SEATTLE, Wash. – For the seventh time in the 10 year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships, Western Washington University will play for the conference tournament title.
The No. 3 seed Vikings upended No. 2 seed and defending tournament champion Northwest Nazarene 66-63 on Friday evening in the GNAC Semifinals at Royal Brougham Pavilion.
WWU built a 16-point lead late in the 3rd quarter, but had to hold off the Nighthawks down the stretch to advance to the GNAC title game for the first time since 2017. The Vikings will play No. 1 seed Alaska Anchorage, a 79-77 winner over Central Washington in the second semifinal game, in Saturday's championship game that is set to tip-off at 7:30 pm in Brougham Pavilion.
The Vikings won their fourth consecutive game to improve to 22-8 on the season and have won six of their last seven games. NNU had its seven-game winning streak snapped falling to 22-7 on the season. Western defeated NNU in two of three games in 2019-20, winning both in Nampa and in the neutral-site game Friday in Seattle.
Junior forward Kelsey Rogers scored a season and game-high 24 points, connecting on 9-of-16 shots from the field and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Senior center Anna Schwecke added 16 points and 9 rebounds, as WWU's post players combined for 40 points. The Vikings out-scored the Nighthawks 38-24 in the point and held a 38-33 advantage in rebounding.
Senior point guard Lexie Bland added 17 points, with 11 coming in the second half, to round out the Vikings three double-digit scorers. WWU had five players combine for the team's 66 points. Overall WWU shot 47.2% for the game (25-for-53) and were 14-for-16 from the free throw line.
GNAC Player of the Year Avery Albrecht led NNU with 21 points on 7-for-17 shooting. The Vikings limited the Nighthawks to a 34.5% field goal percentage (20-for-58), their fourth-lowest shooting mark of the season.
WWU held a 16-point lead at 54-38 with 3:39 remaining in the 3rd quarter, before the Nighthawks made their comeback. NNU went on an 18-4 run over a 10-minute stretch at the end of the 3rd quarter and beginning of the 4th quarter to cut the deficit to two points at 58-56 with 3:38 remaining in regulation. Kelsey Rogers hit a clutch jump shot with 37-seconds remaining and Avery Dykstradeflecting an inbounds pass to Rogers to force NNU to foul with 22 seconds left in the game. Rogers connected on both of her free throws to put the game away.
WWU will face Alaska Anchorage (30-2) in Saturday's GNAC Championship game with tip-off at 7:30 pm in Royal Brougham Pavilion. The WWU men will also face UAA in the 5:15 men's title game in Seattle. Both GNAC Championships title games will stream live via GNAC.tv.
All WWU fans are invited to join members of the athletic department on Saturday (March 7) for a pregame gathering beginning at 2:30 pm at Nickerson Street Saloon before heading over to Royal Brougham Pavilion to cheer on the Vikings in the GNAC Basketball Tournament Championship. It will be a gathering of Viking fans for a no-host pre-game social to get ready for the big games.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NORTHWEST NAZARENE
The Vikings have won two of three games vs. NNU during the 2019-20 season, with each team winning on the road during the regular season. WWU improved to 32-15 in the all-time series and is 3-1 vs. the Nighthawks in the GNAC Championships.
2020 GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKET
Thursday, March 5 (Quarterfinals)
No. 3 Western Washington 69, No. 6 Montana State Billings 54
No. 5 Central Washington 76, No. 4 Simon Fraser 60
Friday, March 6 (Semifinals)
No. 3 Western Washington 66, No. 2 Northwest Nazarene 63
No. 1 Alaska Anchorage 79, No. 5 Central Washington 77
Saturday, March 7
No. 3 Western Washington vs. No. 1 Alaska Anchorage, 7:30 pm
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 eight of the last 12 seasons, and 35 times in the 49-year history of the program. WWU has 21 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 612, 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 1,044 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.
