BILLINGS, Mont. – Senior forward Olivia Hodges recorded her sixth consecutive double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds leading the Western Washington University women's basketball team to a 59-56 victory over Montana State Billings Wednesday night in the GNAC opener for both schools.

WWU had a strong first and third quarter scoring performance to build a 10-point lead and held off the Yellowjackets down the stretch for the three-point victory. The Vikings won their fifth consecutive victory improving to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

Trailing 32-30 at the half, the Vikings out-scored the Yellowjackets 17-9 in the third quarter on the way to the road win. WWU's two losses this season are by a combined four points.

Hodges continued her torrid start to the season going 10-for-17 from the field and 9-for-13 from the free throw line for her fourth 20-point performance of the season. She also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for her eight double-double in 10 games this season.

Junior guard Libby Stump added 14 points (all in the first half) with four assists, four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Senior forward Aspen Garrison recorded three blocks and junior guard Joy Haltom led the team with two steals. WWU shot 44.4-percent for the game (20-for-45) and was 16-for-23 (.696) at the free throw line. The Vikings shot all 23 of their free throws in the second half after not going to the charity stripe in the first 20 minutes.

MSUB (4-6, 0-1 GNAC) was led by a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double by Cassie Chesnut and 16 points by Tailey Harris. The Yellowjackets held a 34-33 advantage in rebounding, including 15-7 on offensive boards.

WWU held a 10-point lead at 51-41 with 7:11 remaining in the game when MSUB went on a 9-2 run to cut the game to one possession at 53-40 at the 3:17 mark. Hodges had a pair of layups to keep the Vikings in the lead and a three-point attempt by Harris with 16-seconds remaining didn't fall and Western ran out the clock following the rebound.

The Vikings return to action Friday evening with a road game against Seattle Pacific University at 7 pm in Royal Brougham Pavilion.

The Vikings (8-2) remain on the road during the opening week of GNAC play, taking on Seattle Pacific on Friday at 7 pm inside Royal Brougham Pavilion. The game vs. the Falcons will stream live on the GNAC Network. All links to follow the Vikings on the road will be posted at WWUVikings.com.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Montana State Billings:

WWU improved to 32-21 all-time vs. Montana State Billings dating back to the first meeting during the 1994-95 season. The head-to-head series over the last seven games favor WWU 4-3 and the Vikings are 10-5 over the last 15 meetings since 2018-19. WWU and MSUB met in the 2023 and 2024 GNAC Championship finals, both Western victories.

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2025-26 season:

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2025-26 schedule and results:

Here is a look at the GNAC standings and schedule for the opening week of the GNAC slate. Updated conference statistics and postseason information 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 5-7 in Carver Gym in Bellingham, Washington.