By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, the Western Oregon women’s basketball team is off to a 2-0 start in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play after a big performance on its home floor last week.
 
The Wolves (5-3, 2-0 GNAC) took down the Alaska Nanooks 82-24 last Thursday before upsetting No. 16 Alaska Anchorage 77-69 on Saturday, moving to the top of the early conference standings and earning GNAC Team of the Week honors presented by Athletic Solutions.
 
The monumental win over the previously unbeaten Seawolves marked WOU’s first over a nationally ranked opponent since the 2014-15 campaign when it beat then-No. 8 Seattle Pacific 67-62 on Jan. 22. It was the third consecutive victory for a Western Oregon team that has exceeded early expectations, after being slated eighth in the GNAC preseason coaches poll.
 
Thursday’s blowout win over the Nanooks was historic, as it was the fewest points a WOU women’s basketball team has allowed in a game since the conference was formed in 2001-02. It was also the fewest points allowed in a conference contest in league history, and it tied for the ninth-fewest points allowed by any team in GNAC history.
 
The Wolves got off to a stellar start and never looked back, holding the Nanooks to just one point in the opening quarter and building a 35-8 lead by halftime. The WOU defense held Alaska to 13.3% shooting overall (8-for-60), including a mark of 4.2% (1-for-24) from 3-point range. The efficient WOU offense meanwhile shot 46.8% (29-for-62) and made 14 of 28 threes (50.0%). WOU’s 10 steals were one off its season high as well.
 
Three Wolves finished in double figures in scoring against the Nanooks, with Ciona Wells leading the way at 17 points on 5-for-8 accuracy from 3-point distance. Wells also had team highs of four assists and three steals. Kylani Rookstool chipped in 16 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting performance, and Triniti Youngblood had a dozen points to go along with seven rebounds.
 
The story of Saturday’s game unfolded differently, as the Wolves had to overcome a slow start and produce a come-from-behind victory. The 16th-ranked Seawolves limited WOU to just 10 points in the opening quarter, and by halftime the Wolves found themselves trailing 31-26. An explosive third quarter shifted momentum however, as WOU scored 30 points to wrestle the lead away from UAA.
 
Rookstool and Youngblood each finished the game with 21 points, combining to make 14 of 25 shots and all 12 of their free throws. Forward Natalie Brown just missed a double-double, finishing with 11 rebounds and nine points in 22 minutes on the floor. Wells also reached double digits, with 10 points while adding six boards, five assists and a pair of steals. It was WOU’s first win over UAA at home since a 59-50 triumph on Jan. 16, 2003, as they snapped a 20-game losing streak in Monmouth, Ore., in the head-to-head series.
 
Rookstool, a transfer from North Idaho College, has had a bright start to her WOU career leading the team and ranking fifth in the GNAC with 17.1 points per game. She has reached double digits in all but one game this winter, including a season-high 30 on Nov. 22 against Evergreen State and 20 or more points on four occasions. Rookstool also leads the Wolves with 5.4 rebounds per game.
 
Guard Enid Vaifanua is second on the squad at 14.9 points per game and is shooting 50.0% overall (46-for-92) from the floor this season. Wells ranks third in the conference with 4.5 assists per game and is third on the team with 11.3 points per game. Youngblood is the team’s other double-digit scorer, chipping in 11.0 points per game.
 
WOU is led by third-year head coach Jessica Peatross, who is looking to lead WOU into contention for a GNAC Championships tournament berth. The Wolves went 9-17 overall last season and finished eighth in the GNAC at 5-13 in league play.
 
Peatross’s squad went a long way towards solidifying its name as a legitimate contender for a GNAC Championships berth with last week’s results. Aside from 2022, when all 10 GNAC teams competed in the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2011, when eight teams earned conference tournament berths in the first year of the tournament’s existence, the WOU women have not earned a top-six GNAC Championships berth.
 
The Wolves have three more games on the calendar prior to the winter break, taking on Warner Pacific on Wednesday at home (6 p.m. Pacific), playing at Cal Poly Humboldt on Dec. 13 (3 p.m. Pacific) and at University of Idaho in an exhibition game on Dec. 20 (2 p.m. Pacific). After that, it’ll be 16 more conference contests as the Wolves look to keep themselves towards the top of the GNAC standings.
 

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GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.