BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team gave everything they had against one of the top teams in the nation, but fell short of the upset in an 83-78 loss to nationally-ranked No. 9 Northwest Nazarene Friday afternoon in the semifinal round of the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.

The No. 6 seed Vikings held a lead midway through the 3^rd quarter against the No. 2 seed Nighthawks, but a second-half scoring spurt and a decisive advantage in rebounds by NNU proved to be the difference in the five-point defeat on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

With a youthful roster that featured two juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen among the eight players that saw action on Friday, the Vikings finished their season 17-13 overall. NNU improved to 27-2 overall and will face No. 1 seed and GNAC regular-season champion Alaska Anchorage in the tournament championship game Saturday at 5:20 pm in a game that will be streamed nationwide onESPN3/WatchESPN with Darren Goldwater and Leah Secondo calling the action from Carver Gym.

The fast-paced game between WWU and NNU featured seven lead changes and five tie scores, with the Nighthawks pulling away going on a 17-4 run to end the 3^rd quarter. WWU went on an 8-0 run late in the 4^th quarter pulling to within two possessions, but had the comeback attempt fall short.

"I am so incredibly proud of the team's effort and tenacity today, especially on defense," said 28^th-year head coach Carmen Dolfo. "They never backed down and played incredibly tough against a very good team. It is never a good feeling to end the season like this, but this is a great step for a very young program and can't wait to get back to work getting ready for the 2019-20 season."

The Vikings shot a season-high 52.3% from the field, connecting on 23-of-44 shots, and tied a season high with eight 3-pointers (8-for-13/61.5%). WWU was hurt on the boards with NNU holding a decisive 41-19 edge in total rebounds and a 19-1 advantage in offensive rebounds. WWU entered the game as the leading rebounding team in the GNAC averaging 40.1 rebounds per game.

Junior guard Lexie Bland led the Vikings with 17 points, with 16 coming in the first half. Bland was 2-for-8 shooting, hitting a pair of 3-pointers, and was 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Bland also had a team-high 4 assists, but left the game late in the 4^th quarter with an injury as the Vikings were mounting their comeback.

Sophomore guard Gracie Castaneda came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points, with 12 coming in the 4^th quarter.

Sophomore forward Kelsey Rogers had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting and recorded a team-high 5 rebounds. Also reaching double-figure scoring for Western was sophomore guard Emma Duff with 12 points (4-for-8 FG, 3-for-4 3FG). Freshman guard Avery Dykstra had 9 points and 3 assists. 

Northwest Nazarene had four players reach double-figures in scoring, led by 18 points from guard Avery Albrecht on 6-for-13 shooting. Danielle Jardine added 14 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, connecting on 6-for-10 from the field. NNU out-scored the Vikings 52-22 in the paint and had 28 second-chance points.

WWU entered the final quarter facing a 10-point deficit, and trailed by as many as 14 points midway through the quarter, but battled back to make it a two possession game down the stretch. Trailing 73-59 at the 5:55 mark, WWU went on a 8-0 run fueled by 3-pointers by Gracie Castaneda and Emma Duff. The Vikings were 7-for-10 from the field in the final quarter and made 4-of-6 from 3-point range, but couldn't get any closer than a five-point deficit down the stretch. Avery Albrecht scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the final quarter to advance the Nighthawks to the championship game.

The Nighthawks built an 8-point lead heading into the final quarter, with a 17-4 run fueling the third quarter scoring outburst. WWU led 48-47 at the 6:53 mark in the quarter when NNU went on a 9-0 run to swing the momentum. The Vikings scored the final 4 points of the quarter to pull to within 8 points at 64-56. NNU shot 50.0% in the quarter (8-for-16), scoring 16 of 20 points in the paint. Danielle Jardine had 8 points for NNU, with Marina Valles contributing 5 points. Kelsey Rogers led WWU with 6 points, as the Vikings shot 36.4% (4-for-11) in the quarter.

The fast-paced first half featured both teams combining to score 87 points in the first half, with NNU taking a 44-43 lead into halftime. The Vikings led by as many as 8 points 37-29 at the 4:10 mark in the second quarter. The Nighthawks finished the quarter on a 15-6 run, including a 10-2 spurt that tied the game 39-39. Lexie Bland hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to pull WWU to within one point at 44-43. Kelsey Rogers led Western with 8 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the quarter, with Lexie Bland and Emma Duff each scoring 6 points. Ellie Logan and Raquel Jardine each had 8 points in the second quarter for NNU.

The opening 10 minutes featured a pair of big runs, with the Vikings jumping out to a 16-9 lead. NNU answered with a 12-3 run, including a  9-0 spurt, to take a 21-19 lead into the second quarter. Lexie Bland led all players with 10 points on 2-for-3 shooting, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers, and going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. WWU shot 54.5% from the floor (6-for-11), with NNU at 42.9% (9-for-21).

WWU is serving as the host for the 2019 GNAC Basketball Championships, with the top six teams in both the men's and women's conference standings at the end of the season qualifying for the tournament that is being held March 7-9 on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

More information on the 2018-19 season, including a details 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).

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in seven of the last 10 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 1,021 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.