BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team dropped its home GNAC contest against Northwest Nazarene 63-51 Thursday evening on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

The Vikings dropped to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in the 12-point loss to the Nighthawks. WWU head coach Carmen Dolfo remains one win shy of 700 for her career.

WWU was limited to a season-low shooting percentage going 19-for-64 (.297) from the field. NNU improved to 8-5 on the season and 2-2 in GNAC play.

Senior guard Maddy Grandbois and junior forward Alyson Deaver tied for the team high with 13 points. Senior guard Olivia Wikstrom nearly recorded her fifth consecutive double-double with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.

NNU was led by a game-high 22 points by Madeline Gebers, connecting on 8-of-12 shots and going 6-for-9 from beyond the three point line. Kendall Clark grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Nighthawks.

The Vikings jumped ahead of NNU 32-30 at the 4:19 mark of the third quarter capping a 7-0 run. The Nighthawks retook the lead on a Madeline Gebers three-pointer to take a lead they would not relinquish and finished the quarter on a 15-5 run to lead 45-37.

The Vikings held a 13-8 lead through the first quarter, but NNU stormed back out-scoring WWU 16-10 in the second stanza to grab a one-point 24-23 lead at the half. Western's defense limited the Nighthawks to 2-for-14 shooting in the opening quarter, but got back into the game going 6-for-18 in the second quarter. Maddy Grandbois led all players with eight first-half points.

The Vikings (8-6, 3-2 GNAC) remain at home hosting Central Washington on Saturday with tip-off at 7 pm. Tickets are available online at wwuvikings.com/Tickets. The complete season schedule, with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/WBB.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Northwest Nazarene:

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

NNU snapped the Vikings four-game winning streak in the series…WWU is now 19-8 all-time vs. NNU in home games and leads the all-time series 36-18.

WWU head coach Carmen Dolfo is approaching another career milestone only one win from 700 for her career. In 34 seasons leading the program Dolfo has accumulated 699 wins and has a .724 winning percentage (699-268). Here are a few fun facts about Dolfo approaching 700 career wins:

Among all-time NCAA Division II women's basketball head coaches, only 12 have reached the 700-win mark.

Among active NCAA II women's basketball head coaches, only 4 have reached the 700-win mark.

Only 43 head coaches at all levels of NCAA women's basketball have reached 700 career wins.

Dolfo is set to become the 17th active women's basketball head coach with 700 career wins.

Here is a look at the 2024-25 GNAC Women's Basketball standings and overall records following Thursday's games. 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 following the 12-point loss to NNU:

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in 11 of the last 14 full seasons, and 38 times in the 53-year history of the program. WWU has 24 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 699 (1 win from 700), 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 1,131 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.