Women's Basketball | 1/30/2019 9:45:00 AM

WHAT'S HAPPENING…the WWU women's basketball team (10-8, 5-5) begins the second half of the GNAC schedule hosting the Alaska schools this week on WECU Court in Carver Gym…opens the week against No. 11 nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage (17-1, 9-1 GNAC) on Thursday and Alaska Fairbanks (3-13, 0-10 GNAC) on Saturday.
 
THE RECORD…WWU is 10-8 overall and is in 5^th place in the GNAC standings with a 5-5 conference record…4-5 over the last 9 games after opening the season 6-3…have gone 6-5 in Carver Gym, 3-2 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games…5-2 when leading at the half and have 4 victories after trailing at intermission…won season-high 5 consecutive games Nov. 17-Dec. 1.
 

2018-19 RECORD BREAKDOWN
Overall Record	10-8 (.556)
GNAC Record	5-5 (T5th)
Home (Overall/GNAC)	6-5, 2-3
Road (Overall/GNAC)	3-2, 3-2
Neutral	1-1
vs. Ranked Teams	1-2
Leading at Half	5-2
Trailing at Half	4-5
Tied at Half	1-1
Overtime	1-0
By Uniform
White	6-5
Navy Blue	4-3

PROMOTIONS…the following promotions are featured this week:

• Thursday vs. UAA » WWU Residence Hall Challenge
• Saturday vs. UAF » Pink Night to raise awareness for cancer research

INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS…the Vikings are 7-2 when scoring 70+ points this season…averaging 67.1 points per game to rank 6^th in the GNAC…WWU is 3-6 when limited to fewer than 70 points.
 
A LOOK AT LAST WEEK…WWU went 0-2 last week, giving then No. 1 nationally-ranked Northwest Nazarene one of their toughest challenges of the year in an 83-76 setback and were defeated 76-61 by Central Washington…Emma Duff led the Vikings averaging 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, including a 19-point effort vs. NNU…Anna Schwecke added 13.5 points per game and Katrina Gimmaka scored 23 points (11.4 ppg) and grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds (8.5 rpg).
 
UP NEXT…following games this weekend vs. the Alaska schools to close out a four-game homestand, the Vikings take back to the road visiting Western Oregon (2/7) and Concordia (2/9).
 
CARVER GYM…WWU is 6-5 on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season, including a 2-3 mark in GNAC play…4-3 on the road, which includes a 1-1 mark in neutral-site games…WWU has 10 games remaining in the 2018-19 regular season, with 4 of the next 6 at home…WWU is 472-88 all-time in Carver Gym for a .843 winning percentage, with head coach Carmen Dolfo leading the Vikings to a 278-55 (.835) all-time mark in the on-campus facility.
 

THIS WEEK IN WWU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, January 31	Live Coverage
#11 Alaska Anchorage  •  7 pm  •  Bellingham  •  WECU Court in Carver Gym	📊 LiveStats  🎥 Webcast
Saturday, February 2	Live Coverage
Alaska Fairbanks  •  7 pm  •  Bellingham  •  WECU Court in Carver Gym	📊 LiveStats  🎥 Webcast
Webcasts via WWUVikings.com/Live and the GNAC channel on ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV with home games on YouTube // Weekly Report in PDF Format //

CLEANING THE GLASS…the Vikings have out-rebounded their opponent in 14 of 18 games this season and have the 15^th-highest rebound margin in NCAA II at +9.3…averaging 41.7 rebounds per game to lead the GNAC and rank 48^th in the nation…Anna Schwecke leads the team and is 4^th in the GNAC averaging 7.8 rebounds per game.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW…all GNAC games, home and road, will stream live and feature live statistical updates at GNAC.tv, with home games also streamed live on YouTube…in addition to being available online, all conference matches are available via the GNAC channel on Roku, Apple TV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV…live links can be accessed through WWUVikings.com/Live.
 
THE HEADLINES…

• GNAC Standings – WWU is in 5^th in the GNAC with a 5-5 league record (10-8 overall).
• Ranked Opponents – For the second consecutive week, the Vikings host a ranked opponent in Carver Gym with Alaska Anchorage currently No. 11 in the WBCA poll with a 17-1 overall record and 9-1 GNAC mark.
• What Remains – WWU begins the second half of the GNAC season and has 10 regular-season games left.
• Home Sweet Home – WWU concludes a four-game homestand this week.
• Scoring Leader – Kelsey Rogers leads the team and is 7^th in the GNAC averaging 14.3 points per game.
• Scoring & Rebounding – Anna Schwecke averages 11.6 points (2^nd on team) and 7.8 rebounds (1^st on team).
• Court General – Lexie Bland leads the team and is 11^th in the GNAC averaging 3.4 assists per game.
• Jamaica – Katrina Gimmaka (pronounced like the country) is coming off a solid week where she averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game vs. NNU (6 pts, 10 reb) and CWU (17 pts, 7 reb).
• Crashing the Boards – WWU leads the GNAC and ranks 48^th in NCAA II averaging 41.7 rebounds/game.
• Defense – WWU is 2^nd in the GNAC holding opponents to a 39.1 field goal percentage.
• Missing Iwami – Dani Iwami is likely out for the season with a foot injury…the preseason All-GNAC selection and 2018 GNAC Newcomer of the Year was averaging 12.1 points and 4.8 assists per game.
• Youngsters – WWU's active roster features 4 freshmen, 3 sophomores, 2 juniors and 1 senior.
• The Head Coach – Carmen Dolfo is in her 28^th season leading the Vikings and has 583 career wins.

SERIES HISTORY…here is a look at the series history vs. WWU's opponents this week:

• Alaska Anchorage » WWU was defeated 68-50 on Jan. 5 in Anchorage…were within two possessions with a 5-point deficit early in the 4^th quarter, but UAA went on a 15-2 run to end the game…the Seawolves are 17-1 overall and 9-1 in the GNAC standings, with their only loss at Northwest Nazarene…led by 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game from Hannah Wandersee…have seven players averaging at least 7.0 points per game…All-Time Series: WWU leads the all-time series 29-25, but the Seawolves have won the last 7 in the series and 11 of the last 12…UAA holds a 19-16 advantage in GNAC contests (since 2001-02).
• Alaska Fairbanks » The Vikings held off a late charge by the Nanooks to defeat Alaska Fairbanks 59-57 on Jan. 3 on Alaska Airlines Court…UAF is 3-13 overall and 0-10 in GNAC play…led by 13.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game from Marian Wamsley…Kylie Wallace (11.7 ppg) and Sabrina Ungaro (10.3 ppg) are also averaging double-figures in points…All-Time Series: WWU leads the all-time series vs. UAF 50-4…current 28-game winning streak vs. the Nanooks dating back to 2004…has never lost to UAF in Bellingham.

ROGERS LEADING THE WAY…sophomore forward Kelsey Rogers leads the team and is 7^th in the GNAC averaging 14.3 points per game…has scored in double-digits in 14 of the Vikings 18 games, including 10 straight Nov. 24-Jan. 19…tied 2^nd in the GNAC with five games with 20-or-more points…among GNAC leaders also ranks 3^rd in field goal percentage (.546/112-205), 16^th in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and 4^th in blocked shots (1.4 bpg).
 
SCHWECKE'S BIG NUMBERS…junior center Anna Schwecke is averaging 11.6 points (20^th in the GNAC) and 7.8 rebounds (4^th in the GNAC)…tied for 6^th in the conference with a team-high three double-doubles…scored in double-digits in 11 of 18 games and recorded four games with 10+ rebounds (tied for 4^th in GNAC)…named the GNAC Player of the Week for Nov. 26-Dec. 2 after posting a pair of double-doubles in the opening week of GNAC play…over two seasons with the Vikings is averaging 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 46 games (43 starts).
 
WINNING THE CLOSE GAMES…WWU is 4-1 in games decided by 5-or-fewer points and is 1-0 in overtime contests.
 
BUZZER BEATER…junior guard Lexie Bland hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired in a 77-74 overtime victory over No. 16 Azusa Pacific on Nov. 17…Bland's 3-pointer from the far corner bounced high off the rim and through the net for the buzzer beater to send the Vikings to the victory.
 
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS…WWU will serve as the host for the 2019 GNAC Championships, with the top six teams in both the women's and men's conference standings at the end of the season qualifying for the tournament that will be held March 7-9 on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
 
A STORIED PROGRAM…two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories…current head coach Carmen Dolfo has amassed 583 wins while former coach Lynda Goodrich totaled 411 wins leading the Vikings.
 
GNAC STANDINGS…WWU is currently in 5^th place in GNAC standings heading into this weekend's GNAC schedule:
 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL	CONF	PCT	OVERALL	PCT	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
Alaska Anchorage	9-1	.900	17-1	.944	10-0	5-1	2-0	Won 10
Northwest Nazarene	9-1	.900	17-1	.944	9-0	6-1	2-0	Lost 1
Central Washington	7-3	.700	12-5	.706	7-2	3-3	2-0	Won 1
Simon Fraser	7-3	.700	11-6	.647	4-2	5-1	2-3	Won 5
Western Washington	5-5	.500	10-8	.556	6-5	3-2	1-1	Lost 2
Seattle Pacific	5-6	.455	6-12	.333	4-4	2-6	0-2	Lost 2
Concordia	4-6	.400	9-9	.500	3-3	4-4	2-2	Won 2
Montana State Billings	4-6	.400	8-8	.500	5-1	2-6	1-1	Won 1
Western Oregon	3-7	.300	6-10	.375	3-3	2-6	1-1	Lost 2
Saint Martin's	3-8	.273	5-14	.263	2-4	3-7	0-3	Won 2
Alaska	0-10	.000	3-13	.188	0-7	1-5	2-1	Lost 13

1,000 WINS…the Vikings earned a historic victory against Saint Martin's on 1/13/18 with a 69-58 victory to record win No. 1,000 all-time in program history…according to available records, WWU is one of just 16 women's college basketball team (all levels/divisions) to reach 1,000 all-time victories.
 
THE COACHING STAFF…head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 28^th season leading the program, amassing 20 seasons of 20-or-more wins and a career record of 583-231 for a .716 winning percentage…last season WWU joined the elite ranks of only a select number of programs across all NCAA women's basketball divisions to record the 1,000th win in school history…Dolfo's coaching staff includes seventh-year assistant coach Stacey Turrell, along with graduate and student assistants Kayla Bernsen and Amanda Lance.
 
FOLLOW THE VIKS…more information on the 2018-19 season, including statistics, schedule, roster and quick facts can be found online at WWUVikings.com/WBB and via social media on Twitter (@WWUBasketball), Instagram (@wwu.basketball) and Facebook (@WWUwomensbball).
 
ABOUT WWU HOOPS…one of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in 7 of the last 9 seasons, and 34 times in the 47-year history of the program…WWU has 20 seasons of 20 or more wins under head coach Carmen Dolfo, who is the winningest coach of any sport at WWU and ranks among Division II active and all-time coaching leaders in wins, win percentage and 20-win seasons…the Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 16 of 20 seasons at the Division II level, with two trips to the Final Four, and have 43 all-time postseason appearances…the program is one of just 16 women's college basketball teams across all divisions and levels to reach the 1,000-victory milestone (currently 1,015 all-time wins).
 
THE NEWCOMERS…WWU's four freshmen include a pair of local products in Nooksack Valley's Katrina Gimmaka (F, Everson, WA) and Lynden Christian's Avery Dykstra (G, Lynden, WA)…both were WIAA First Team All-State selections during their senior year in the Northwest Conference…freshman guard Mollie Olson (Napavine, WA) was also an All-State selection out of Napavine High School averaging 17.8 points, 7.3 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game during her senior season…guard Monique Fierke (Monroe, WA) made her season debut during the Viking Holiday Hoops Classic.
 
ROGERS NAMED GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK…Kelsey Rogers was named the GNAC Player of the Week, for games played Nov. 12-18…Rogers scored 50 points in WWU's two games in the Sodexo Classic, combining to shoot 71.4% (20-for-28) and was 10-for-10 from the free throw line…she scored a career-high 26 and tallied a double-double with 10 rebounds in a 79-72 loss to UCSD and added 24 points in a 77-74 overtime victory against nationally-ranked Azusa Pacific.
 
WHAT RETURNS…the Vikings returned 4 starters and 7 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 12-16 overall and 8-12 in the GNAC…finished the second half of the GNAC schedule with a 5-5 record, narrowly missing the conference tournament, with two of the defeats by two points…the 11-player squad for 2018-19 includes one senior, three juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.
 
LED BY A LEGEND…head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 28^th season leading the program…she owns an all-time record of 583-231 (.716) to rank amongst active and career leaders at the Division II level in career wins and winning percentage…Dolfo became the winningest coach in Western Washington history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279)…Coach Dolfo ranks amongst NCAA coaching leaders in several categories (rankings and records below are entering 2018-19 season):

• Winningest Active Coaches (All-Divisions): 36th (573-223/.720)
• Winningest Active Coaches (Division II): 6th (by wins), 13th (by pct.)
• Winningest All-Time Coaches (Division II): 18th (by wins), 27th (by pct.)
• Most 20-Win Seasons (Division II): 8th (20)