ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team dropped its rivalry game at Central Washington University Thursday, 97-75, inside Nicholson Pavilion in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

The Vikings were held well below their season scoring average of 94.9 points per game to fall to 12-7 overall and slip into a tie for 5th place in the GNAC standings at 4-4.

WWU was led by another 20-point effort from junior guard Kai Johnson, who tied for the game high with 23 points. Johnson has scored in double-digits in all 19 games this season while leading the GNAC averaging 22.3 points per game. Junior guard Will Wilson continued his strong season with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Junior forward Nic Welp led the team with eight rebounds.

CWU led for nearly the entire game while growing its advantage to as many as 24 points late in the second half. The Wildcats have won their last three games against the Vikings marking the longest winning streak for CWU in the rivalry series since 2007-08.

The Wildcats improved to 12-5 overall and 5-3 in GNAC play while playing in front of a spirited home crowd of 1,298 fans. The duo of Samaad Hector (23 pts, 13 reb) and Anjaylo Lloyd (18 pts, 6 Reb) combined for 41 points to help lead the Wildcats to the 22-point victory. Seth Dawson added 17 points, 6 assists and 2 steals. CWU recorded its second-best shooting performance of the season at 57.4-percent (39-for-68).

The Vikings (12-7, 4-4 GNAC) continue the early stage of their four-game road trip traveling to play Northwest Nazarene on Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 3:30 pm MT inside the Johnson Center in Nampa, Idaho. 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 was selected as the WECU Player of the Game scoring a game-high-tying 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field and 6-for-9 from the free throw line. Johnson has scored in double-digits in all 19 games this season and leads the GNAC with 13 games with 20-or-more points. He is the conference's leading scorer averaging 22.3 points per game.
 

M🏀| WECU Player of the Game

With 23 points on 8-18 shooting and 6-9 from the free throw line, Kai Johnson is the WECU Player of the Game for the Vikings who went head-to-head against the Wildcats in Ellensburg. pic.twitter.com/10qYwVh1sT
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) January 26, 2024
  

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

Central won its third consecutive game against Western after sweeping the series in 2022-23…Thursday marked the 266th meeting between the two programs dating back to the first game in 1908…CWU leads the all-time series 160-106, but WWU continues to lead the recent series at 26-13 since the 2004-05 season…WWU has lost three straight vs. CWU for the first time since 2007-08.

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

Here is an updated look at the 2023-24 GNAC Men's Basketball standings following play on Thursday, with the Vikings slipping into a three-way tie for 5th place at 4-4 in conference play. Updated standings and conference statistics can be viewed online at GNACSports.com.

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2023-24 season following 22-point loss at CWU:

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 1,555 all-time victories.