BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 19 Western Washington University women's basketball team will head on the road to face a couple of GNAC opponents. With the postseason approaching, the Vikings will play against Northwest Nazarene (2/8) and Central Washington (2/10).

 

WWU had its season-high eight-game winning streak snapped in its last game against Alaska Anchorage. The loss marked the Vikings first loss at home in 15 straight home games. Despite the loss, senior Brooke Walling continues to be a force on the court, picking up a GNAC leading 11th double-double. Walling recorded a double-double in both games last week, with 17 points and 11 rebounds vs Alaska Fairbanks and 18 points/10 rebounds against Alaska Anchorage.

 

Western will look to bounce back on the road against GNAC opponents in hopes of catching up to GNAC-leader Montana State Billings. The Vikings will first travel to Nampa, Idaho to face off against Northwest Nazarene on Feb. 8 (5:15 pm MT), with the Nighthawks currently in a four-way tie for 4th place in the GNAC with a conference record of 5-6 (8-10 overall).

 

The Vikings will then face off against rival Central Washington in Ellensburg, WA on Feb. 10 with tip-off scheduled at 4 pm. The Wildcats are also a part of the tie for 4th place, after losing their last three games. The Vikings have won four straight against CWU, including their last two trips to Ellensburg.

 

The Vikings are coming off a split home series last week, defeating Alaska Fairbanks (72-55) and falling to Alaska Anchorage (77-69) dropping to second place in the GNAC standings. WWU is listed No. 19 in the WBCA coaches poll and No. 23 in the D2CSC media poll. 

 

WWU remains one of the top defensive teams in the nation holding opponents to 58.7 points per game and limiting teams to a 35.5 field goal percentage. The Vikings offense has surged averaging 77 over the last nine games and rank 2nd in the GNAC averaging 72.6 points per game.

 

Senior All-American Brooke Walling continues to lead the Vikings averaging 16.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, paces the GNAC with 11 double-doubles and ranks third in NCAA II with a .630 field goal percentage. Junior forward Aspen Garrison (10.4) also averages double-digits in scoring. The Vikings balanced offensive attack features six players averaging at least 6.0 points per game, with the team leading the league in shooting at 47.3-percent. Senior guard Steph Peterson has been running the offense leading the GNAC steals averaging 2.6 steals per game and 2nd in the GNAC averaging 4.1 assists per game.

 

 

Through the first 11 games of the 18-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule, the Vikings are in 2nd place in the standings at 9-2 in league play. The Vikings will have two more home games and five road games in the final seven games of the regular season 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.

 

WWU dropped to the third spot in the D2CSC West Region poll with 41 points. The Vikings are just behind of No. 1 Azusa Pacific (20-3) and No. 2 Montana State Billings (19-4), and ahead of No. 4 Cal State San Marcos (16-4) and No. 5 Fresno Pacific (15-5).

 

The Vikings are hard to beat at home this season in Carver Gym, sporting an 11-1 record on WECU Court. WWU has won 43 of its last 48 games on WECU Court combining to go 43-5 since the 2019-20 season.

 

Tickets for the final two Vikings home games are available online via wwuvikings.com/Tickets and the Carver Gym Box Office opens one hour prior to tip-off for all games. Free parking is available on campus in the 19G lot for general fans and season ticket holders can park in 9G with their dedicated pass. More info at wwuvikings.com/Parking.

 

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 17-4 start to the season (9-2 in GNAC play) with 3-1 record against ranked opponents.

·         Home Sweet Home – 11-1 record on WECU Court in Carver Gym this season…over last five seasons (since 2019-20) WWU is 43-5 in home games.

·         National Polls – Current national rankings of No. 19 (WBCA) and No. 23 (D2CSC).

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

·         All Around Brooke – Brooke Walling leads the team in scoring (16.9), rebounds (9.4), blocked shots (2.1) and field goal percentage (.630/148-for-235)…paces the GNAC with 11 double-doubles while ranking 6th in scoring average, 2nd in rebounding, 1st in field goal pct., and 2nd in blocked shots.

·         National FG Pct Leaders – Brooke Walling ranks 3rd in NCAA II with a 62.9 field goal percentage (148-for-235), trailing K'Nari Holliday of West Georgia (1st, .650) and Lindsey Taylor of Carson-Newman (2nd, .641).

·         Double Doubles – Brooke Walling has recorded 11 double-doubles through the first 21 games of the season to lead the GNAC and tie for 7th in NCAA II…27 double-doubles during WWU career, including 11 in 2022-23.

·         Steph's Steals and Assists – Senior Steph Peterson leads the team and is 2nd in the GNAC averaging 4.1 assists per game and leads the GNAC with 2.6 steals per game.

·         Peterson Nearing 1K – Steph Peterson is closing in on 1,000 points for her collegiate career, needing only 10 points to reach the milestone…Peterson has scored 227 points in 49 games at WWU and totaled 763 points in 73 games at Cameron prior to transferring to WWU.

·         3 for THREE – Junior Riley Dykstra is shooting 47.2-percent from three-point range (34-for-72) to rank 2nd in the GNAC…also 8th overall in the conference with a .523 field goal pct. (81-for-155) and 8th with 3.0 assists per game…also 24th averaging 9.7 points per game for the season.

·         Always Dancing – Made 19th NCAA Championships appearance in 24 possible seasons in 2022-23.

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

·         That's a SWAT – 2nd in the GNAC and tied-9th in NCAA II averaging 5.2 blocked shots per game (110 total blocked shots).

·         Defensive Lockdown – Ranks 25th in NCAA II in opponent field goal percentage holding opponents to .355 from the field…also limiting teams to 58.7 points per game which is good for 2nd in the GNAC and rank No. 44 in NCAA II.

·         On the Mark – Leads the GNAC and ranks No. 5 in NCAA II with .473 field goal percentage (562-for-1189).

·         Postseason Pulse – Program has played in the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 48 of 51 possible seasons.

·         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 684-259 (.725)…23 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 7th in NCAA II recording a double-double in 11 of 21 games this season. Walling is nearly averaging a double-double with 16.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while also shooting a GNAC-best 63-percent from the field (148-for-235). Here is a look at the GNAC leaders in double-doubles in 2023-24:

 

 

The Vikings rank 2nd in the GNAC averaging 72.6 points per game, a mark that is also No. 49 in NCAA II. Over the last nine games Western's offense has surged averaging 77 points per game during that stretch with a record of 8-1.

 

WWU leads the GNAC and ranks in the top 5 in NCAA II (No. 5) with a team field goal percentage of 47.3, connecting on 562-of-1189 total shots. Here is a look at the national top 10 for shooting efficiency:

 

 

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

 

·         Northwest Nazarene: The Vikings defeated the Nighthawks 88-60 Jan. 13 in Bellingham…WWU leads the all-time series 35-17 with a current 3-game winning streak…the Vikings are 13-9 all-time when playing on the road vs the Nighthawks, with the Vikings winning 2 of the last 3 games in Nampa.

·         Central Washington: WWU defeated the Wildcats 100-75 on Jan. 11 in Bellingham…the Vikings have a current four-game winning streak over the Wildcats and have won five of the last six meetings…WWU leads the all-time series 102-17 with a 13-7 advantage in the last 20 meetings dating back to the 2015-16 season…100-point performance on Jan. 11 marked the third time in the 119-game all-time series the Vikings have reached the century mark in a game vs. the Wildcats, and first since the 1981-82 season.

1.     

WWU's road games this week will be streamed live online via YouTube with NNU and CWU producing the webcasts. 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: NNU 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 25th in NCAA II limiting opponents to a .355 field goal percentage and listed tied-9th averaging 5.2 blocked shots per game. The Vikings are also listed tied-44th in the nation holding opponents to 58.7 points per game.

WWU enters this week ranked No. 19 in the WBCA Coaches Poll, No. 23 in the D2CSC (College Sports Communicators) and No. 3 in the West Region. The Vikings have appeared in each of the last 47 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 1,188 points in 134 collegiate games, with 1,047 in 78 games with the Vikings (13.4 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 over 100 points shy of cracking the program top 20

 

Here is an updated look at the 2023-24 GNAC Women's Basketball standings heading into this week's schedule with WWU on the road at NNU and CWU. WWU is in 2nd place at 9-2 in league play with seven 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:

 

 

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 21 games this season she is averaging 10.2 and 4.6 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 94-23 for a .803 winning percentage. WWU is the two-time defending GNAC regular-season champions and played in the 2022 NCAA II National Championship Game.

Seniors Brooke Walling (transfer from Fresno State) reached 1,000 career collegiate points in mid-December and Steph Peterson (transfer from Cameron) is nearing the milestone scoring mark, just 10 points shy of 1,000. Here is a look at their collegiate points nearing the scoring milestone:

 

·         Brooke Walling (1,188 points – 1,047 in 78 games at WWU, 141 in 56 games at Fresno State)

·         Steph Peterson (990 points – 227 in 49 games at WWU, 763 in 73 games at Cameron)

 

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)

·         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 NNU and CWU:

 

 

The Vikings reached the 20-win mark (24-4) in 2022-23, marking the 37th 20-win season in the 52-year history of the program, and 23rd in 32 seasons under head coach Carmen Dolfo. WWU is three wins away from another 20-win campaign in 2023-24.

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 33rd season leading the program, owning an all-time record of 684-259 (.725) 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 684 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 1116-394 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 684, 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 1,116 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.