LACEY, Wash. – The No. 8 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's basketball team overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Saint Martin's University 67-62 Saturday night inside Marcus Pavilion.

The Vikings recorded their 20th victory of the season, improving to 20-2 overall and 14-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with the five-point come-from-behind victory. WWU won its sixth consecutive game setting up a showdown with second-place Montana State Billings on Thursday in Carver Gym in Bellingham.

Facing only its third halftime deficit of the season, WWU stormed back out-scoring SMU 18-11 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four points at 47-43. The Vikings carried that momentum in the fourth quarter, opening on a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game at 49-47 with 8:18 remaining.

The Saints responded with a 7-2 spurt of their own to regain the lead 54-51, but the Vikings found another way to battle back going on an 8-1 run to take a 59-55 lead. Riley Dykstra scored four of the points in the run on layups, and then hit a key three-pointer with 1:28 remaining to put the Vikings up 62-57. After a banked three-pointer by SMU's Rian Clear cut the Vikings lead to 64-62 with under 20 seconds remaining, the Vikings clinched the comeback win at the free throw line with Avery Dykstra hitting 3-of-4 from charity stripe.

Junior forward Brooke Walling led the Vikings recording her 10th double-double of the season, scoring 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Riley Dykstra scored eight of her 12 points in the final quarter, finishing 5-for-9 from the field. Senior guard Mollie Olson contributed 10 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists while playing close to her hometown of Napavine. Avery Dykstra neared her career high with seven assists (one short) and scored seven points.

WWU shot above 50.0 percent in a game for the 11th time this season, going 25-for-48 from the field (.521). Through the first 22 games of the season the Vikings are among the national leaders at .485 (633-for-1304).

Rian Clear led Saint Martin's (8-14, 4-10) with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-17 shooting and Kiana Rios added 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Coming off a 20-point victory over Simon Fraser, the Saints led for 32 of the 40 minutes in the game before the Vikings staged the comeback to sweep the regular-season series between the two schools.

WWU completes the regular season with three consecutive home games, beginning with Montana State Billings (Thursday) and Seattle Pacific (Saturday) next week with 7 pm games on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

WWU (20-2, 14-1 GNAC) returns home for the final three games of the regular season, beginning with a marquee matchup with second-place MSU Billings next Thursday in Carver Gym (7 pm). The complete 2022-23 WWU women's basketball schedule and season results to this point can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/22-23_WBB. Tickets for home games can be purchased at wwuvikings.com/Tickets.

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

WWU entered the weekend ranked No. 8 (WBCA Coaches) and No. 8 (D2SIDA Media) in the national polls, and No. 2 in the D2SIDA West Region Poll. 

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

WWU swept the regular-season series vs. the Saints, also winning 81-65 in Bellingham on January 12. The Vikings extended their winning streak over SU to six straight and lead the all-time 79-11. Dating back to the 1998 season, WWU is 49-2 vs. the Saints.

The Vikings are 20-2 overall following the win over Saint Martin's, reaching the 20-win mark for the 37th time in the 52-year history of the program, and 23rd time in 32 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo.

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings, complete with Saturday's results from around the conference. WWU remains in first place in the conference standings at 14-1 in GNAC play and 20-2 overall:

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season following the 67-62 win at Saint Martin's:

Dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season, the Vikings have combined to go 73-17 (.811) with a 38-11 record in GNAC play (.776). WWU went 25-6 during the Elite 8 2021-22 season and off to a 20-2 start to the 2022-23 season.

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 663, 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 1,095 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.