After getting off to a slow start, the Seattle University women’s basketball team made a valiant comeback, but Central Washington was able to hold off the rally for a 52-45 victory Thursday night in GNAC action at Nicholson Pavilion.
Central Washington (11-7, 3-7 GNAC) scored the first nine points of the game and extended its lead to 13 points several times during the first 28 minutes of the game. Seattle University went on a 13-2 run to come within two points at 44-42 with 5:28 remaining in the second half, but the Wildcats held the Redhawks to one field goal in the final stretch to put the game away.
With 15:46 remaining in the second half, Laina Sobczak (University Place, Wash.) scored her 11th point of the game and 1,000th point of her career, the tenth Seattle University women’s basketball player to reach that milestone. Sobczak led SeattleU with 14 points and six rebounds, while Chelsie Morrison (Portland, Ore.) scored 12 points and Alysse Carlson (Ashland, Ore.) kept the Redhawks in the game with three three-pointers for nine points.
For Central Washington, Ashley Fenimore led the way with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from the three-point line. Kristina Klapperich contributed 11 points and eight rebounds, while Hanna Hull scored eight points and Shaina Afoa added seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocked shots to the winning effort.
Seattle University shot only 31.4 percent (16-of-51) from the field and lost the rebounding battle to the Wildcats, 35-24. Central Washington hit 46.5 percent of its field goal attempts, but did commit 26 turnovers to allow SeattleU to mount its comeback.
Seattle University (13-6, 4-6 GNAC) will look to rebound Saturday night as it travels north to face Western Washington beginning at 7 p.m. The Redhawks have won the last two meetings over the Vikings in Seattle, but have not won in Bellingham in 20 years.