BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior Jalen Green scored 17 of his career-high 25 points in the second half to lead the Vikings to a 83-81 victory over Northwest Nazarene University Thursday night on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
 
Green's big second-half performance helped the Vikings overcome a seven-point deficit with less than eight minutes remaining, but his biggest play of the night came on the defensive end of the floor. The 6-8 forward/guard combo recorded a big blocked shot on NNU guard Jaylen Fox with 19 seconds remaining to preserve a one-point lead.
 
Green hit the 1-of-2 free throws with eight seconds remaining and the Vikings had a solid defensive stand on the final possession to record the two-point victory.
 
Playing only its fourth game over the last 39 days, WWU snapped a mini two-game losing streak to improve to 9-6 overall and 2-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Vikings are now 8-2 in Carver Gym this season. NNU dropped to 5-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
 
Junior shooting guard Lucas Holden added 14 points in 19 minutes off the bench and senior guard RJ Secrest totaled 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Senior forward Luke Lovelady neared a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, and Daniel Hornbuckle and Dakota Ayala each had eight points.
 
WWU shot 47.3% for the game (26-for-55) and were 26-for-35 from the free throw line. With nine boards each by Green and Lovelady, the Vikings held a decisive 39-24 advantage in rebounding. Western also had six blocked shots compared to one by NNU.
 
James Nelson scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Nighthawks, going 9-for-18 from the field. Tru Allen added 13 points (8-for-8 free throws) and Jaylen Fox had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting to also reach double-figures in scoring.
  The Vikings (9-6, 2-3 GNAC) continue its current stretch of four consecutive home games hosting Central Washington Saturday evening at 7 pm in Carver Gym. The game will feature WECU Night with the first 200 fans receiving a limited-edition vintage coffee mug courtesy of WECU. The Vikings will also entertain Alaska Anchorage Monday night at 7 pm in Carver Gym.
  NNU went on a 8-0 run to build a seven-point lead at 75-68 with 7:55 remaining in the contest, but the Vikings answered with a game-changing 9-0 run that was jump-started by a 3-pointer by RJ Secrest. After trailing by seven points, WWU scored 15 of the final 21 points to overcome the Nighthawks down the stretch.
  The 83-81 victory marked WWU's sixth game decided by two-or-fewer points, going 3-3 in those games. The Vikings suffered back-to-back one-point losses to Cal Poly Humboldt and Cal State Dominguez Hills to open the season and a two-point 82-80 overtime loss to Simon Fraser. Western defeated Lindenwood 60-58 in Las Vegas and Alaska Fairbanks 94-92.
  The game featured 16 tie scores and 16 lead changes throughout the 40-minute conference game. The 16th and final lead change came on consecutive made free throws by Jalen Green with 25 seconds remaining in the game to give the Vikings an 82-81 lead.
  In a half that featured nine tie scores and seven lead changes, NNU went on a late 11-4 run to take a 50-45 lead into halftime. Each team led by as many as five points in the half, with WWU holding a 36-31 advantage with less than five minutes remaining in the first half. The Nighthawks answered with a 19-9 run over the remainder of the half for the five-point lead at the break. WWU shot 50.0% in the half (13-for-26) and went 16-for-20 at the free throw line. NNU was nearly at 48.6% (17-for-35), including 7-for-14 from 3-point range. NNU's James Nelson led all players with 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting and Lucas Holden scored a team-high 10 points off the bench on 2-for-5 shooting (5-for-7 FT).
  WWU overcame a five-point halftime deficit out-scoring NNU 38-31 in the second half to record the victory. The Vikings opened the half on a 12-4 run, with Jalen Green scoring the first five points and eight of the 12 points during the run. NNU battled back going on a 13-2 run to grab a seven-point lead at 75-68 with 7:55 remaining, but the Vikings countered with a 9-0 run to lead 77-75. Green scored 17 of his career-high 25 points in the second half (playing 15 of 20 minutes).
  WWU improved to 8-2 on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season … the Vikings played with fans in the stands for the first time since early December … the game featured 47 total fouls called (NNU: 24, WWU: 23) and 62 total free throw attempts (WWU: 26-for-35, NNU: 21-for-27) … Luke Lovelady recorded nine points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and a pair of assists … NNU scored 33 points of WWU's 19 turnovers.
  Played NNU for the first time since a 1-1 split during the 2019-20 season. WWU now leads the all-time series 34-12 with a 15-4 advantage in the last 19 meetings. In 25 all-time meetings in Bellingham, the Vikings are 21-4 vs. the Nighthawks.
  Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings following play on Thursday:
 

MEN'S BASKETBALL	CONF	PCT	OVERALL	PCT	HOME	AWAY	NEUTRAL	STREAK
Alaska Anchorage	3-1	.750	8-3	.727	5-0	2-3	1-0	Won 2
Central Washington	5-2	.714	11-3	.786	5-0	5-2	1-1	Won 3
Saint Martin's	5-2	.714	12-4	.750	8-1	3-3	1-0	Won 1
Seattle Pacific	4-4	.500	11-8	.579	6-1	2-5	3-2	Won 1
Simon Fraser	3-3	.500	8-6	.571	5-1	2-4	1-1	Lost 2
Northwest Nazarene	3-3	.500	5-6	.455	3-1	2-4	0-1	Lost 1
Montana State Billings	3-3	.500	7-9	.438	4-6	1-2	2-1	Lost 1
Western Washington	2-3	.400	9-6	.600	8-2	0-2	1-2	Won 1
Western Oregon	2-4	.333	3-11	.214	2-1	1-7	0-3	Lost 5
Alaska Fairbanks	1-6	.143	4-9	.308	1-1	1-6	2-2	Lost 2
THURSDAY'S GNAC RESULTS
at Western Washington 83, Northwest Nazarene 81 at Saint Martin's 79, Western Oregon 52 at Seattle Pacific 74, Alaska Fairbanks 72 (OT) Central Washington 92, at Simon Fraser 65 Alaska Anchorage 68, at Montana State Billings 61

  The ever-changing 2021-22 WWU Men's Basketball Schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/21-22_MBB, complete with links to purchase tickets and live coverage links for webcast and live stats.
  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 11 seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2011-12 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western has 20-win seasons in three of the last four years (and seven of nine) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is the 12th winningest Division II program with its 1,523 all-time victories.