WESTERN OREGON WOLVES (6-6, 2-2)
STATS | GAME NOTES
Head Coach: Jessica Peatross
Record at WOU: 15-19 (2nd Season)

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Watch/Live Stat Links
at #5 MSU Billings (14-2, 3-0)

• 4:15 p.m. (PT)  Thursday
• Billings, Montana
• All-Time: 9-32 · Last 10: 2-8 · Streak: Lost 5
• Last Win: Jan. 14, 2022 at WOU (66-57)

at Seattle Pacific (6-10, 0-3)

• 4:15 p.m. Saturday
• Seattle, Washington
• All-Time: 8-49 · Last 10: 2-8 · Streak: Lost 2
• Last Win: Feb. 4, 2023 at SPU (57-52)

HEADING INTO THE WEEK

• The Wolves sit in a tie for fifth early in conference play at 2-2 after picking up a key win Saturday over Simon Fraser - snapping an eight-game skid to the Red Leafs and winning its first game at home over SFU since 2015.
• When WOU takes on No. 5 MSUB on Thursday, it is looking for its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 8 Seattle Pacific on Jan. 22, 2015 - a span of 28 games.
• Montana State Billings at 14-2 have only lost to then-No. 3 and current No. 1 Grand Valley State on Nov. 2 (69-52) and a 72-69 loss to then-No. 23 and current No. 21 Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 17. The Yellowjackets are led by 5-11 forward Dyauni Boyce who is averaging 15.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range. Aspen Giese is another threat at 13.1 points per game - including 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
• Since starting the season 0-5, the Falcons have gone 6-5 - which includes going 0-3 during a brutally tough way to start GNAC play at SFU, at WWU and at MSUB. Layne Kearns (11.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.3 apg) and Hunter Beirne (10.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.0 apg) pace SPU.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Wolves, after dropping a Thursday contest against Western Washington, snapped an eight-game losing streak to Simon Fraser on Saturday - winning 67-64 behind 18 points from Ciona Wells, 178 from Bella Pedrojetti and 13 points and eight rebounds from Selai Niu. WOU forced a season-high 25 turnovers in the win.
• MSUB is coming off a 97-57 win Saturday at home against Seattle Pacific behind a career-high 35 points from Dyauni Boyce - going 14-for-19 from the field (4-for-7 from 3) .
• SPU in the 97-57 loss Saturday at No. 5 MSUB got 16 points off the bench from Julia Lavigne while Hunter Beirne added 15 points and four assists.

WOU NOTES

Wolves in D-II Top 50 Stat Rankings

Bella Pedrojetti

• 18th 3-pointers per game (2.8)
• 26th 3-pointers (34)
• 36th 3-point percentage (39.5)

Ciona Wells

• 26th Assists per game (4.8)*
• 29th Assist/turnover ratio (2.04)
• 37th Assists (50)

Natalie Brown

• 26th Defensive rebounds per game (6.8)*
• 35th Rebounds per game (9.5)
• 50th Rebounds (114)*

*Leads GNAC

Pedrojetti's 7 3s at Alaska second most in WOU history, 36 points most since 2008
Bella Pedrojetti exploded for her second 30-plus point game by scoring 36 points - draining seven 3-pointers in the process - during the Wolves' win at Alaska on Dec. 5. The seven 3-pointers is the second most in WOU history and the most since Shelby Snook tied the school record of eight against Montana State Billings in 2017 (Joanne Steffey hit eight against Linfield in the 1990-91 season).

Pedrojetti's 36 points - two better than her career-high 34 set in the season opener against Multnomah - is the most by a Wolf since Leada Berkey scored a school-record 45 points against Central Washington on Feb. 21, 2008. It's the 10th time in program history a player has scored 36 or more points in a game and Pedrojetti is the sixth player to do it (Lead Berkey and Sandie Graves scored 36 or more three times and Casey Cosler, Jodi Siddall and Shelley Potter each did it once). Berkey and Pedrojetti are the only two to score 35 or more in the Wolves' NCAA era (since the 2000-01 season).

35 or more points, WOU history

• 45 Leada Berkey at Central Washington, Feb. 21, 2008
• 43 Sandie Graves at Eastern Oregon, 1995-96
• 41 Casey Cosler vs. Eastern Oregon, 1986-87
• 40 Sandie Graves vs. Humboldt State, 1995-96
• 39 Jodi Siddall at Warner Pacific, 1982-83
• 38 Leada Berkey vs. Cascade, Nov. 15, 2006
• 38 Sandie Graves at Humboldt State, 1995-96
• 36 Bella Pedrojetti at Alaska, Dec. 5, 2024
• 36 Leada Berkey vs. Stanislaus State (Nampa, Idaho), Nov. 24, 2007
• 36 Shelly Potter at Columbia Christian, 1992-93
• 35 Casey Cosler vs. George Fox-H, 1986-87

Frosh Wells' 11 assists at Alaska most in nearly 22 years for Wolves
Freshman Ciona Wells became the sixth WOU player to reach double figures in assists in the program's NCAA era (since 2000) when she had 11 in a win over Alaska on Dec. 5 in Fairbanks. It's the sixth time a player has reached double figures in assists - most recently done by Triniti Youngblood last season at Alaska (10 on Jan. 27, 2024). The 11 assists for Wells is the most since Erica Matthews had 11 against Concordia on Dec. 20, 2022, and is the most by a WOU player on the road in the Wolves' NCAA era.

WOU double-digit assists in NCAA Era (Since 2000)

• 13* Becky Gregory vs. Alaska (Dec. 6, 2001)
• 11 Ciona Wells at Alaska (Dec. 5, 2024)
• 11 Erica Matthews vs. Concordia (Dec. 20, 2002)
• 11 Shannon Copple vs. Alaska (Nov. 30, 2000)
• 10 Triniti Youngblood at Alaska (Jan. 27, 2024)
• 10 Becky Gregory vs. Saint Martin's (Feb. 2, 2001)
• *Tied for school record with Julie Miller (1994-95) and Carrie Tobey (1989-90)

Vaifuna flirts with triple-double against Willamette
WOU guard Enid Vaifuna nearly went for a triple-double against Willamette on Nov. 23 in Monmouth, going for 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. A Western Oregon player hasn't had a triple-double in its NCAA era (since 2001). The GNAC has had seven triple-doubles in the conference's history - the last coming Jan. 12, 2023 (Samantha Bowman of Central Washington - 15 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Alaska Anchorage).

Brown with quite the WOU debut with 17 boards in opener
Natalie Brown in her first game for WOU scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the Wolves' win over Multnomah on Nov. 10. The 17 rebounds is tied for the most rebounds since Heather Laats grabbed 18 on Jan. 26, 2002. It was the fifth time since Latts' 18 rebound-game in 2002 that a Wolf has grabbed 17 rebounds (last done in 2022 by Meadow Aragon).

30th Anniversary of WOU's first of back-to-back NAIA National Titles
The Western Oregon women's basketball team owns the athletic department's two team national titles, winning them back-to-back in 1994-95 and 1995-96 (WOU finished as national runner-up in 1993-94). The 1994-95 team, coached by Rusty Rogers, went 23-9 and finished the season on a eight-game winning streak - capped with a 75-67 win over current GNAC foe Northwest Nazarene in the title game in Monmouth. The 1995-96 went 31-4 and won in the title game 80-77 over Huron (S.D.) in Angola, Indiana. From the 1990-91 to the 1998-99 seasons, the Wolves made the national tournament eight out of nine years and went a combined 217-85 (.719).