BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's basketball team raced out to an early big lead and never looked back in a dominating 22-point 82-60 victory over Simon Fraser University to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Saturday night on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
 
The Vikings improved to 7-0 overall and opened GNAC play with a 1-0 record. SFU dropped to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in league play.
 
WWU scored the first eight points of the game and scored 26 first-quarter points to set the tone for the lopsided contest. The Vikings shot 53.2% as a team (33-for-62) and were 11-for-13 from the free throw line. The Vikings also dominated the boards with a 40-25 advantage in rebounding and played stifling defense with 13 steals.
 
Junior guard Avery Dykstra led all players with 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting while also contributing four assists in 28 minutes. Senior guard Dani Iwami scored a season-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Senior guard Emma Duff rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting and neared a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds.
 
WWU's balanced team effort also featured freshman post player Truitt Reilly with nine points and three steals, and junior forward Katrina Gimmaka and freshman guard Riley Dykstra with seven points each.
 
SFU was led by 13 points from Jessica Wisotzki and 10 points each by Claudia Hart and Emma Kramer.
 
WWU led wire-to-wire after scoring the games first basket 44 seconds into the game and led by as many as 24 points at the start of the third quarter.
  The Vikings scored 48 first-half points to take an 18-point 48-30 lead over SFU in the first 20 minutes of the contest. WWU shot 58.8% from the field, connecting on 20-of-34 shots. Emma Duff led the Vikings with 10 points and six rebounds in the half, going 4-for-6 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. WWU's balanced scoring attack included eight points by Dani Iwami and seven points apiece from Avery and Riley Dykstra. Jessica Wisotzki led SFU with nine points on 3-for-11 shooting and as a team SFU was limited to 33.3% (12-for-36).
  The Vikings (7-0) return to the road for the final three non-conference games of the season, traveling to the Bay Area to play Academy of Art (Dec. 14, 6 pm), Dominican (Dec. 16, 5:30 pm) and Holy Names (Dec. 17, 5:30 pm). WWU resumes GNAC play with home games against Western Oregon (Dec. 30, 7 pm) and nationally-ranked Saint Martin's (Jan. 1, 7 pm). Fans can follow all the action live online or via live statistical updates with direct links at wwuvikings.com/Live.
  WWU played Simon Fraser for the first time since the end of the 2019-20 season, with both teams earning a win on its home court that season. Western now leads the all-time series 54-36, including a stretch of five wins in the last six meetings. The Vikings are 11-2 in the last 13 games and won 14 consecutive home games vs. SFU dating back to when they joined the GNAC in 2010-11. The last SFU win in Bellingham was January 2, 1999 (66-65).
  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in eight of the last 12 full seasons, and 35 times in the 50-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 625, winning 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 1,057 all-time wins in the 50-year history of the program, and according to available records, is one of less than 20 women's college basketball team across all divisions and levels to reach the 1,000-victory milestone.