Friday, March 10, 2023

CARSON, Calif. – Central Washington fell victim to a hot run of play from No. 3 seed Cal State San Marcos, falling 86-74 in the first round of the NCAA West Regional to conclude the 2022-23 season.

The Wildcats led by as much as seven points in the first half, but couldn’t keep pace down the stretch with the Cougars who came into the tournament on the heels of defeating No. 1 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills in the CCAA Championships last week.

The GNAC and D2CAA West Region Player of the Year Samantha Bowman led Central Washington for one last time, notching a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds to cap off her college career. Bowman also added four assists, three blocks and a steal. Bowman finishes the year having recorded a double-double in all but four of the Wildcats’ games this season.

Central Washington went into halftime trailing Cal State San Marcos 44-41 and managed to battle back in the early stages of the third quarter. Bowman was a big part of that charge, reclaiming the lead for CWU with just under five minutes to go in the third period with a shot down in the paint that also drew a foul. The Wildcats were perfect from the free-throw line, going 7 for 7 in the game.

As the Cougars looked to pull away in the third quarter, sophomore guard Valerie “Sunshine” Huerta tied the game with just over three minutes to go in the frame with a three-pointer. Along with Bowman, Huerta played all 40 minutes for the Wildcats even after picking three fouls in the first 20 minutes. Huerta finished the game with 23 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

GNAC Freshman of the Year Asher Cai finished the game with nine points, notching four of those from the free-throw line. She also added five rebounds and five assists while shooting 2 for 7 from the field. Senior guard Tori Maeda also finished the game with five assists to go with eight points and eight rebounds.

The two teams traded leads briefly in the early stages of the fourth quarter, but the Cougars showed why they are the CCAA champions down the stretch, constantly pressuring the Wildcats in the offensive zone. Central Washington forced eight turnovers while committing 12 of its own.

Central Washington finishes its season with a 21-9 overall record.