ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Midwestern St. (0-2) lost to Central Wash. (1-1) 70-52 on Saturday afternoon at Nicholson Arena. The Mustangs forced 22 turnovers and scored 25 points off them, but the Wildcats held a 45-25 rebounding advantage.
Bralyn Peck matched CWU's opening free throws with a jumper off
Caelyn Williams' assist at 9:07, tying the first quarter at 2-2. The Wildcats moved ahead from there, getting a Capri Sims layup and free throw, a Kayla Thornton jumper and 3-pointer and a Baylee Maldonado 3 to build a 13-2 lead before
Mallory Jackson scored inside at 4:42. Jackson added another jumper at 4:01 and, after CWU pushed the margin to 17-6, turned a steal into a
Payten Conde-assisted jumper at 2:57 to make it 17-8. Mackenzie Schulz followed with a free throw and a 3-pointer,
Calyssa Sevier made two free throws for the Mustangs, and Lauren Burnside's late free throws closed a 23-10 Wildcats quarter.
CWU scored the first four points of the second quarter, with Kayla Thornton's jumper and two Amaya Jarvis free throws making it 27-10. MSU answered with a 9-0 run, getting a
Peyton Stellato layup, a Jackson 3-pointer and two Conde baskets to pull within 27-19 at 5:37. After the Wildcats moved back ahead 30-19, Sevier hit a 3-pointer and
Elina Syniakova scored five points in the final 2:36, including a layup and free throw that made it 31-27. Nicole Wertenberger added two free throws with 10 seconds left, sending CWU into the break with a 33-27 lead.
The Wildcats scored the first 10 points of the third quarter, getting two Baylee Maldonado baskets, a Capri Sims layup and a Nicole Wertenberger 3-pointer to move ahead 42-27 at 6:41. Maldonado added a free throw before Peck put the Mustangs on the board with two free throws at 4:52, and Peck added another at 4:14 before Syniakova finished a Stellato-assisted layup to make it 45-32 at 3:24. CWU answered with a Mackenzie Schulz layup and another Wertenberger 3-pointer, while MSU added two Conde free throws late before Sims scored at 0:22 to leave the Wildcats ahead 52-34 after the quarter.
Jackson hit a 3-pointer at 9:10 to make it 54-37 after CWU opened the fourth-quarter scoring on a Lauren Burnside jumper. The Wildcats added four free throws and later got a layup and 3-pointer from Kimberly Carrada Sanchez around a Mackenzie Schulz basket to move in front 65-39. The Mustangs put together a scoring stretch with Peck and Conde layups before
Peyton Stellato's 3-pointer cut it to 65-46 at 4:33. CWU answered with the next five points, and MSU closed with late free throws from Syniakova, Sevier and Jackson as the Wildcats finished off a 70-52 win.
Jackson scored 13 points, made two 3-pointers and added two steals. Sevier tallied four steals and added seven points. Conde finished with eight points, four assists and three rebounds. Peck added nine points and two rebounds.
Nicole Wertenberger scored 11 points and made three 3-pointers. Mackenzie Schulz finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Kimberly Carrada Sanchez added nine points, three steals and three assists. Amaya Jarvis recorded five assists, five rebounds and five points.
Up next, the Mustangs face Montana State Billings at a neutral site on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 11 a.m. (CT)/ 9 a.m. (PT) at Nicholson Arena in Ellensburg, Washington.
