FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Western Washington University men's basketball team continued its winning ways with an 89-84 comeback victory over Alaska Fairbanks in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon on Alaska Airlines Court.

The win pushes the Vikings winning streak to six moving WWU's season record to 14-7 overall and 6-5 in conference play. WWU is now in a tie for 5th place in the GNAC standings with seven games remaining in the conference schedule.

After facing a seven-point 42-35 halftime deficit, Western used an early second-half 20-8 run, capped off with a fast-break dunk by junior forward Garrett Levesque, to take a 57-56 lead with 13:32 left to play. The Nanooks were able to go back up by four before a 16-4 run by Western would give the Vikings their largest lead at 78-70 at the 4:49 mark. Alaska Fairbanks refused to go away though, making it an 86-84 game with 19-seconds left to play. Western would go 3-4 from the free-throw line to hold on for the 89-84 victory.

The Vikings were led by a pair of 20-point efforts with sophomore guard Tijan Saine finishing with a game-high 23 points including a 4-for-5 night from beyond the arc and senior guard Will Wilson putting up 22 points. Levesque finished one rebound shy of a double-double with a 13-point, 9-rebound night, with all but one of his rebounds in the second half to help fuel the comeback victory. Freshman forward Trevor White chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and one blocked shot.

UAF (9-11, 5-6 GNAC) had five players finish in double-digits led by Isaiah Saams-Hoy with 19 points. Paul Johnson shot 5-8 from three, finishing with 18 points.

WWU trailed by as many as 12 points midway through the first half and improved to 3-4 on the season when trailing at halftime. The game featured seven lead changes and four tie scores.

The Vikings (14-7, 6-5 GNAC) returns home to Carver Gym next week hosting a pair of GNAC games on WECU Court in Carver Gym. WWU welcomes Montana State Billings to Bellingham on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday, with both games starting at 7 pm. Tickets are available online at wwuvikings.com/Tickets. The complete season schedule, complete with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/MBB.

Join Viking fans in a pregame party prior to the Saturday, February 8 game vs. Seattle Pacific! The Foundation for WWU & Alumni is hosting a pregame party starting at 5:30 pm in Gym C in Carver Gym. The event includes a special performance by WWU Cheer at 6 pm, with the game vs. the Falcons to follow at 7 pm. The all ages event features food, drinks, fun and more with registration available at wwuvikings.com/HoopsParty. Registration includes, a ticket to the game, dinner, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy, games, and more (Adults-$25, Children-$15, Season Ticket Holders-$10).

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Alaska Fairbanks:

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

WWU avenged its 88-73 home loss to UAF on January 2 in Carver Gym with Saturday's 89-84 victory. WWU now leads the all-time series vs. the Nanooks 40-19 with a 16-11 record in games played in Fairbanks. The Vikings recorded their first win in Fairbanks since January 11, 2020, snapping a three-game road losing streak to UAF.

Here is a look at the 2024-25 GNAC Men's Basketball standings and overall records through Saturday's action. 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 five-point victory over the Nanooks:

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 13 seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western has 20-win seasons in three of the last six years (and seven of 11) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is amongst the top 20 winningest Division II programs with its 1,574 all-time victories.