"Viking women topple Lumberjacks" -- Feb. 3, 2006

By C. Jennings Breakey
The Western Front (Online Exclusive)

Western senior forward Tina Donahue and sophomore guard Elyse Hartman’s keen three-point shooting wore out more than Humboldt State players Thursday night.

Atop the balcony overlooking Carver Gym, Western senior student Sean Howe mounted signs imprinted with a ‘3’ every time the Vikings scored beyond the arc. Western players sunk 15 treys, so Howe had his work cut out for him.

“They were putting them up there pretty quick,” he said. “Donahue had like three in five minutes.”

Donahue had a team-high 18 points in Western’s 80-50 thumping of the Lumberjacks, while Hartman contributed 14.

Both players sunk four threes apiece and combined with five other Vikings players to tie Western’s record of most threes in a game set Jan. 7 against Humboldt State, when the Vikings edged the Lumberjacks by two points.

“We just try to take what they give us,” Hartman said. “They were taking away our post play tonight, so that means our threes are wide-open.”

Western, 9-0 in GNAC and 18-1 overall, knew its three-point shooting could be the difference between a win or loss, said Western coach Carmen Dolfo.

Like their first contest against the Lumberjacks, who are 6-3 in GNAC and 11-7 overall, Western struggled to score inside.

“They were going to make us beat them from the outside tonight,” Hartman said. “The coaches looked at me and said, ‘Shoot the ball.’ ”

After Donahue and Hartman carried Western through the first half, the rest of the Vikings came alive.

Fans cheered seven minutes after halftime when a Hartman pass was tipped under the basket into the hands of Western freshman Claire Pallansch, who forced in a lay-up. Fifteen seconds later, Pallansch swiped the ball away from a Luberjack defender.

She finished the game with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Freshman center Willow Cabe and sophomore forward Liz McCarrell contributed two treys each to Western’s three-point attack in the second half.

“They took away our post and they took away our driving,” Dolfo said. “So it wasgreat to see everybody step-up.”

Chris Joseph Taylor / The Western Front

Western junior guard Mollie Stelmack hangs on to the ball while driving to the hole against Humboldt State University guard Laura Berreth Thursday evening at Sam Carver Gymnasium. Western beat the Lumberjacks 80-50.