BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team returns to the court this week opening Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a road game at Simon Fraser on Tuesday and hosting Montana State Billings on Saturday in Carver Gym.

 

The Vikings are off to a 4-2 start to the season, coming off a pair of wins Nov. 22 & Nov. 23 vs. Western Colorado (69-66) and Colorado-Colorado Springs (62-41). WWU is tied for 7^th in the D2SIDA West Region Poll and is receiving votes in the WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.

 

This week's schedule features a pair of WWU Basketball doubleheaders, with both Viking teams crossing the border to play at Simon Fraser on Tuesday (women: 5:15 pm, men: 7:30 pm) and then hosting Montana State Billings on Saturday in Carver Gym (men: 3:00 pm, women: 7:00 pm). 

 

Senior center Anna Schwecke leads the team averaging 11.8 points per game and ranks 7^th in the GNAC with 7.3 rebounds per game. She is also listed 3^rd shooting 55.6% (30-for-54) and tied for 1^staveraging 1.7 blocked shots per game. 

 

WWU's balanced offensive effort has eight players all averaging over 5.0 points per game, with senior guard Dani Iwami (9.8 ppg) and junior forward Kelsey Rogers (9.8 ppg) close to averaging double-digits in scoring.

 

Overall the Vikings are averaging 72.3 points per game to rank 4^th among teams from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and are ranked 2^nd in the conference with a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.

 

The Vikings open GNAC play this week with a road game on Tuesday at Simon Fraser and then return to Carver Gym hosting Montana State Billings on Saturday. All conference games will stream live and feature live statistical updates via GNAC.tv.

 

 

Here are some tidbits on the WWU Women's Basketball team:

 

·         Scoring Offense – 4^th in the GNAC averaging 72.2 points per game.

·         High Percentage – 2^nd in the GNAC with a 43.9% field goal percentage (168-for-383).

·         The Boards – 3^rd in the GNAC averaging 33.0 rebounds per game and with +5.2 rebound margin.

·         Swats – Leads the GNAC averaging 5.7 blocked shots per game.

·         Thievery – Averaging 8.8 steals per game to rank 3^rd in the conference, led by 2.0 per game fromAvery Dykstra (T-8^th in GNAC).

·         Dishing it Out – 2^nd in the GNAC with 17.7 assists per game, led by 5.2 per game from Dani Iwami(2^nd in GNAC).

·         Double-Double – Anna Schwecke recorded her 11^th career double-double vs. Colorado-Colorado Springs with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

·         Dolfo Wins – 29^th-year head coach Carmen Dolfo is six wins short of 600 for her career (594-238/.714).

 

Here is a look at WWU in the all-time series vs. Simon Fraser and Montana State Billings:

 

·         vs. Simon Fraser – WWU went 3-0 vs. Simon Fraser last season, including a 72-69 win over the Clan in the GNAC Championships quarterfinals…Vikings lead the all-time series 52-36 including going 9-1 over last 10 meetings.

·         vs. Montana State Billings – Swept MSUB last season winning 63-57 at home and 53-48 on the road…WWU leads the all-time series over the Yellowjackets 24-16, but MSUB holds a 5-4 edge in the last nine meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season.

 

WWU senior center Anna Schwecke has had a lot of success in her five career games vs. Simon Fraser, averaging 21.6 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Last season Schwecke averaged 23.0 points in the three meetings, while grabbing 35 rebounds (11.7 per game). Here is a look at Schwecke's game-by-game performances in five games vs. the Clan, recording three double-doubles:

 

 

The Vikings have four remaining games this decade and have combined for a 210-84 (.714) record since January 1, 2010.

 

WWU is scheduled to play 12 home games on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season, with the 10 remaining home dates all in GNAC play. Off to 2-0 start this season and own an all-time 479-90 (.842) record in Carver Gym, including a 285-57 record (.833) under 29^th-year head coach Carmen Dolfo. Here is a look at the 2019-20 home schedule:

 

 

Senior guard Lexie Bland, senior center Anna Schwecke and junior forward Kelsey Rogers were selected to the 15-player Preseason All-GNAC team that was voted on by the conference's 11 head coaches. WWU led the GNAC with three selections to the preseason team.

 

Bland (Ellensburg, WA) was an Honorable Mention All-GNAC selection in 2018-19, averaging 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She is Western's most experienced player appearing in 83 career games with the Vikings, including 56 starts. 

 

Schwecke (Evergreen, CO/Clear Creek) was a second-team All-GNAC selection a year ago averaging 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Schwecke led the conference with a .566 field goal percentage last season (141-for-249), and was also listed among the GNAC leaders in blocked shots (5^th, 1.1/game), rebounding (5^th), scoring average (17^th) and tied for fifth with six double-doubles.

 

Rogers (Bothell, WA/Lynnwood) is coming off a solid sophomore season in which she averaged a team-high 12.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Rogers scored in double-digits in 19 of 30 games, including five 20-point games.

 

Here is a look at the 2019-20 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, with the Vikings picked to finish 2nd in the conference. The Vikings received 107 points, including three first-place votes, to finish two points behind conference preseason favorite and in-state rival Central Washington (109 points, 5 first-place votes). Alaska Anchorage is listed 3rd with 104 points (3 first-place votes) to round out a close vote of the top three teams in the preseason coaches poll.

 

 

All of WWU's home games will stream live online with links available via WWUVikings.com/Live. All conference games can be followed via webcast and live stats at GNAC.tv. All WWU home games in Carver Gym will feature an HD webcast that will simulcast on GNAC.tv and WWU's YouTube channel. 

 

Fans can watch all WWU home games, most GNAC road games, and a handful of non-conference road games not only on their phone, computer or tablet, but also on a big-screen television. All games that stream on GNAC.tv are also easily viewed on Roku players, AppleTV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV (just search for GNAC). WWU's home games also stream on YouTube for a great viewing experience with rewind capability. 

 

Tickets for all of WWU's home game can be purchased online in advance by visitingWWUVikings.com/WBB_Tickets. The box office in Carver Gym will also open one hour prior to tip-off for each home game.

 

The Vikings completed the 2018-19 season with a 17-13 overall record and tied for 5th in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with an 11-9 league mark…advanced to the GNAC Championships Semifinal as the No. 6 seed, defeating No. 3 seed Simon Fraser for the third time during the season…fell to eventual tournament champion Northwest Nazarene in the semifinal in the event hosted in Carver Gym…returned to the postseason after missing the GNAC Championships for the first time in 2017-18…marked 45th postseason appearance for the program in the 48-year history of WWU Women's Basketball…opened the season 8-3 to earn a top 10 West Region ranking, including a 77-74 overtime victory over eventual regional champion Azusa Pacific (Lexie Bland 3-point buzzer beater)…recorded 24th winning season over the last 26 years dating back to 1993-94…went 11-7 inside Carver Gym, 5-5 on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site games…had three players earn All-GNAC honors, including second-team selection Anna Schwecke and honorable mention picks Lexie Bland and Kelsey Rogers…played a majority of the season without starting guard Dani Iwami (12.1 ppg, 4.7 apg), who played in only eight games before being sidelined with a season-ending injury (utilized medical redshirt season)…three players earned GNAC All-Academic honors, including two-time honoree Bland…the program returns all but one player from the 2018-19 season with senior Bobbi Westendorf (17 G/3 GS) the only departing player due to graduation…season-high 5-game winning streak (Nov. 17-Dec. 1)…completed the season winning seven of the last 11 games, including 3-game winning streak leading up to GNAC semifinal defeat vs. NNU.

 

WWU added 17 more wins to the program total going 17-13 last season, and is now at 1,026 in the 49 years of program history. The Vikings have recorded a winning season in 45 of the 48 seasons and the program is one of less than 20 at all levels of the NCAA to record 1,000 all-time victories, combining to go 1026-373 (.733) all-time. WWU recorded the historic 1,000^th win on Jan. 13, 2018 with a 69-58 victory over Saint Martin's.

 

WWU head coach Carmen Dolfo begins her 29^th season leading the program and is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA women's basketball history. She owns an all-time record of 594-238 for a .714 winning percentage and is just six wins short of becoming the seventh coach in NCAA Division II history to reach the 600-win milestone. She became the winningest coach in Western Washington history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska Fairbanks 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 2019-20 season):

 

»      Winningest Active Coaches (All-Divisions): 36th (590-236/.714)

»      Winningest Active Coaches (Division II): 8th (by wins), 16th (by pct.)

»      Winningest All-Time Coaches (Division II): 17th (by wins), 27th (by pct.)

»      Most 20-Win Seasons (Division II): T-8th (20)

Head coach Carmen Dolfo enters her 29th season leading the program, amassing 20 seasons of 20-or-more wins and a career record of 594-238 for a .714 winning percentage. The 2019-20 coaching staff includes eighth-year head assistant coach Stacey Turrell, along with graduate and student assistants Kayla Bernsen and Zach Phelps.

 

More information on WWU Basketball can be found online at WWUVikings.com/WBB and via social media on Twitter (@WWUBasketball), Instagram (@wwu.basketball) and Facebook (@WWUwomensbball).

 

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in seven of the last 11 seasons, and 34 times in the 48-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 21 seasons at the Division II level with two trips to the Final Four. The program has 1,026 all-time wins in the 48-year history of the program, and according to available records, is one of just 16 women's college basketball team across all divisions and levels to reach the milestone.