BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team plays its final Carver Gym game of 2024 Sunday hosting Langara College in a non-conference game.

 

WWU is 6-3 overall heading into the final three games of the 2024 calendar year, with Sunday's game against Langara set to tip-off at 3 pm. The Vikings then head to Las Vegas for the Holiday Hoops Classic at the South Point Arena facing Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's. Western returns to conference play hosting the Alaska schools January 2-4 at home on WECU Court.

 

The Vikings are coming off a pair of tight losses to open conference play last week, dropping a one-point game at Northwest Nazarene and a three-point contest at Central Washington.

 

Senior guard Will Wilson continues to lead the Vikings in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game to rank 6th in the GNAC in scoring and 3rd with a team-best 4.9 assists per game.

 

 

The Vikings have endured three losses this season by a combined seven points. WWU dropped its first game of the season vs. Westminster on a half-court buzzer beater (66-63) and opened GNAC play with a pair of tight games falling at Northwest Nazarene by one point (75-74) and Central Washington (79-76). The Vikings are 6-3 on the season heading into Sunday's game vs. Langara College.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2024-25 season:

 

 

Following Sunday's afternoon non-conference game vs. Langara the Vikings close out the 2024 calendar year with a pair of games in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic. WWU will take on Lubbock Christian on Thursday (Dec. 19) at 6 pm and St. Mary's (TX) on Friday (Dec. 20), with both games at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas. The Vikings return to GNAC play January 2-4 hosting the Alaska schools on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

The Vikings rank second in the GNAC and are 47th in the nation averaging 84.6 points per game. WWU's offense has been led by six players averaging double-digits in scoring, led by senior Will Wilson with a team-best 17.1 points per game. Redshirt freshman guard Grant Kepley is second on the team averaging 14.1 points per game. Also averaging at least 10.0 points per game is Tijan Saine (13.0), Louis Grante-Halliday (12.3), Trevor White (11.2) and Dajon Lott (10.9).

 

Western leads the GNAC and ranks 13th nationally with a team field goal percentage of 50.7, connecting on 278-of-548 shots on the season. The Vikings have shot at least 50.0% from the field in four of nine games.

 

Senior guard Will Wilson has gotten off to an impressive start to the season averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while playing an average of 35.4 minutes per game. He has scored in double-digits in eight of nine games with three 20-point contests. Wilson was an honorable mention All-GNAC selection during his first WWU season averaging 15.8 points per game in 2023-24. Including junior college stops at State Fair CC and Mt. Hood CC, Wilson is making a run at 2,000 career points scoring 1,606 points in 91 career games (17.6 points per game).

 

Here is a look at the 2024-25 GNAC Men's Basketball standings and overall records following the opening week of the conference season. Updated standings and conference statistics can be viewed online at GNACSports.com. The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships held March 6-8 in Lacey:

 

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2024-25 season heading into Sunday's game vs. Langara College:

 

 

Thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, all current WWU students will receive free admission to all regular-season athletic events in Carver Gym and at Harrington Field again in 2024-25. Students just need to show their W card at the door and then head over to the WECU Student Section to cheer on the Viks. 

 

Parking for all WWU home events in Carver Gym is free and now located in the 19G Lot by the Student Recreation Center. Season ticket parking will be in the 9G lot. A parking map is available at wwuvikings.com.

 

Head coach Tony Dominguez is in his 13th year and 12th season at the helm of the program, and 30th overall at WWU. Dominguez has led the Vikings to a 220-118 record (.651) and was the 2016-17 GNAC Coach of the Year. He is assisted by AJ Albritton (3rd season), Bob Hofstetter (12th season) and Atiavo Jude (12th season).

 

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 13 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 six years (and seven of 11) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is amongst the top 20 winningest Division II programs with its 1,566 all-time victories.