Nov. 18, 2006

Box Score

GUNNISON, Colo. - Guard Mollie Stelmack (Sr., New Westminster, B.C.) scored a game and career-high 26 points, 17 in the first half, as Western Washington University defeated Chadron State College NE, 92-69, Saturday in the consolation game of the Western State College Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament held at Paul Wright Gym.

The Vikings, who evened their record at 1-1, also got 16 points and eight rebounds from guard Liz McCarrell (Jr., Ferndale) and 13 points and nine rebounds from forward Krystal Robinson (Jr., Kent/Kentridge).

Chadron State, which fell to 0-3, was led by guard Natalyn Cumings with 13 points.

"The second half we finally started playing together a little more, but up to that point we just had no flow offensively all weekend," said Western coach Carmen Dolfo. "We're going to have to work on our defense as we allowed 70 points in each game."

Trailing by eight points, 15-7, six minutes into the contest, Western outscored the Eagles, 27-7, over the next 10 minutes to take a 12-point lead, 34-22, with 4:12 left in the first half. Stelmack scored the Vikings' last 13 points during that run and 15 overall as they connected on 11-of-17 shots from the floor.

Western, which led 40-30 at halftime, had its lead cut to two, 51-49, in the first 5:36 of the second half. The Vikings responded with a 15-2 run over the next six minutes for a 66-51 advantage with 9:16 remaining.

Chadron State never got closer than 12 after that and Western closed out the contest by scoring 12 of the last 16 points during the final 3:46. Reserve guard Elyse Hartman (Jr., Eagle River/Chugiak) scored 11 points for the Vikings, all of them in the second half.

Western had a 47-33 rebounding advantage and made 25-of-31 free throws (80.6 percent).

Stelmack, who scored 21 points in the loss to Mesa State, was 9-of-15 from the floor, including 2-of-6 3-pointers, and made 6-of-7 free throws. She also had four steals, four rebounds and two assists. Her previous high for points in game was 23 as a freshman at Franklin Pierce College NH.

"Mollie really stepped up offensively this weekend and created things when we needed it and was hitting her shots from the outside," Dolfo said.

Western, ranked No.16 in the preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25, returns home to compete in the 10th annual WWU Lynda Goodrich Classic over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, meeting Pacific Lutheran University on Friday (5 p.m.) and Northwest Missouri State University on Saturday (5 p.m.)

The Vikings have won their last 18 regular-season games on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium and they have posted a 19-1 record in their tournament.