for a 74-70 win two days later at Central Washington. It was the first win for the Wolves over the Wildcats since 2013 and their first win in Ellensburg since 2011.
 
Natalie DeLonge led the team in scoring in both games, combining for 31 points and 12 rebounds over the weekend.

After just eight team assists against NNU, the Wolves responded with 21 Saturday at CWU. Olivia Denton and Keyonna Jones each finished with six in the game while five players had multiple assists. Additionally, four players scored in double figures including the 17 points of Tresai McCarver on 6-of-9 shooting.
 
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: WOU is averaging 14.0 assists per game, their best team average since 2002-03.
 
27 IN A ROW: Ali Nelke made 27 straight free throws before her first miss of the season when she went 1-for-2 at the line Feb. 2 at Central Washington.
 
OPENING SUCCESS: Western Oregon is out-scoring opponents 291-270 in the first quarter this season.

THIEVERY ON THE MIND: WOU has nabbed 10 steals twice in their last five games. The +7 steal margin against MSUB Jan. 26 was the highest this season for the Wolves.

THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS: In WOU's 79-50 win Jan. 19 at home against Alaska, the Wolves matched their highest point total of the season while also holding the Nanooks to an opponent-low. As a result, the Wolves had their largest win of the season at 29 points. The Nanooks were also the victims of WOU's lowest points allowed last season, scoring 49 Feb. 8, 2018, in Monmouth.

BACK-TO-BACK CAREER NIGHTS: Natalie DeLonge set a career-high with 23 points Jan. 17 at home against Alaska Anchorage. She wasted no time topping that mark, going for 24 points in her very next game Jan. 19 against Alaska. She is now averaging 14.6 points per game through 18 appearances. In her last 12 games, she has at least 6 rebounds in every contest and has scored less than 12 points just once.

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. They repeated that effort Jan. 19 against Alaska with another seven blocks.

NOT BY A LONG SHOT: Western Oregon is having one of their best shooting seasons from the paint in their NCAA history. As a result, they have taken fewer shots from 3-point range. The five 3-point attempts Jan. 10 against Simon Fraser was the fewest taken since they attempted just four Jan. 14, 2012 in a 67-53 win over Saint Martin's.
 
EFFICIENCY IS THE KEY: WOU is currently shooting 40.2 percent from the field as a team. That mark is their best team shooting line since the 2011-12 campaign when they finished with a 41.6 percent shooting season. It is also the second-highest clip since 2003-04.
 
LEADING SCORER: Junior Natalie DeLonge has been the Wolves' leading scorer in 13 of 18 games this season.

KEEP 'EM OFF THE BOARDS: Western Oregon has allowed the fewest opponent defensive rebounds in the conference, giving up just 432 for a .345 offensive 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.
 
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIOR: Ali Nelke currently ranks 2nd in the Great Northwest Athletic conference in field goal percentage (.556). She is also in the GNAC's top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (2nd), offensive rebounds (2nd), minutes played (4th), blocks (5th) and rebounding (9th).
 
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 10.1 points per game this season.
 
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 five of the top 40 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 4th in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 33.1 minutes per game. That has included playing all 40 minutes of the game Nov. 17 against Colorado Mesa. Nelke has logged at least 30 minutes in all but three games so far this year. Her current average leaves her just 2.4 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: Four GNAC teams were represented in the D2SIDA West Region poll this week. Northwest Nazarene held on to 2nd, but lost their lone first-place vote. Simon Fraser rose to No. 8, picking up a spot for the second straight week.
 

D2SIDA West Region Poll (Feb. 4, 2019)
Rank / School	Record	Points
1. UC San Diego (6)	18-0	60
2. Northwest Nazarene	19-1	53
3. Alaska Anchorage	19-1	49
4. Cal Poly Pomona	18-2	42
5. Dominican	16-3	30
6. Azusa Pacific	18-4	25
7. Humboldt State	12-6	23
8. Simon Fraser	12-7	16
9. Chico State	12-6	12
10. Central Washington	12-7	8