ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Shooting a season-high 60.9-percent from the floor, the Northwest Nazarene University women's basketball team defeated Central Washington University 107-76 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game on Thursday in Ellensburg.

Kristin Hein led the Crusaders (10-4, 3-2 GNAC) with 19 points and nine rebounds, leading a quartet of NNU post players that accounted for 62 of the Crusaders 107 points.  Nicki Schutte added 17 points and five rebounds, Beth Johnson scored 14 and Jennifer Williams netted 12.

NNU led 57-53 at the half, shooting a scorching 59.5-percent (22-37), but saw the Wildcats come out of the locker room with a 7-2 run to take a 60-59 lead with 16:48 left to play.  

However, the Crusaders heated up again, outscoring CWU 47-17 in the remainder of the game, shooting 62.5-percent (20-32) in the second half.

Hannah Hull paced Central Washington (9-3, 1-3 GNAC) with 23 points, while Elyse Moras added 13.  Hull scored 18 of her 23 in the first half, while Moras had 11 of her 13 at the break.

The Crusaders committed just nine turnovers and handed out 26 assists, led by point-guard Mallory Whipple, who scored 13 points and finished with seven assists and just one turnover.  Brittany Roggenkamp also scored 13 and had four assists.

NNU reached the 100-point mark for the first time since November of 2006 and their first-half 57-point outburst equaled their 57-point second half effort earlier this season against Humboldt State.

The Crusaders will now travel to Bellingham to face Western Washington University on Saturday night in a GNAC counter.

Newspaper Box Score
Northwest Nazarene vs Central Washington
01/17/08 7:00 pm PST at Ellensburg, WA - Nicholson Pavilion
At Ellensburg, WA - Nicholson Pavilion
NORTHWEST NAZARENE 107, CENTRAL WASHINGTON 76
NORTHWEST NAZARENE (10-4, 3-2 GNAC)
Hein,Kristin 9-12 0-0 19; Schutte,Nichole 6-12 5-6 17; Johnson,Beth 4-7 4-4
14; Roggenkamp,Brittney 5-5 1-2 13; Whipple,Mallory 5-8 0-0 13;
Williams,Jennifer 5-9 2-2 12; Olds,Janee 3-6 1-2 7; Brady,Lindsay 3-6 0-0 6;
Sullivan,Katy 1-3 0-0 3; Knudson,Paige 1-1 0-0 3; Craig,Heather 0-0 0-0 0;
Oliver,Krista 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 42-69 13-16 107.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON (9-3, 1-3 GNAC)
Hull,Hanna 7-16 6-9 23; Maras,Elyse 2-3 8-8 13; Afoa,Shaina 4-10 1-2 9;
Jacobs,Jenn 3-10 1-2 8; Fernandez,Brooke 2-6 2-2 6; Klapperich,Kristina 2-6
2-2 6; Fenimore,Ashley 3-4 0-0 6; Busch,LeeAna 1-3 1-1 3; Tanneberg,Hilary
1-2 0-0 2; Radtke,Tanna 0-0 0-0 0; Trew,Katie 0-0 0-0 0; Locke,Siena 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 25-60 21-26 76.
Northwest Nazarene............   57   50  -  107
Central Washington............   53   23  -   76
3-point goals--Northwest Nazarene 10-16 (Whipple,Mallory 3-4; Johnson,Beth
2-2; Roggenkamp,Brittney 2-2; Sullivan,Katy 1-2; Hein,Kristin 1-2;
Knudson,Paige 1-1; Brady,Lindsay 0-1; Olds,Janee 0-2), Central Washington
5-17 (Hull,Hanna 3-7; Maras,Elyse 1-1; Jacobs,Jenn 1-5; Fenimore,Ashley 0-1;
Fernandez,Brooke 0-2; Afoa,Shaina 0-1). Fouled out--Northwest Nazarene-None,
Central Washington-None. Rebounds--Northwest Nazarene 35 (Hein,Kristin 9),
Central Washington 32 (Afoa,Shaina 10). Assists--Northwest Nazarene 26
(Whipple,Mallory 7), Central Washington 13 (Fenimore,Ashley 5). Total
fouls--Northwest Nazarene 20, Central Washington 15. Technical
fouls--Northwest Nazarene-None, Central Washington-None. A-264
Great Northwest Athletic Conference game