LACEY, Wash. – In a game that featured 15 lead changes, 11 ties and several swings in momentum, the Western Washington University men's basketball team fell just short in an 89-84 loss at Saint Martin's University on New Year's Eve in Marcus Pavilion.

WWU dropped its first GNAC contest of the year falling to 2-1 in conference play and 9-4 overall. Ranked No. 23 in the D2SIDA national media poll, Saint Martin's remained unbeaten in conference play at 4-0 and 12-2 overall.

The back-and-forth game stated with the Vikings trailing 17-10, but a 11-2 run erased the deficit to take a 21-19 lead at the 11:46 mark in the first half, which included an 8-0 scoring spurt. SMU held a 43-42 halftime lead and came out of the break going on a 12-0 run to grab a 55-42 lead. But the Vikings answered with a 13-0 run to lead 58-57 with 12:05 remaining.

The Vikings held a 74-72 lead with just under six minutes remaining in the contest, but the Saints rattled off eight consecutive points to take a six-point lead at 80-74 with less than four minutes left in the game. Consecutive layups by Kai Johnson and Nic Welp pulled the Vikings to within two points at 80-78, but the Saints again had an answer scoring seven consecutive points to help pull away for the five-point victory.

In his homecoming game as an Olympia native, Johnson led the Vikings with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He was 5-for-9 from the field, going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Six Vikings scored in double-digits, with Jonathan Ned adding 15 points and Daniel Hornbuckle and Nic Welp each scoring 14 points.

WWU shot 44.6-percent from the field (29-for-65) and was 15-for-35 from three-point range (.429). SMU edged the Vikings in shooting percentage at 44.3-percent (31-for-70) and was nearly perfect at 15-for-16 from the free throw line. The two high-scoring teams combined to attempt 67 three-pointers, making 27 long distance shots.

Branden Bunn led four Saints scoring in double digits with 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting (4-for-6 3FG) and Hunter Sipe had 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Tyke Thompson led all players with nine rebounds in 17 minutes of action.

The Vikings (9-4, 210 GNAC) return home to Carver Gym next week hosting Montana State Billings on Thursday (7 pm) and Seattle Pacific on Saturday (7 pm) on WECU Court in GNAC play. The complete 2022-23 WWU men's basketball schedule with links to live coverage can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/MBB.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Saint Martin's:

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2022-23 season:

WWU has dropped its last three games against Saint Martin's, but leads the overall series 136-67. Vikings are 21-8 against the Saints dating back to the 2008-09 season, but SMU has won six of the last nine head-to-head meetings.

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings, complete with Saturday's results from around the conference (with just the UAA/UAF game remaining):

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season following Saturday's 89-84 defeat at Saint Martin's:

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 2012 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 1,537 all-time victories. Head coach Tony Dominguez is in his 10th season and 11th year as the Vikings head coach (28th overall at WWU) and is listed in the top 20 amongst active NCAA Division II head coaches with a .672 winning percentage (191-94).