BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to take a lead midway through the second half, but fell short of completing the comeback in an 84-82 loss to in-state rival Central Washington University Thursday evening on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

WWU trailed 44-37 at the end of the first half, but bounced back going on a 20-12 run out of the break to grab a 57-56 lead following a BJ Kolly layup at the 12:59 mark. CWU answered with a 7-0 run and led the remainder of the way to hold on for the two-point victory.

Western tied the game at 79-79 on a three-pointer by Jonathan Ned with 2:13 remaining, but the Vikings were held scoreless the rest of the way until a last-second three-pointer by Lucas Holden brought the game to the final score of 84-82.

The Vikings dropped to 10-8 on the season and slipped into a four-way tie for fifth place in the GNAC at 3-5 in conference play. CWU snapped a 12-game losing streak inside Carver Gym to improve to 7-10 overall and 3-5 in GNAC play.

Redshirt freshman forward BJ Kolly continued his impressive play in conference play with a team-high 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting, adding seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Ned contributed 17 points off the bench on 6-for-12 shooting while going 2-for-2 from three-point range. Junior guard D'Angelo Minnis (12 points) and Holden (11 points) also scored in double-digits.

CWU was led by a game-high 22 points from Samaad Hector on 9-for-17 shooting and Matt Poquette recorded a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double. Brock Gilbert neared a double-double with 15 points and nine assists. 

The in-state rivals will meet again on Saturday, February 18 inside Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg.

The Vikings (10-8, 3-5 GNAC) continue their four-game homestand Saturday hosting Northwest Nazarene at 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The game will serve as the annual Coaches vs. Cancer event with fans encouraged to wear pink to raise awareness for cancer research. The complete 2022-23 WWU men's basketball schedule – complete with links on how to purchase tickets for home games and links to follow the team on the road – can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/22-23_MBB.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Central Washington:

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

Thursday's game was the 264th meeting between the Vikings and Wildcats in the series history that dates back to 1908…WWU had its 12-game winning streak vs. the Wildcats in Carver Gym snapped, a string of home games on campus that dated back to the 2008-09 season…CWU maintains the lead in the all-time series 158-106, but WWU has won 26 of the last 36 meetings since the 2004-05 season.

Fans will get the chance to celebrate the 2012 National Championship season on Saturday, January 28 when the Vikings host Western Oregon. Several members of the national championship team will be back in Carver Gym. Mark your calendars to be part of this special event on January 28 and sign up for a special pregame event hosted by the WWU Alumni Association at wwuvikings.com/MBB_12Champs.

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings, complete with Thursday's results from around the conference:

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season following the 84-82 loss to CWU:

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 1,538 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 .662 winning percentage (192-98).