AZUSA, Calif. – The Western Washington University women's basketball season had its season come to a close with a 62-56 loss Saturday evening in the NCAA II Championships West Regional Semifinal.

 

No. 3 seed WWU and No. 2 seed CSUSM entered the 4th quarter tied 44-44, but the back-and-forth game swung in the favor of the Cougars down the stretch. Western was out-scored 18-12 in the final quarter to end its season with a 24-7 overall record. 

 

Despite a slow start to the 4th quarter with no field goals in the first 5:30 of the final stanza, the Vikings closed to within a one possession game following a three-pointer by freshman Demi Dykstra with just under a minute to go in the game (60-56). But WWU missed a trio of three-pointer attempts down the stretch in the six-point defeat.

 

The back-and-forth game featured seven lead changes and 12 tie scores. Cal State San Marcos improved to 25-6 on the season (2-0 vs. WWU) and moves on to the West Regional championship game.

 

"We are obviously very disappointed by tonight's result but I am proud of my team for how hard they found. They have fought all year long and never given up, and they played great defense tonight," said head coach Carmen Dolfo. "The ball just was not falling for us but in every other category I thought they showed so much heart and left it all on the floor."

 

Senior All-American forward Brooke Walling concluded her illustrious career with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, her 15th of the season. Walling was 8-for-17 shooting from the field, also adding team-highs with four blocked shots and a pair of steals. In nine career NCAA Championship games with the Vikings Walling averaged 18.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Walling finished her three-year WWU career with 1,206 points to rank No. 14 in program history.

Junior guard Riley Dykstra added 13 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, nearing triple-double territory with six assists. Junior forward Aspen Garrison had nine points prior to fouling out in the 4th quarter. Demi Dykstra provided a spark for the Vikings with nine points, three rebounds and three blocked shots in 18 minutes of action.

 

Ava Ranson led Cal State San Marcos with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting, going 2-for-4 from three-point range and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. All-Region guard Charity Gallegos added 12 points and six assists and West Region Player of the Year Jordan Vasquez finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

 

WWU was limited to a season-low 33.3-percent shooting from the field (21-for-63) and were 4-for-21 from three-point range. The Vikings defensive effort held the Cougars to 22-for-59 shooting (.373) and Western held a 46-39 advantage in rebounding. WWU also recorded a season-high 13 blocked shots.

 

WWU and Cal State San Marcos entered the 4th quarter tied 44-44, but the Cougars opened the final stanza on a 14-3 run holding the Vikings to zero field goals in the opening 4:30 of the quarter. San Marcos ended up out-scoring Western 18-12 in the final 10 minutes of action to punch its ticket to the regional final on Monday.

 

The Vikings trailed 26-25 at the half in a first 20 minutes of action that featured three lead changes and five tie scores. WWU scored the first five points of the game, but San Marcos rallied for a 12-2 run to take a 12-7 lead. The Vikings answered with an 11-2 run spanning the first and second quarters to lead 18-14 with 7:35 to go in the half. Western went into the halftime break down one following a late layup by Olivia Wikstrom. The Vikings were led by 11 points from Riley Dykstra on 4-for-8 shooting with 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.

 

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

 

 

The Vikings made their 20th NCAA Championships appearance in 25 possible seasons (since 1998-99) and fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA West Regional Tournament. WWU has advanced to the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 49 of 52 possible seasons of program history and has won three regional championships to advance to the Elite Eight in 2000 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), 2013 (San Antonio, TX) and 2022 (Birmingham, AL). The Vikings own an all-time 21-19 record in NCAA tournament play, recording at least one win in 12 of 19 prior regional appearances (with a game played). Below is a game-by-game listing of WWU in NCAA Tournament play with the regional host site listed next to the year:

 

1998-99 (Davis, CA): 

Defeated Seattle Pacific, 77-69 (OT) 

Lost to Montana State Billings, 70-48 

 

1999-2000 (Pomona, CA):

Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 78-59 

Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 84-66 

Defeated Slippery Rock, 84-67 – Elite Eight

Lost to Northern Kentucky, 80-74 – Final Four 

 

2000-01 (Pomona, CA): 

Defeated Central Washington, 74-66 

Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 91-85 

 

2001-02 (Pomona, CA):

Defeated Sonoma State, 71-60 

Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 71-70 

 

2002-03 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Northwest Nazarene, 83-79 

 

2003-04 (Seattle, WA):

Defeated Sonoma State, 85-71 

Lost to Seattle Pacific, 80-66 

 

2004-05 (Seattle, WA):

Defeated CSU Dominguez Hills, 82-74 (OT) 

Lost to Chico State, 85-75 

 

2005-06 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Northwest Nazarene, 66-54 

Lost to Seattle Pacific, 70-50 

 

2006-07 (La Jolla, CA):

Lost to UC San Diego, 78-45 

 

2008-09 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Humboldt State, 74-64 

 

2009-10 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Chico State, lost 79-68 

 

2010-11 (Pomona, CA):

Lost to Alaska Anchorage, 55-48 

 

2011-12 (La Jolla, CA):

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 65-58 

Lost to UC San Diego, 81-66 

 

2012-13 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Academy of Art, 70-50 

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 71-63 

Defeated Simon Fraser, 75-58 

Defeated Nova Southeastern, 80-76 (OT) – Elite Eight

Lost to Ashland, 66-54 – Final Four 

 

2013-14 (Pomona, CA):

Lost to Simon Fraser, 77-70

 

2016-17 (Anchorage, AK):

Defeated Cal State East Bay, 74-48

Lost to Cal Baptist, 80-68

 

2019-20 (Honolulu, HI):

vs. Alaska Anchorage, DNP (COVID-19)

 

2021-22 (Hayward, CA):

Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 76-64

Defeated Central Washington, 64-58

Defeated Cal State East Bay, 73-59 – West Regional Final

Defeated Valdosta State, 58-55 – Elite Eight

Defeated North Georgia, 74-68 – Final Four

Lost to Glenville State, 85-72 – National Championship Game

 

2022-23 (Carson, CA):

Lost to Azusa Pacific, 62-46

 

2023-24 (Azusa, CA):

Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 66-61

Lost to Cal State San Marcos, 62-56

 

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Cal State San Marcos:

 

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2023-24 season following the six-point defeat in the regional semifinal against Cal State San Marcos:

 

 

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 690, winning percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 20 of 25 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 1,123 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.