BILLINGS, Mont. – Despite a game-high 26 points from GNAC leading scorer Kai Johnson, the Western Washington University men's basketball team dropped a 97-84 road game against Montana State University Billings Thursday evening in Alterowitz Gymnasium.

The Vikings dropped to 10-5 on the season and 2-2 in GNAC play with the 13-point road loss. MSUB remained unbeaten in conference play at 5-0 and improved to 11-4 overall.

The Vikings trailed by just three points at the half 41-38 and held a lead early in the second half before the Yellowjackets when on an extended run. WWU climbed back to within four points with 6:33 remaining, but the comeback stalled with MSUB scoring seven consecutive points.

Johnson recorded his 10th game with 20-or-more points, backing up his 31-point effort against nationally-ranked Saint Martin's in the Vikings previous game. The junior guard was 7-for-15 from the field and 10-for-14 from the free throw line to increase his conference-leading scoring average to 22.0 points per game. He added eight rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists.

Sophomore forward BJ Kolly (11 pts), senior forward Jonathan Ned (10 pts) and junior forward Nic Welp (10 pts) also scored in double-digits for the Vikings. Welp fell just short of his fifth double-double of the season with a team-high nine rebounds. WWU was limited to 43.9-percent shooting from the field and were 6-for-24 from beyond the arc.

MSUB was led by a 24-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double by Daniel Moody, who went 7-for-11 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Zharon Richmond added 21 points and Jalen Tot contributed 15 points. MSUB shot 49.2-percent from the field (32-for-65) and was 27-for-30 from the free throw line.

The Vikings went on an early 9-3 run out of the halftime break to take a 47-44 lead, but MSUB answered with an 11-2 run to retake the lead at 55-49 and led the remainder of the way in the 13-point victory. WWU closed the gap to a four-point deficit at 72-68 with 6:33 remaining, but the Yellowjackets answered with seven consecutive points to stall the comeback effort.

MSUB held a three-point lead at the half, 41-38, with several swings in momentum highlighting the first 20 minutes of action. The half featured five lead changes with each team holding a lead of at least eight points. WWU had the first big swing going on a 14-5 run over a five-minute stretch to build a 23-16 lead with 9:11 left in the half. The Yellowjackets answered going on a 20-4 run over four minutes to take a nine-point lead at 36-27. Western then had an answer of its own with an 11-2 scoring spurt to tie the game 38-38, before MSUB scored the final three points of the half. Kai Johnson led WWU with 12 points and six rebounds and Daniel Moody had 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting for Billings.

The Vikings (10-5, 2-2 GNAC) remain on the road taking on Seattle Pacific on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 4:15 pm inside Royal Brougham Pavilion. The complete season schedule, complete with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/MBB.

Junior guard Kai Johnson earned the WECU Player of the Game scoring a game-high 26 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field and 10-for-14 from the free throw line. Johnson also grabbed eight rebounds to go with three steals and a pair of assists.

M🏀| WECU PLAYER OF THE GAME@WWUHoops don't get the win but a 26-point, 8-rebound, 3-steal night earns Kai Johnson the nod as the WECU Player of the Game pic.twitter.com/0DTrCXZymp
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) January 12, 2024
  

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

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2023-24 season:

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2023-24 season following the Thursday's loss at MSUB:

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 12 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 five years (and seven of 10) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is amongst the top 15 winningest Division II programs with its 1,553 all-time victories.