The WWU women's basketball team (8-4, 2-2 GNAC) returns home to Carver Gym to host a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games against Saint Martin's (Thursday) and Seattle Pacific (on Saturday). The Vikings are 8-4 overall and tied for 4^th place in the GNAC with a 2-2 conference record. Both games this week feature a 7 pm tip-off on WECU Court. Both games will stream live onVikingsTV with Shawn Walli calling the action courtside in Carver Gym.

 

The Vikings enter play this week with an overall 8-4 record with a 6-2 mark of the last eight games. WWU is 2-2 in GNAC play, going 1-0 in Carver Gym and 1-2 on the road. Overall are 3-0 in home games this season. Recorded a season-high three-game winning streak Dec. 7-21.

 

Went 1-1 on the road last week to open the 2020 portion of the schedule. Were defeated in double overtime 73-70 at Western Oregon on Jan. 2, and bounced back with an 88-41, 47-point victory on Saturday at Concordia. Anna Schwecke led the Vikings averaging 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on the Oregon trail, including a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double at WOU.

 

WWU has had great success in the opening 20 minutes of games this season, out-scoring opponents 456-325 while shooting 47.3% (178-for-376). The Vikings have out-scored teams 399-390 in the second half, with a 41.5% (154-for-371) mark from the field. WWU has held a lead at the half in 10 of 12 games this season.

THIS WEEK IN WWU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, January 9	Live Coverage
Saint Martin's (6-5, 1-3)  »  7:00 pm  »  WECU Court at Carver Gym	📊 LiveStats   🎥 Webcast
Saturday, January 11	Live Coverage
Seattle Pacific (3-9, 1-3)  »  7:00 pm  »  WECU Court at Carver Gym	📊 LiveStats   🎥 Webcast
All webcasts streamed via WWUVikings.com/Live and the GNAC channel on  ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV & YouTube (home games only for YouTube)

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is just two wins short of 600 for her career, going 598-240 (.714) in her 29 years as the Vikings head coach. With two more wins she will become the seventh coach in NCAA Division II history to reach the 600-win milestone.

 

The Vikings have played only three home games so far this season, but are 3-0 in games played in Carver Gym. WWU is 480-90 (.842) all-time in Carver Gym, with head coach Carmen Dolfo leading the team to a 286-57 (.834) record in the on-campus facility.

 

·         West Region Rankings – Tied for 10^th in the D2SIDA West Region Media Poll.

·         What Remains – 16 regular-season games remaining, all in GNAC play (9 at home, 7 on the road).

·         GNAC Standings – Tied for 4^th in the conference standings with 2-2 GNAC record.

·         Strangers at Home – Played only three home games (3-0), the fewest home games by any GNAC school.

·         Balanced Offense – Eight players are averaging 5.0 or more points per game.

·         Close Defeats – Three of four defeats have been by 4-or-fewer points (all single-digit losses).

·         Cleaning the Glass – Outrebounded opponents in 10 of 12 games (leads GNAC with +10.1 reb margin).

·         Scoring Offense – 3^rd in the GNAC averaging 72.5 points per game (avg. 66.0 points/game in 2018-19).

·         Defensive – 2^nd in GNAC holding opponents to 61.1 points per game (UAA is 1^st at 51.7).

·         Sharp Shooters – Shooting 44.1% (337-for-765) to rank 2^nd in the GNAC (49^th in NCAA II) in FG%.

·         Dishing it Out – 7^th in NCAA II and leads the GNAC averaging 18.2 assists per game.

·         Schwecke FG% - Anna Schwecke has a career 54.9 FG% (293-for-534), 6^th-best in GNAC history.

·         Scoring & Rebounding Leader – Anna Schwecke ranks 11^th in the GNAC averaging 12.9 points/game and is 7^th with 7.2 rebounds/game, both team-leading marks.

·         Iwami Assists – Dani Iwami is 3^rd in the GNAC averaging 4.4 assists per game.

·         Dangerous Duff – Emma Duff has scored in double-digits in 5 of 12 games, averaging 10.1 points/game.

·         The Decade – Finished the 2010-19 decade with a 213-85 record for a .715 winning pct.

·         The Head Coach – Carmen Dolfo is in her 28^th season leading the Vikings and has 598 career wins.

 

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and this week's opponents:

• Saint Martin's – Swept Saint Martin's last season, extending winning streak to 24 consecutive games vs. the Saints (since 2/21/08)…going back to 1998, Vikings are 43-1 vs. SMU…WWU leads the all-time series 72-10.
• Seattle Pacific – Split the season series vs. SPU in 2018-19, with both teams winning at home…Vikings lead the all-time series 62-33, including a 10-6 record dating back to the 2012 season.

Senior center Anna Schwecke has scored 914 points in 103 career collegiate games, with 740 of those points coming in 70 games with WWU. She played her freshman season at Colorado-Colorado Springs (174 points). She is now just 86 points shy of 1,000 for her collegiate career.

 

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.

 

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.

 

The Vikings were picked to finish 2nd in the 2019-20 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vikings received 107 points, including three first-place votes, to finish two points behind conference preseason favorite Central Washington (109 points).

 

The Vikings earned a historic victory against Saint Martin's (69-58) on Jan. 13, 2018 to record win No. 1,000 in program history. According to available records, WWU became just the 16th women's college basketball team (all levels/divisions) to reach 1,000 all-time victories, and is currently at 1,030 all-time wins with a program winning percentage of .733 (1030-375).

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 29^th season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 598-240 (.714) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 16 trips to the NCAA Championships and a pair of Elite 8 appearances. She became the winningest coach in WWU Athletics history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279). WWU has recorded 20 seasons with 20-or-more wins under Dolfo.

 

The 2019-20 coaching staff includes eighth-year head assistant coach Stacey Turrell, along with graduate assistant Kayla Bernsen (2^nd season) and student assistant Zach Phelps (1^st season).

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 598 wins and Hall of Fame coach Lynda Goodrich totaling 411 wins leading the Vikings for 19 seasons from 1971-1990.

 

All games during the GNAC Championships will stream live and feature live statistical updates atGNAC.tv, and also on YouTube with rewind capability…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.

 

More information on the 2019-20 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).

 

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 with 598, 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 1,029 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.