BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 6 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's basketball team opens the new year with a tough road trip facing in-state rival No. 24 Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games this week.

 

The Vikings enter this week's schedule with a 9-1 overall record, which includes a current nine-game winning streak, and a perfect 3-0 start to the GNAC schedule. WWU is coming off a historic offensive performance to close out the 2022 calendar year, posting consecutive 100-point games in wins over No. 25 Alaska Anchorage (104-51) and Alaska Fairbanks (101-57).

 

WWU moved up two spots to No. 6 in the WBCA NCAA II Coaches Poll and remained at No. 8 in the D2SIDA Media Poll. The Vikings also maintained their top spot in the D2SIDA West Regional Poll gathering all five first-place votes.

 

Thursday's match-up against No. 24 CWU will be held in Moses Lake at Big Bend Community College, rather than the normal away venue of Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg when facing the Wildcats. CWU is nearing completion of its gym renovation and has played at several venues near its campus, but this is the first venture to Moses Lake.

 

After dropping the season-opening game by one point (59-58) to No. 21 Azusa Pacific, the Vikings have rattled off nine consecutive wins. WWU is 5-1 in home games, with two wins at nearby Whatcom Community College, and a 4-0 record away from Bellingham (3-0 away, 1-0 neutral). With one more victory the Vikings will secure the 27th winning streak of at least 10 games in the 52 seasons of program history.

 

WWU enters the trip to play CWU and NNU featuring a blend of dominating defense and balanced offense while using all 11 players on the active roster. The Vikings defense ranks No. 2 in the nation averaging 6.3 blocked shots per game and with a +15.1 rebound margin, while holding opponents to a GNAC-leading 56.1 points per game (21st in NCAA II). Offensively the Vikings pace the conference and rank No. 6 nationally averaging 18.9 assists per game, are 10th in field goal percentage (.471/297-for-630) and 25th averaging 77.3 points per game.

 

The Vikings depth has been a difference-maker during the first part of the 2022-23 season, with nine players averaging at least 5.0 points per game. Junior forward Brooke Walling leads the team averaging 14.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, also filling the stat sheet averaging 3.7 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Redshirt freshman guard Mason Oberg is second on the team averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 41.2-percent from three-point range (21-for-51) and senior forward Katrina Gimmaka is averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting 58.2-percent from the field (39-for-67).

 

Sophomore Truitt Reilly totaled a pair of double-doubles in the two wins last week, averaging 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game while going 13-for-17 from the field. Oberg averaged 14.5 points per game connecting on 10-of-15 three-point shots and Walling averaged 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Gimmaka was nearly perfect from the field going 13-for-14 while averaging 14.0 points per game.

 

Following the road trip to Moses Lake and Idaho, the Vikings return home to Carver Gym hosting Saint Martin's (Thursday, Jan. 12) and Western Oregon (Saturday, Jan. 14) in 7 pm contests on WECU Court. The complete 2022-23 WWU women's basketball schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/22-23_WBB.

 

 

WWU (9-1, 3-0 GNAC) returns to the road in GNAC play with games at Central Washington University in Moses Lake on Thursday (5:15 pm at Big Bend Community College) and at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho on Saturday (5:15 pm MT). Links on how to follow the Vikings on the road can be found at wwuvikings.com/Live. The game vs. CWU in Moses Lake has the potential to not have a webcast due to the facility change, but we will keep you posted.

 

The Vikings became the first team in GNAC history to record back-to-back conference games scoring 100 or more points with last week's victories over the Alaska schools. WWU reached the 100-point plateau for the 28th time in program history with the 101-57 win over UAF on December 31, but just for the third time in back-to-back games after demolishing Alaska Anchorage 104-51 on December 29. Joins the 1988-89 Vikings (100-49 vs. Alaska Pacific on Dec. 19, 1988 and 100-71 vs. UC Riverside on Dec. 27, 1988) and the 2003-03 squad (106-58 vs. Northwest on Dec. 20, 2002 and 108-57 vs. Cal State LA on Dec. 27, 2002).

 

WWU utilizes its entire 11-player active roster, with 10 players averaging at least 11 minutes per game and all 11 players over 8.0 minutes per game. 

 

The Vikings have a current nine-game winning streak, one win short of recording the 26th double-digit winning streak in program history. Current nine-game winning streak is the longest since a string of 16 consecutive wins spanning the shortened 2020-21 season and the 2021-22 season. Longest single-season winning streak since opening last season with 10 consecutive wins.

 

In the two-game home sweep of the Alaska schools, WWU combined to out-score its opponent 205-108 and shoot 60.9% from the field (78-for-128). The Vikings also held a dominating 96-44 advantage in rebounding and combined to record 59 assists. Brooke Walling averaged 17.0 points on 12-for-16 shooting (.750) with 11 assists and three blocked shots. The Vikings scored 35 points in the opening quarter against Alaska Fairbanks toe tie for the second-most points in a single quarter in program history since the new quarter system began in 2015-16.

 

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings and schedule heading into this weekend's games:

 

 

Here is a look at the series history between WWU and its opponents this week in GNAC Play:

 

• Central Washington: Went 2-2 vs. CWU last season, with each team winning on the road during the regular season…Vikings defeated the Wildcats 74-72 in Ellensburg (2/12) and CWU defeated WWU in Bellingham 76-68 (1/13)…CWU won the GNAC Championships title game 57-46 in Lacey, but the Vikings came back a week later and defeated the Wildcats 64-58 in the NCAA West Regional Semifinal in Hayward, California…WWU leads the all-time series 99-17 with a 10-7 advantage in the last 17 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season.
• Northwest Nazarene: The Vikings dropped both games vs. the Nighthawks last season in overtime, 77-70 on the road and 87-76 at home…WWU leads the all-time series vs. NNU 32-17, but the Nighthawks have had the upper hand in the recent head-to-head meetings winning eight of the last 10 dating back to the 2017-18 season…Vikings are 12-9 all-time vs. the Nighthawks in road games.

 

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

 

 

Junior forward Brooke Walling has been filling the stat sheet this season ranking amongst GNAC leaders in several categories. Here is a look at where Walling is listed in the GNAC and NCAA II this season:

 

• Blocked Shots: 1.8 blocks per game (2nd in GNAC, 20th in NCAA II)
• Scoring: 14.0 points per game (11th in GNAC)
• Rebounding: 9.8 rebounds per game (2nd in GNAC, 29th in NCAA II)
• FG Pct: .604/58-for-96 (3rd in GNAC, 12th in NCAA II)
• Assists: 3.7 assists per game (4th in GNAC)
• Double-Doubles: 4 (2nd in GNAC)

 

Here is a list of Vikings current national and West Region rankings:

 

• WBCA NCAA II Coaches Poll: #6
• D2SIDA NCAA II Media Poll: #8
• D2SIDA West Region Media Poll: #1

 

Here is a listing of individual honors for Viking players during the 2022-23 season:

 

Brooke Walling:

• West Region Crossover Classic MVP
• Lynda Goodrich Classic MVP
• Preseason All-GNAC

Avery Dykstra:

• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament
• Preseason All-GNAC

Mason Oberg:

• Hoops in Hawai'i Classic All-Tournament

Maddy Grandbois:

• Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament

Mollie Olson:

• Preseason All-GNAC

Riley Dykstra:

• Preseason All-GNAC

 

Here is where WWU ranks in the NCAA Division II statistical rankings:

 

 

The Vikings landed a league-high four players on the 2022-23 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team. Junior forward Brooke Walling, senior guard Mollie Olson, senior guard Avery Dykstra and sophomore guard Riley Dykstra were all selected following their GNAC Championships victory and run to the NCAA Division II Championship title game last season.

 

WWU entered the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA II West Regional, but went on a five-game winning streak – knocking off four higher seeded teams – to play for the national championship. The Vikings battled Glenville State in the championship game at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, falling 85-72 to earn national runner-up honors. Marked the Vikings third trip to the Elite 8 and first since 2013. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Championships in 18 of 23 possible seasons.

 

The Vikings reached the 20-win mark (25-6) in 2021-22, marking the 36th 20-win season in the 51-year history of the program, and 22nd in 31 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo.

In addition to several NCAA Tournament and Elite 8 appearances that hang in the rafters in Carver Gym, WWU added a fifth GNAC Championships regular-season banner last season. The Vikings claimed the GNAC regular-season title in 2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2021-22. WWU also won back-to-back GNAC Tournament titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 32nd season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 652-252 (.721) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Entering the 2022-23 season, Dolfo ranked 13th all-time in NCAA II in wins. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 18 trips to the NCAA Championships and a trio of Elite 8 appearances, including playing in the national championship game in 2022. She became the winningest coach in WWU Athletics history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279). Dolfo tallied her 600th career victory on January 11, 2020 vs. Seattle Pacific, in her 840th career game. Dolfo became the 36th active NCAA women's head coach across all divisions to join the 600-win club and is one of 73 women's coaches all-time in NCAA history to reach the milestone. WWU has recorded 22 seasons with 20-or-more wins under Dolfo. She was named the 2021-22 GNAC Coach of the Year. That was her fifth GNAC honor and 12th Coach of the Year accolade overall. Dolfo was also a volleyball and basketball student-athlete at WWU in the 1980s.

 

The 2022-23 coaching staff includes 11th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Bobbi Westendorf, volunteer assistants Annalisa Fish and Mike Li, and student assistant George Irwin.

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 650 wins and Hall of Fame coach Lynda Goodrich totaling 411 wins leading the Vikings for 19 seasons from 1971-1990. The program owns an all-time record of 1084-387 for a career winning percentage of .737.

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season schedule and results:

 

 

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 52-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 652, 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 played in the 2022 national championship game. The program has 1,084 all-time wins in the 52-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.