BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team will play for the NCAA Division II National Championship after defeating top-seeded North Georgia 74-68 Wednesday evening in the national semifinal at Bill Harris Arena in the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Playing in its third national semifinal, the No. 5 seed Vikings will play for the first national title in the 51-year history of the illustrious program Friday evening against No. 3 Glenville State (34-1). The title game will tip-off at 7 pm CT/5 pm PT in Birmingham and televised on the CBS Sports Network.
The Vikings again had to fight from behind facing an early deficit for the second time in Alabama. After trailing by 12 points in Monday's quarterfinal win over Valdosta State, WWU erased an eight-point first-quarter deficit while recording the six-point victory. After trailing 23-19 following the first quarter, WWU out-scored the Nighthawks 55-45 over the final three quarters of the contest.
The Vikings (25-5) were led by 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting by sophomore
Brooke Walling (5 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists) and 18 points and nine rebounds by senior
Emma Duff (2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks). WWU's balanced offensive and defensive effort featured all 11 active players seeing action on the court and 10 players scoring points. Junior guard
Avery Dykstra contributed nine points and three assists and junior forward
Katrina Gimmaka provided eight crucial first-half points on 4-for-7 shooting.
North Georgia (29-4) was led by a game-high 28 points from guard Caroline Martin and 17 points and eight rebounds by WBCA National Player of the Year Julianne Sutton.
WWU's defense limited UNG to its fourth-lowest shooting performance of the season (.352, 19-for-54) and only 4-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc. North Georgia scored 26 of 68 points from the free throw line (36-for-34). The Vikings and Nighthawks were even in rebounding with 38 apiece.
The Vikings shot 44.3-percent from the field (27-for-61), but were just 3-for-22 from three-point range. Going to the charity stripe 10 fewer times than UNG, WWU was 17-for-24 (.708) from the free throw line.
THE MOMENT THAT MATTERED
The Vikings went on an 11-2 run, which included a 9-0 spurt, immediately following halftime to build an eight-point lead at 48-40. That early run would hold as the Vikings would lead for the remainder of the game, growing the cushion to as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter.
FIRST HALF RECAP
The Vikings and Nighthawks played an even first half of play with six lead changes and eight tie scores, with UNG taking a one-point lead into the half 38-37. WWU was called for 12 fouls (compared to 6 for UNG), including two early fouls against
Brooke Walling that helped fuel a 7-0 first-quarter run and an eight-point lead (19-11). WWU was steady throughout the second quarter out-scoring UNG 18-15, opening the period on a 12-6 run to take a 31-29 lead.
Western grabbed a 37-36 lead with 44-seconds left in the half on three-point play by
Carley Zaragoza, but UNG hit a pair of free throws (14-for-18 in the half) to take a one-point lead through the first 20 minutes.
Katrina Gimmaka led the Vikings with eight points on 4-for-6 shooting in 10 minutes and
Emma Duff,
Gracie Castaneda and Zaragoza each contributed five points.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH CARMEN DOLFO
"It's something you dream of (playing in the national championship game). This team is just special. They care for each other, play for each other and sacrifice for each other and we've had a lot of ups and downs. They've stuck together through the whole thing. I'm so excited and so excited to get to do it with them."
"My team just dialed in, they played amazing defense and I'm just so proud."
ELITE EIGHT SCOREBOARD & SCHEDULE
The Vikings have beat a pair of higher seeds in the first two games of the Elite Eight, defeating No. 4 Valdosta State in the quarterfinals (58-55) and No. 1 North Georgia in the semifinals (74-68). WWU will play No. 3 seed Glenville State in Friday's national championship game with tip-off scheduled for 7 pm CT/5 pm PT in Birmingham. The title game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network (check your local listings).
Quarterfinal Results:
- #3 Glenville State 103, #6 West Texas A&M 56
- #2 Grand Valley State 67, #7 Missouri Western 44
- #1 North Georgia 68, #8 Pace 61
- #5 Western Washington 58, #4 Valdosta State 55
Semifinal Results:
- #3 Glenville State 77, #2 Grand Valley State 53
- #No. 5 Western Washington 74, 1 North Georgia 68
National Championship Game:
- #3 Glenville State vs. #5 Western Washington, 7:00 pm CT/5:00 pm PT (CBS Sports Network)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and North Georgia from Wednesday's NCAA Division II National Semifinal:
| COMPARISON |
WWU |
UNG |
| Points |
74 |
68 |
| Field Goal Pct. |
.443 (27-61) |
.352 (19-54) |
| 3 Point FG Pct. |
.136 (3-22) |
.250 (4-16) |
| Free Throw Pct. |
.708 (17-24) |
.765 (26-34) |
| Rebounds |
38 |
38 |
| Offensive Rebounds |
11 |
10 |
| Defensive Rebounds |
27 |
28 |
| Assists |
14 |
11 |
| Turnovers |
19 |
20 |
| Steals |
9 |
11 |
| Blocked Shots |
4 |
2 |
| Time Led |
20:29 |
15:41 |
| Points off Turnovers |
15 |
19 |
| Points in the Paint |
42 |
30 |
| Bench Points |
21 |
5 |
| Fouls |
28 |
21 |
THE RECORD
The Vikings head into the NCAA II National Championship Game with a 25-5 overall record and an 19-3 ledger in games played on the road (12-2 away, 7-1 neutral). WWU won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title going 10-4 in league play and was runner-up in the GNAC Tournament. During regular and postseason have gone 7-0 vs. teams ranked in either of the two national polls.
| RECORD BREAKDOWN |
| Overall/GNAC Record |
25-5 (.833) |
| GNAC |
10-4 (1st) |
| Home |
6-2 |
| Away |
12-2 |
| Neutral |
7-1 |
| vs. Ranked Teams |
7-0 |
| Leading at Half |
21-2 |
| Trailing at Half |
3-2 |
| Tied at Half |
1-1 |
| Overtime |
0-3 |
| BY UNIFORM |
| White |
11-3 |
| Black |
10-1 |
| Navy Blue |
4-1 |
MARCH MADNESS
The Vikings are playing in their 18th NCAA Championships in 23 possible seasons (since 1998-99) and the third Elite Eight during the NCAA era that begin in 1998-99. WWU advanced to the NCAA Championships in 15 of 16 seasons from 1999-2014. Has won three regional championships to advance to the Elite Eight in 2000 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), 2013 (San Antonio, TX) and 2022 (Birmingham, AL).
The Vikings own an all-time 20-16 record in NCAA tournament play, recording at least one win in 11 of 17 prior regional appearances (with a game played). Below is a game-by-game listing of WWU in NCAA Tournament play with the regional host site listed next to the year:
1998-99 (Davis, CA):
Defeated Seattle Pacific, 77-69 (OT)
Lost to Montana State Billings, 70-48
1999-2000 (Pomona, CA):
Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 78-59
Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 84-66
Defeated Slippery Rock, 84-67 – Elite Eight
Lost to Northern Kentucky, 80-74 – Final Four
2000-01 (Pomona, CA):
Defeated Central Washington, 74-66
Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 91-85
2001-02 (Pomona, CA):
Defeated Sonoma State, 71-60
Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 71-70
2002-03 (Seattle, WA):
Lost to Northwest Nazarene, 83-79
2003-04 (Seattle, WA):
Defeated Sonoma State, 85-71
Lost to Seattle Pacific, 80-66
2004-05 (Seattle, WA):
Defeated CSU Dominguez Hills, 82-74 (OT)
Lost to Chico State, 85-75
2005-06 (Bellingham, WA):
Defeated Northwest Nazarene, 66-54
Lost to Seattle Pacific, 70-50
2006-07 (La Jolla, CA):
Lost to UC San Diego, 78-45
2008-09 (Seattle, WA):
Lost to Humboldt State, 74-64
2009-10 (Seattle, WA):
Lost to Chico State, lost 79-68
2010-11 (Pomona, CA):
Lost to Alaska Anchorage, 55-48
2011-12 (La Jolla, CA):
Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 65-58
Lost to UC San Diego, 81-66
2012-13 (Bellingham, WA):
Defeated Academy of Art, 70-50
Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 71-63
Defeated Simon Fraser, 75-58
Defeated Nova Southeastern, 80-76 (OT) – Elite Eight
Lost to Ashland, 66-54 – Final Four
2013-14 (Pomona, CA):
Lost to Simon Fraser, 77-70
2016-17 (Anchorage, AK):
Defeated Cal State East Bay, 74-48
Lost to Cal Baptist, 80-68
2019-20 (Honolulu, HI):
vs. Alaska Anchorage, DNP (COVID-19)
2021-22 (Hayward, CA):
Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 76-64
Defeated Central Washington, 64-58
Defeated Cal State East Bay, 73-59
Defeated Valdosta State, 58-55 – Elite Eight
Defeated North Georgia, 74-68 – Final Four
ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON
The Vikings have reached the 20-win mark (25-5), marking the 36th 20-win season in the 51-year history of the program, and 22nd in 31 seasons under head coach
Carmen Dolfo.
ABOUT WWU BASKETBALL
One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in nine of the last 13 full seasons, and 36 times in the 51-year history of the program. WWU has 22 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 643, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 18 of 23 possible seasons at the Division II level with three trips to the Elite Eight (including 2022) and will play for the 2022 national championship. The program now has 1,075 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.
Game Recap from GNACSports.com (Paxton Ritchey)
Western Washington women's basketball has a storied history. The Vikings have over 1,000 all-time wins as a program, which includes 36 20-win seasons, 18 NCAA tournament appearances, three West Regional titles and three trips to the Final Four.
As of tonight, however, this 2021-22 team has gone where no Vikings squad has gone before.
Western Washington unleashed a tidal wave of momentum in the second half, turning a one-point halftime deficit into a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings knocked off top-seeded North Georgia 74-68 in the NCAA Final Four from the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama. As a result, the Vikings' season continues until Friday night, when they will appear in the first national championship game in program history against Glenville State at 5:00 p.m. PDT.
The Vikings (25-5) won how they have won all year – with lockdown defense and balanced scoring. Individually, the stars were sophomore center Brooke Walling with 19 points and five steals and senior guard Emma Duff with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. But the Vikings received contributions from up and down their deep and talented roster.
Eleven players checked in for WWU, all of whom played for five minutes or more. Ten of those players both scored and recorded at least one rebound or assist for the Vikings.
Defensively, the Vikings struggled to slow North Georgia's one-two punch of sophomore guard Caroline Martin and senior forward and WBCA National Player of the Year Julianne Sutton in the first half, but made halftime adjustments and held the Nighthawks to just 27 percent shooting in the second half, including 3 of 16 (18 percent) from the field in the third quarter as WWU took control of the game.
North Georgia (29-4) had a special season, rolling to the Peach Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Earlier Wednesday, Sutton was named the National Player of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent from the field, and the Nighthawks were assigned the No. 1 seed by the NCAA when advancing teams reseeded before the Elite Eight.
The Nighthawks did a lot of things that, in most cases, would have won them the game. They attempted 10 more free throws than Western Washington and made nine more. They nearly doubled the Vikings' three-point percentage (25 percent to WWU's 14 percent). The two teams had the same amount of rebounds (38) and nearly the same amount of turnovers (North Georgia had 20 to WWU's 19).
But between losing senior point guard Dani Iwami to a season-ending knee injury in January, playing four games in eight days to close the regular season, having their momentum halted with a GNAC Championships loss to Central Washington or falling behind 13-1 during their Elite Eight match-up against Valdosta State, this Western Washington team has always found a way to win or advance when the road hasn't been easy.
North Georgia took the initiative early, as Martin and Sutton pounded the ball inside to score in the paint or draw contact and get to the line. The Nighthawks opened up a 14-7 lead in the game's first three minutes, with Martin and Sutton accounting for nine of those points, but the Vikings cut the deficit thanks in part to two baskets from Katrina Gimmaka and closed to within one before the first quarter ended with North Georgia up 23-19.
The Nighthawks continued to go to Martin, who had 17 points in the first half, but the Vikings still managed to gain ground in the second quarter. A 6-0 run gave the Vikings the lead for the first time at 5:18 to play in the second after the Vikings forced two North Georgia and bracketed them with three baskets – a Gimmaka layup, a Walling layup and a Gimmaka elbow jumper. The teams traded six lead changes and seven ties in the second quarter alone, but North Georgia had the last word of the first half, hitting two free throws with 24 seconds left to enter halftime ahead, 38-37.
At halftime, North Georgia was shooting 44 percent from the floor and Western Washington had only held the lead for 53 seconds. Both of those statistics would change dramatically when all was said and done.
The teams traded baskets immediately out of halftime before Western Washington went on a 9-0 run fueled by their defense which changed the scope of the game. After Walling scored to give the Vikings a 41-40 lead, Riley Dykstra made her presence felt by setting up Maddy Grandbois with a fast-break layup, then coming away with a steal on the ensuing possession to ignite another fast break that ended with Duff converting a three-point play at the other end. After Duff made her foul shot, Avery Dykstra stole the ball and fed her sister Riley for a layup, and suddenly the Vikings had an eight-point lead.
After the 9-0 run, Duff (7 points) and Walling (4) took over, combining to score the Vikings' remaining 11 points in the third period. Western Washington outscored North Georgia 16-4 in the paint in the third quarter, and it felt as though the Vikings were imposing their will on the top-seeded Nighthawks.
North Georgia never really got back in the game. The Nighthawks committed six turnovers in the final period, trying to force the ball inside to their playmaker Sutton but not getting the ball past the Vikings' hounding defense. Walling was the main beneficiary as four of her five steals came in the fourth quarter. The lead hit a high of 12 points with 1:34 left to play, and North Georgia didn't help themselves catch up by missing three of their final nine free-throw attempts.
For the fifth consecutive time this postseason, Western Washington players gathered to jump up and down at midcourt to celebrate a victory when the buzzer sounded. On Friday night, their goal will be to do that one more time.
As a conference, the GNAC has never won a women's basketball national championship. This year's Vikings will become the third GNAC team to appear in a national championship game, joining Seattle Pacific, who lost 70-53 to Washburn in 2005, and Alaska Anchorage, who lost 78-73 to Lubbock Christian in 2016.
Glenville State will unquestionably be a tough opponent, however. The Pioneers are 34-1, with their only loss coming in the Mountain East Conference tournament championship. Glenville State was ranked No. 3 in the final editions of both the WBCA Coaches Poll and D2SIDA Media Poll prior to the NCAA tournament.
Glenville State features a D2SIDA First-Team All-American in Re'Shawna Stone and the WBCA National Coach of the Year in Kim Stephens. They have been especially impressive in Birmingham, defeating No. 6 West Texas A&M 103-56 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Grand Valley State 77-53 in the semifinals.
