BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 13 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's basketball team starts their final road trip of the 2023-24 season before the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships. 

 

The Vikings will begin their final road trip in Billings, Montana, against the current GNAC leaders and No. 11 nationally-ranked MSU Billings. The Vikings beat the Yellowjackets in a 76-68 home win on January 27, a win that briefly gave the Vikings first place in the GNAC standings. MSU Billings has won five consecutive games since that contest to re-take the top spot in the conference standings.

 

Following the matchup against MSU Billings, the Vikings will head to Seattle to play Seattle Pacific. The Falcons are 7-2 on their home court, making this a tough road matchup for the Vikings. WWU has won 11 straight games against Seattle Pacific. 

 

The Vikings will finish their regular season the following weekend in Burnaby, BC. when they travel up north to take on Simon Fraser. 

 

Standing at 13-2 in conference play and in 2nd place in the standings, WWU has officially punched its ticket to the 2024 GNAC Championships that will be held March 7-9 in Ellensburg. The Vikings are the defending conference tournament champions.

 

The win 85-63 over Saint Martin's last Saturday gave the Vikings their 20th victory of the season, which marked the 24th 20+ win season in 33 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo and the 38th in the 53-year history of the program.

 

WWU remains one of the top defensive teams in the nation holding opponents to 59.9 points per game and limiting teams to a 36.0 field goal percentage. The Vikings offense has surged averaging 77.0 points per game over the last 11 games and lead the GNAC averaging 73.3 points per game.

 

Senior All-American Brooke Walling continues to lead the Vikings averaging 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, paces the GNAC with 12 double-doubles and ranks 6th in NCAA II with a .610 field goal percentage. Junior forward Aspen Garrison (10.8) junior guard Riley Dykstra (11.0), and sophomore guard Mason Oberg (11.4) also average double-digits in scoring.

 

The Vikings balanced offensive attack features six players averaging at least 6.0 points per game, including 4 averaging double-digit points per game, with the team leading the league in shooting at 47.3-percent. Senior guard Stephanie Peterson has been running the offense leading the GNAC steals and assists, averaging 2.8 steals per game and 4.1 assists per game.

 

 

The Vikings have officially reached the 20-win mark with a 20-4 overall record this season, marking the 38th 20-win season in the 53-year history of the program and 24th in 33 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo.

 

The Vikings will face off against current GNAC leader MSU Billings Thursday on the road. The Vikings (ranked 13th) and the Yellowjackets (ranked 11th) will be a battle of two top-15 nationally-ranked opponents. The last time these teams met was on January 27 in Carver Gym, where the then 17th-ranked Vikings took down then 9th-ranked MSU Billings in a convincing 76-68 win. Both the Vikings and Yellowjackets have already secured spots in the six-team GNAC Championships.

 

WWU has clinched one of the six spots in the GNAC Championships that will be held March 7-9 inside Nicholson Pavilion in Ellensburg. WWU and MSUB are the first two teams to punch its ticket to the postseason conference tournament. Western is the defending champion of the event beating Montana State Billings 76-71 in the championship game in Carver Gym marking the first home team – men or women – to win the title on its home court in the 12-year history of the event. The Vikings are 17-8 all-time in the GNAC Championships with three titles, advancing to play in the postseason tournament in 11 of 12 possible seasons (nine championship games). 

 

Riley Dykstra not only scored a career-high 30 points in WWU's 69-69 victory at CWU, but became the first Viking to reach the 30-point single-game scoring milestone since All-American Taylor Peacocke in 2017. Dykstra's 30-point effort is the 38th in program history.

 

Through the first 15 games of the 18-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule, the Vikings are in 2nd place in the standings at 13-2 in league play. The Vikings close out the conference slate with three road games leading up to the GNAC Championships that will feature the top six teams in the standings playing in a the three-day tournament March 7-9 in Ellensburg.

 

The Vikings are hard to beat at home this season in Carver Gym, sporting an 12-1 record on WECU Court. WWU has won 44 of its last 49 games on WECU Court combining to go 44-5 since the 2019-20 season.

 

Here is a look at the series history between WWU and opponents this week:

 

·         MSU Billings: The Vikings hold a 30-18 all-time record against the Yellowjackets…WWU won 76-68 in the last matchup…the Vikings have won 8 of the last 10 matchups against MSU Billings, including their last two meetings…dropped last game in visit to Billings 73-61 in January 2023…Western is 10-10 all-time in road games in Billings inside Alterowitz Gym.

·         Seattle Pacific: The Vikings have an all-time record of 72-33 against the Falcons with a current 11-game winning streak…WWU won the first meeting this season 73-61 at home on January 25…the 11-game winning streak is the longest by the Vikings over the Falcons during the Division II era (since 1998-99)…Western has won its last four games vs. the Falcons in Royal Brougham Pavilion.

 

If you don't read anything past this portion of the preview on the Vikings, you should find out everything you need to know on the Vikings in the following bullet points:

 

·         The Record – Off to a 20-4 start to the season (13-2 in GNAC play) with 3-1 record against ranked opponents.

·         Home Sweet Home – 12-1 record on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season…over last five seasons (since 2019-20) WWU is 44-5 in home games.

·         National Polls – Current national rankings of No. 13 (WBCA) and No. 20 (D2CSC).

·         West Region Ranking – Holds No. 3 spot in D2CSC West Regional Poll.

·         All Around Brooke – Brooke Walling leads the team in scoring (16.8), rebounds (9.2), blocked shots (2.1) and field goal percentage (.610/169-for-277)…paces the GNAC with 12 double-doubles while ranking 7th in scoring average, 1st in rebounding, 1st in field goal pct., and 2nd in blocked shots.

·         National FG Pct Leaders – Brooke Walling ranks 6th in NCAA II with a 61.0 field goal percentage (169-for-277) 

·         Double Doubles – Brooke Walling has recorded 12 double-doubles through the first 24 games of the season to lead the GNAC and tie for 12th in NCAA II…28 double-doubles during WWU career, including 11 in 2022-23.

·         Steph's Steals and Assists – Senior Steph Peterson leads the GNAC averaging 4.1 assists per game while also leading the GNAC with 2.8 steals per game.

·         Peterson Reaches 1K – Steph Peterson reached the 1000-point mark for her collegiate career in overtime of WWU's win at NNU (2/8). Peterson now has 1,017 points for her collegiate career which spans 124 games at Cameron University and WWU. She has 254 points in 52 games as a Viking.

·         3 for THREE – Junior Riley Dykstra is shooting 44.7-percent from three-point range (38-for-85) to rank 2nd in the GNAC…also 9th overall in the conference with a .521 field goal pct. (101-for-194) and 8th with 3.3 assists per game…also 15th averaging 11.0 points per game for the season.

·         Double Trouble – WWU's star seniors Brooke Walling (Vancouver, WA) and Steph Peterson (Broomfield, CO) headline the high-flying Vikings. These two Viking stars have been among the most valuable players in the GNAC this season, and have amassed a combined 2,253 career collegiate points, 1,349 of those coming as Vikings.

·         Always Dancing – WWU has a good chance to make their 20th NCAA Championships appearance in 24 possible seasons in 2023-24.

·         Back-to-Back GNAC Champions – Won 2021-22 and 2022-23 GNAC regular-season titles.

·         That's a SWAT – 2nd in the GNAC and 9th in NCAA II averaging 5.1 blocked shots per game (122 total blocked shots).

·         Defensive Lockdown – Ranks 35th in NCAA II limiting opponents to a .361 field goal percentage …also limiting teams to 60.0 points per game which is good for 2nd in the GNAC and rank just outside the top 50 in NCAA II.

·         On the Mark – Leads the GNAC and ranks No. 3 in NCAA II with .473 field goal percentage (650-for-1373).

·         Postseason Pulse – Program has played in the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 49 of 52 possible seasons (including 2023-24 with spot clinched in GNAC Championships).

·         Coach Dolfo – Head Coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 33rd season leading the program and 40th overall associated with WWU Basketball as a student-athlete and coach…all-time record of 687-259 (.726)…24 seasons with 20+ wins.

 

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

 

 

Senior All-American forward Brooke Walling leads the GNAC and ranks t-12th in NCAA II recording a double-double in 12 of 24 games this season. Walling is nearly averaging a double-double with 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while also shooting a GNAC-best 61-percent from the field (169-for-277). Here is a look at the GNAC leaders in double-doubles in 2023-24:

 

 

Here is an updated look at the 2023-24 GNAC Women's Basketball standings heading into the road trip this week playing MSUB and SPU. WWU is in 2nd place at 13-2 in league play with three GNAC games remaining. The top six teams in the standings following the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships held March 7-9 in Ellensburg. Updated standings and conference statistics can be viewed online at GNACSports.com:

 

 

WWU celebrated seniors Brooke Walling and Stephanie Peterson prior to Saturday's regular-season home finale, an 85-63 win over Saint Martin's. Walling and Peterson have both crossed the 1,000-point mark in their collegiate careers and have helped the Vikings to continued excellence on the court during their time as Vikings. 

 

WWU leads the GNAC and ranks 3rd in NCAA II with a team field goal percentage of 47.3, connecting on 650-of-1373 total shots. Here is a look at the national top 10 for shooting efficiency:

 

 

All home games feature a live webcast on YouTube provided by Vikings TV. All live links to watch the Vikings throughout the season are available at wwuvikings.com/Live. To watch WWU home matches on your Smart TV, navigate to the YouTube application and search for WWU Athletics, or for away games search for the opposing school's YouTube channel (example: MSUB Athletics). All WWU links to follow the Vikings online can be found online, but be sure to bookmark the following links for easy access:

 

·         Vikings TV (WWU home matches)

·         GNAC Live Streams

·         Direct Link to watch WWU games (wwuvikings.com/WBB_Watch)

·         Direct Link to follow WWU games via live stats (wwuvikings.com/WBB_Stats)

 

WWU heads into the week as one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking 35th in NCAA II limiting opponents to a .361 field goal percentage and listed 9th averaging 5.1 blocked shots per game. The Vikings are also 2nd in the GNAC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 60.0 points per game.

WWU enters this week ranked No. 13 in the WBCA Coaches Poll, No. 20 in the D2CSC (College Sports Communicators) and No. 3 in the West Region. The Vikings have appeared in each of the last 49 national rankings dating back to the 2021-22 season.

 

Senior Brooke Walling crossed the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career with a three-pointer at the 6:05 mark in the second quarter in WWU's Dec. 16 game at Cal State East Bay. Walling has combined for 1,236 points in 137 collegiate games, with 1,095 in 81 games with the Vikings (13.5 ppg). Brooks is one of just 29 players in program history to score at least 1,000 points as a Vikings. Walling began her collegiate career at Fresno State totaling 141 points in 56 games for the Bulldogs.

 

 

Late in the first quarter in the win over No. 9 Montana State Billings, senior Brooke Walling reached the 1,000 point mark as a Viking, adding to already reaching the mark for her collegiate career adding in points scored in two seasons at Fresno State. Walling became the 29th player in program history to score at least 1,000 points in a Western uniform and is just 28 points shy of cracking the program top 20.

With a free throw late in overtime during WWU's win at Northwest Nazarene (2/8), senior Steph Peterson reached the 1000-point mark for her collegiate career, which spans 124 games at Cameron University and WWU. Peterson now has 1,017 points in her collegiate career (254 in 52 games as a Viking).

 

Junior forward Aspen Garrison returned home to Bellingham as a transfer from Saint Mary's College…getting the chance to play for her Mother, longtime head coach Carmen Dolfo. Aspen is a product of Sehome High School and spent two seasons at SMC prior to transferring back home for the 2023-24 season. In 24 games this season Aspen is averaging 10.8 and 4.5 rebounds per game. The Cascadia Daily News published a great story on the family connection that is worth a read.

 

The WWU roster once again shows a pair of Dykstra's, but this year it features cousins Riley (junior guard) and Demi (freshman guard). Riley teamed with her older sister Avery (graduated last year) the last three years playing together in a pair of NCAA Championships appearances. Riley and Demi are the latest in a long line of Dykstra family members that have had a big impact on WWU Athletics. Uncle Grant was a Division II Basketball All-American in 2005-06 and won the 2006 V Foundation Comeback award. Demi's father, Greg, was an all-conference football player, and mother, Kelly, was an all-conference basketball player. The Dykstra cousins are local products that prepped at Lynden Christian, playing two years in high school together.

 

Over the last four seasons (since 2019-20), the Vikings have combined to go 97-23 for a .808 winning percentage. WWU is the two-time defending GNAC regular-season champions and played in the 2022 NCAA II National Championship Game.

 

Here is a listing of individual honors for Viking players during the 2023-24 season:

 

Brooke Walling:

·         WWU Veterans Day Classic MVP

·         Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team

·         Preseason All-GNAC & GNAC Player of the Year

·         GNAC Player of the Week (Nov. 6-12 & Dec. 11-19)

Stephanie Peterson:

·         Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team

·         GNAC Player of the Week (Jan. 22-28)

Riley Dykstra: 

·         GNAC Player of the Week (Jan. 8-14 & Feb. 5-11)

·         WWU Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team

·         Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team

·         Preseason All-GNAC

Mason Oberg:

·         Lynda Goodrich Classic All-Tournament Team

·         Preseason All-GNAC

Aspen Garrison:

·         WWU Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team

WWU is coming off a double GNAC Championship season in 2022-23, winning both the regular season and postseason conference titles. WWU won its sixth GNAC regular-season title, adding to championships won in 2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2021-22. WWU also won back-to-back GNAC Tournament titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and again last season.

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2023-24 season heading into road games at MSUB and SPU:

 

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 33rd season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 687-259 (.726) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Entering the 2023-24 season, Dolfo ranked 11th all-time in NCAA II in wins. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 19 trips to the NCAA Championships and a trio of Elite 8 appearances. She became the winningest coach in WWU Athletics history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279). Dolfo tallied her 600th career victory on January 11, 2020 vs. Seattle Pacific, in her 840th career game. Dolfo became the 36th active NCAA women's head coach across all divisions to join the 600-win club and is one of 73 women's coaches all-time in NCAA history to reach the milestone. WWU has recorded 23 seasons with 20-or-more wins under Dolfo. She was named the 2021-22 GNAC Coach of the Year. That was her fifth GNAC honor and 12th Coach of the Year accolade overall. Dolfo was also a volleyball and basketball student-athlete at WWU in the 1980s.

 

The 2023-24 coaching staff includes 12th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Bobbi Westendorf, volunteer assistant Mike Li, and student assistants George Irwin, Ben Allen and Grant Brewer.

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 687 wins and Hall of Fame coach Lynda Goodrich totaling 411 wins leading the Vikings for 19 seasons from 1971-1990. The program owns an all-time record of 1119-394 for a career winning percentage of .739.

 

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in 10 of the last 14 full seasons, and 37 times in the 52-year history of the program. WWU has 23 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 687, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 19 of 24 possible seasons at the Division II level with three trips to the Elite Eight (last in 2022) and played in the 2022 national championship game. The program has 1,119 all-time wins in the 53-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.