BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University and Saint Martin's University battled it out in a back-and-forth men's college basketball contest Thursday evening to open the second half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

The Vikings and Saints went back-and-forth in a game that featured nine lead changes and six ties, with each team leading the game for just over 17 minutes in the 40-minute contest.

Saint Martin's prevailed with a four-point 75-71 victory to sweep the regular-season series over WWU, also winning by five points earlier this season in Lacey.

WWU dropped to 11-9 overall and slipped into a sixth-place tie at 4-6 in league play, while SMU improved to 16-4 overall and moved into a second-place tie in the GNAC standings at 8-2 in the GNAC standings.

The Vikings held a two-point 40-38 lead at halftime and led by as many as nine points late in the first half, but were not able hold off the Saints down the stretch while closing the gap to one possession several times.

Redshirt freshman forward BJ Kolly paced the Vikings with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double on 8-for-12 shooting and senior guard Daniel Hornbuckle scored 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting with a trio of three-pointers and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Kai Johnson added 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

The Saints featured four players scoring in double-digits, led by a game-high 18 points by guard Branden Bunn and a 13-point, 11-assist double-double by guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner.

WWU out-shot Saint Martin's 47.5-percent (28-for-59) to 39.7-percent (27-for-68), but the Saints scored 20 points off 17 Viking turnovers to key the comeback victory.

The Vikings close out a four-game homestand Saturday evening hosting Western Oregon (8-9, 5-5 GNAC) at 7 pm on WECU Court in Carver Gym. WWU will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 2012 national championship men's basketball team in a pregame reunion and halftime ceremony.

The Vikings (11-9, 4-6 GNAC) conclude their four-game homestand Saturday hosting Western Oregon on Saturday with tip-off at 7 pm. 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.

The Vikings led 40-38 at the half, but Saint Martin's came out shooting in the second half hitting a trio of three-pointers out of the break to grab a 47-42 lead. After four lead changes, the Saints went on a 10-2 run over a 3-minute span to take a 62-54 lead and would not trail the rest of the way in the four-point victory. WWU pulled to within one point at 64-63 following layups by BJ Kolly and Kai Johnson at the 5:26 mark, but SMU would answer with a 7-3 run to pull away for the narrow victory.

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 dropped both games in the regular-season series vs. Saint Martin's, with both games decided by five-or-fewer points…the Saints defeated the Vikings 89-84 on New Year's Eve in Lacey…WWU continues to lead the all-time series 136-68, but SMU has won seven of the last 10 meetings…prior to tonight's four-point loss WWU had won two of the last three vs. SMU in Carver Gym.

Fans will get the chance to celebrate the 2012 National Championship season on Saturday 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 four-point loss to 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 1,539 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 (193-99).