BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Senior forward Katrina Gimmaka tied her single-game career-high with 22 points and six Vikings scored at least eight points to lead No. 9 nationally-ranked Western Washington University to a 78-60 victory over in-state rival Central Washington Saturday in GNAC play.

The Vikings improved to 18-2 overall and kept hold of sole possession of first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 12-1. WWU swept the regular-season series vs. CWU, adding tonight's 18-point victory to the 82-70 road win on January 5. CWU dropped to 16-6 on the season and 8-5 in league play. 

Gimmaka was 11-for-16 from the field, scoring 14 points in the first half with 10 in the opening quarter. Senior forward Carley Zaragoza added 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting and junior forward Brooke Walling recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Walling added six assists, two steals and one blocked shot while playing tough defense against GNAC leading scorer Samantha Bowman (10 points, 9 rebounds).

Sophomore guard Riley Dykstra added 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting and sophomore forward Truitt Reilly neared a double-double with eight points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Mollie Olson equaled Walling with six assists to tie for the team lead. 

WWU raced out to a 27-11 lead through the first quarter of play, jump-started by a 17-2 run. The Vikings led by as many as 29 points midway through the fourth quarter before the Wildcats went on a late scoring run to trim the deficit to 18 points.

The Vikings shot 50.0-percent from the field (31-for-62), with 50 of the 78 points scored in the paint. WWU had a 39-32 advantage over the top rebounding team in the conference and recorded five blocked shots.

Asher Cai led the Wildcats with 19 points on 5-for-13 shooting and Valerie Huerta had 11 points on 5-for-19 shooting. Bowman was limited to 10 points and nine rebounds for only the fourth game this season without recording a double-double. CWU was limited to 34.4-percent shooting (22-for-64) and was 3-for-15 from three-point range.

WWU (18-2, 12-1 GNAC) close out the road portion of the regular-season schedule next week with games at Western Oregon (Thursday, Feb. 9) and Saint Martin's (Saturday, Feb. 11), with both games featuring a 5:15 pm tip-off. The Vikings then return home for the final three games of the regular season hosting MSU Billings, Seattle Pacific and Simon Fraser. 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.

WWU entered the weekend ranked No. 9 (WBCA Coaches) and No. 11 (D2SIDA Media) in the national polls, and No. 2 in the D2SIDA West Region Poll. 

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

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

WWU earned the regular-season sweep over CERU, also winning 82-70 in Moses Lake on Jan. 5. The Vikings have won the last three meetings vs. the Wildcats, including the 2022 West Regional Semifinal in Hayward, California. Western leads the all-time series 101-17 with an 12-7 advantage in the last 18 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season.

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

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2022-23 season following the 18-point victory over CWU:

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 661, 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 1,093 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.