ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Whitworth University scored only five points in the third quarter, allowing Central Washington to pull away for an 89-63 win over the visiting Pirates on Thursday night in a non-conference women's basketball game.

Whitworth (5-6) played its final non-league contest and will return to Northwest Conference play with home games against Pacific (Ore.) and Linfield on January 7-8.

The NCAA Division II Wildcats (8-4) came out on fire, scoring 28 points in the first period.  Central scored first and never trailed in the game.  However, Whitworth was not far behind in the quarter with 21 points. 

CWU outscored Whitworth 19-13 in the second, opening a 45-28 lead before the Pirates pulled within 47-34 at the break.  Tara Kaneshiro led the Bucs with nine points in the first half, but CWU went 8-14 (57%) from three-point range.

The game got away from Whitworth in the third when CWU outscored the Pirates 20-5.  The Wildcats used an 11-0 run to increase their lead to 61-36 midway through the period.

Trailing by 28 points entering the fourth, the Pirates pulled within 67-44 on Kimberly Dewey's three-point play.  CWU opened its largest lead of the game (87-54) with three and a half minutes to play.

Kaneshiro finished with a career-high 12 points.  She went 3-5 from three-point range.  Dewey added 11 points, while Quincy McDeid and Madison Hagen each had 10.  Hagen's total was also a career high and McDeid led Whitworth with seven rebounds. The Pirates made 22-54 (40.7%) from the field, including 6-18 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.

Kizzah Maltezo led CWU with 26 points, while Kassidy Malcolm added 22.  Malcolm also grabbed six boards as the Wildcats outrebounded the Pirates 39-26.  Central made 35-66 (53%) from the field, including 14-29 (48.3%) from three-point range.  The Wildcats dished 26 assists on the 35 baskets.