MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University women's basketball team will play on their home floor for the first time since Feb. 29, 2020 when they face Lewis & Clark in an exhibition contest inside New PE Gym this Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
While it's been a day or two since the last home game, WOU finished the 2019-20 season strong with an 89-52 win over Alaska. It was Senior Night for Shariah Green and she led the way with 17 points. Returner Tresai McCarver added 16 points and Keyonna Jones gave the team three in double-figures at 15 points. A few other returners on this year's team saw time in that game including Alexis Wright who scored eight points, Amber Winkler who added six points and seven rebounds and Meadow Aragon added four points and six rebounds. For the season, WOU picked up five wins at home that included a double-overtime win over Western Washington.
This will be the first time WOU has seen Lewis & Clark since another exhibition contest during the 2017-18 season that was also played in Monmouth. The Wolves cruised to the 94-59 victory that season. The teams played one regular season contest since 2006 which was played in Portland and the Pioneers took the 70-59 victory.
Top-scorer Jones concluded her career at WOU during the 2019-20 season leading the team in points per game (11), shot 44 percent from the field and added 79 rebounds, 65 assists and 20 steals in 25 games. Shariah Green also finished up her career that season and averaged 10.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, shot 46 percent from the field and added 11 blocks in 27 games. The next two scorers from that year are back in McCarver and Cali McClave. McCarver averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, along with 71 assists, 30 steals and connected on 23 three-pointers in 27 games. McClave played right away as a true freshman and averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, along with 38 steals and made 30 three-pointers.
Aragon is back after a true freshman campaign as well in which she played in 27 games, averaging 4.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, along with 22 blocks, 19 steals and shot 45 percent from the field. Amber Winkler returns after playing in 27 games and averaging 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds, along with 50 blocks, 34 assists and 14 steals. Alexis Wright is back after seeing time in 26 games, tallying 3.1 points per game and pulled down 33 rebounds, three blocks and shot 49 percent from the field. Kaelin Williams-Kennedy is back this year as well, as she was on the team in 2019-20, but was a redshirt season.
Joining this year's team will be a big group of freshmen including Erika Glenn, Caitlin Wheeler, Ana McClave, Madisyn Clark, Kylee Arzner, Kilyn Dawkins and Averi Young. Transfer Jewel "Princy" Paaluhi-Caulk joins the team after playing for Concordia (OR) her first season. Other transfers include Casandra White who played her first two seasons and Peninsula CC and Makenna Gambee who will play as a graduate student after playing four seasons at Hawaii Pacific.
This will be the second exhibition game of the season, as WOU will also play at Seattle University on Dec. 20.
The regular season will open on Nov. 12 when the Wolves travel to Lacey to face Hawaii Pacific in a neutral site game starting at 3 p.m.
Fans are allowed to attend and remember to wear a mask.
Live stats will be available for Tuesday's exhibition game and can be found here.
