BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The three hottest teams in the GNAC will square off against each other this week in games in Carver Gymnasium on the campus of Western Washington University.

 

The upstart Vikings carry a six-game winning streak into games against Montana State Billings (won four straight) and Seattle Pacific (won four straight) in home games this week on WECU Court. WWU hosts MSUB on Thursday and SPU on Saturday with both games featuring a 7 pm tip-off. The weekend series features the last four GNAC Players of the Week with Jaxon Nap (SPU), Kael Robinson (MSUB) and Brendon Johnson (MSUB) joining WWU's Will Wilson as recent award winners.

 

WWU is coming off a road sweep of the Alaska schools, overcoming sizeable deficits in each game to earn the GNAC Team of the Week award. The Vikings won the two games in Alaska by a combined eight points, defeating UAA 76-73 and UAF 89-84. Senior Will Wilson led the Vikings averaging 21.0 points per game during the road trip (13-for-25 FG) and sophomore Tijan Saine averaged 20.5 points and 6.0 assists per game.

 

Overcoming an 0-5 start to the conference season, the Vikings have turned their season around with the six consecutive victories. After enduring three narrow losses during the first part of the GNAC schedule, WWU has found ways to win games late with its last five wins by a combined 15 points.

 

During the current six-game winning streak, WWU has combined to shoot 47.8-percent from the field (178-for-372). In the 0-5 stretch of GNAC games to open the conference slate the Vikings shot 44.0-percent (133-for-302).

 

WWU enters the week tied for 5th place in the conference standings at 6-5 and is 14-7 overall. The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the year advance to play in the GNAC Championships March 6-8 in Lacey.

 

Wilson leads the Vikings on the season and ranks 3rd in the GNAC averaging 16.6 points per game. Also scoring in double-digits are redshirt freshman Grant Kepley (14.3), sophomore Tijan Saine (13.9), sophomore Louis Grante-Halliday (10.3) and freshman Trevor White (10.2). Junior Garrett Levesque leads the team averaging 5.2 rebounds per game (and is shooting 59.8-percent) and Kepley paces the team averaging 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

 

Following the home games vs. the Yellowjackets and Falcons, the Vikings have just five regular-season games remaining, with two on the road next week against Western Oregon and Saint Martin's, followed by three consecutive home games in Carver Gym.

 

 

The Vikings (14-7, 6-5 GNAC) returns home to Carver Gym this 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).

 

After opening the conference schedule with five consecutive losses, the Vikings have turned things around winning their last six GNAC games to improve to 6-5 in league play vaulting up to a tie for 5th in the standings. The Vikings are currently tied with Montana State Billings and if the season ended today WWU would advance to play in the postseason. During the six-game winning streak WWU is averaging 82.5 points per game and shooting 47.8-percent as a team.

 

Here is a team statistical comparison for the Vikings from the first five GNAC games (0-5) and the last six conference games (6-0):

 

 

Thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni, all current WWU students will receive free admission to all regular-season athletic events in Carver Gym and at Harrington Field again in 2024-25. Students just need to show their W card at the door and then head over to the WECU Student Section to cheer on the Viks. 

 

Parking for all WWU home events in Carver Gym is free and now located in the 19G Lot by the Student Recreation Center. Season ticket parking will be in the 9G lot. A parking map is available at wwuvikings.com.

 

WWU's remaining seven games are all Great Northwest Athletic Conference games. All 10 GNAC teams play an 18-game league schedule, with the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season advancing to the GNAC Championships that will be held March 6-8 at Marcus Pavilion in Lacey.

 

Four of the Vikings seven losses this season are by a combined 11 points. WWU dropped its first game of the season vs. Westminster on a half-court buzzer beater (66-63) and opened GNAC play with a pair of tight games falling at Northwest Nazarene by one point (75-74) and Central Washington (79-76). On the flip side, WWU's last five wins (during the six-game winning streak) have been by a combined 16 points. The Vikings are 14-7 on the season heading into the remaining seven conference games of the season.

 

The Vikings were selected as the GNAC Team of the Week following road wins over the Alaska schools last week. The Vikings took down Alaska Anchorage 76-73 last Thursday before handing Alaska Fairbanks an 89-84 defeat on Saturday to record the tough Alaska sweep. The strong performance extended the Vikings winning streak to six games and nudged them into a tie for 5th place in the conference standings. 

 

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

 

 

Both home games this week feature a live (and free) webcast on YouTube with a direct link available at WWUVikings.com/Live. All home games will stream live on YouTube via Vikings TV. Additionally, every away GNAC game will feature a webcast on YouTube produced by the visiting team. To watch WWU home games 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: UAA 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

·         GNAC Live Streams

·         Direct Link to watch games – wwuvikings.com/MBB_Watch

·         Direct Link to follow live stats – wwuvikings.com/MBB_Stats

 

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

 

·         Montana State Billings: The Vikings defeated the Yellowjackets 84-70 on January 11 to begin the current 6-game winning streak…win in Billings snapped a four-game losing streak against MSUB…WWU leads the all-time series 26-14 with a 15-5 record in home games vs. the Yellowjackets (14-4 in Carver Gym).

·         Seattle Pacific: Vikings were defeated by the Falcons 97-86 on January 9 in Seattle…series is tied 4-4 over the last eight meetings…in 150 all-time meetings SPU leads WWU 91-59.

 

Redshirt freshman guard Grant Kepley has been filling the stat sheet in his first collegiate season averaging 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game…while shooting 49.8-percent from the field (101-for-203), 46.3-percent from three-point range (31-for-67) and 82.8-percent from the free throw line (53-for-64). Among GNAC leaders Kepley ranks 13th in scoring average, 3rd in assists, 7th in steals, 15th in field goal percentage, 2nd in three-point field goal percentage and 5th in free throw percentage.

 

Senior guard Will Wilson is averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game to rank 3rd in the GNAC, and has won two GNAC Player of the Week awards. Wilson is also averaging 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and shooting 49.4-percent from the field (118-for-239) while starting all 21 games. He has scored in double-digits in 18 of 21 games with eight 20-point performances (5 of last 7 games). Wilson was an honorable mention All-GNAC selection during his first WWU season averaging 15.8 points per game in 2023-24. Including junior college stops at State Fair CC and Mt. Hood CC, Wilson is making a run at 2,000 career points scoring 1,801 points in 103 career games (17.5 points per game).

 

Sophomore guard Tijan Saine hit the Vikings second buzzer-beater of the season capping the 77-75 win over then No. 17 Saint Martin's on January 16. Saine raced the length of the court with 5.1 seconds remaining on the clock and hit a floating layup as time expired to seal the victory and his 15-poing performance. WWU also won at the buzzer defeating No. 12 Cal State Dominguez Hills on opening night with freshman Aidan Rice hitting the game-winning three-pointer at time expired. In the Vikings last victory at Simon Fraser on January 25, Garrett Levesque hit a last-possession three-pointer with 3.5 seconds on the clock on the way to a 79-77 road win over the Red Leafs. Western was dealt a buzzer-beater loss on a half-court three-pointer by Westminster on November 21.

 

The Vikings have had three players combine for four GNAC Player of the Week honors so far during the 2024-25 season, the most by a WWU squad since 2017-18 (Hommes-2, Drechsel-2), with Grant Kepley (Dec. 9-15) and sophomore guard Louis Grante-Halliday (Nov. 11-17) joining Wilson's early-season award in November and recent recognition this week. Here is a look at the complete list of GNAC Player of the Week awards from this season:

 

 

Freshman forward Trevor White leads the team and ranks 3rd in the GNAC averaging 1.2 blocked shots per game. Over the last six games White has been a force for the Vikings averaging 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocked shots per game. For the season he is averaging 10.2 points while shooting 51.5-percent (86-for-167) to rank No. 9 in the GNAC.

 

Sophomore guard Tijan Saine has scored in double digits in 10 of 15 games and is averaging 13.9 points per game. Saine recorded a career-high nine assists in the road game at SFU and is averaging 3.7 assists per game to rank 8th in the conference. He is a career 87.2-percent free throw shooter going 150-for-172 from the charity stripe.

 

Junior forward Garrett Levesque has started the Vikings last 10 games, averaging 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during this stretch dating back to December 20. For the season Levesque ranks 4th in the GNAC shooting 59.8-percent from the field (58-for-87) and although it is not tracked, is likely among the leaders in thunderous dunks.

 

Junior forward Dajon Lott came to WWU after a standout two-year career at Sacramento City College, where he scored 879 points and grabbed 485 rebounds in 55 games for the Panthers. Lott has reached the 1,000-point milestone for his collegiate career with 1,022 all-time points including 143 in 20 games as a Viking (7.2 ppg).

 

Here is a look at the 2024-25 GNAC Men's Basketball standings and overall records heading into this week's schedule to complete the first half of the conference schedule. 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 heading into this week's schedule:

 

 

WWU has made nine appearances in the NCAA Division II Championships since joining the level in 1998-99. Owns an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 17-7 (.708) and have won at least one game in six of eight previous championships appearances (2+ games  in 4 of 8). The Vikings are three-time West Region Champions (2001, 2012, 2013), advancing the NCAA II Final Four in all three of the Elite 8 appearances in program history. The Vikings won the 2012 NCAA II National Championship.

 

Head coach Tony Dominguez is in his 13th year and 12th season at the helm of the program, and 30th overall at WWU. Dominguez has led the Vikings to a 228-122 record (.651) and was the 2016-17 GNAC Coach of the Year. Dominguez has recorded 135 GNAC victories to rank 3rd-most in conference history. He is assisted by AJ Albritton (3rd season), Bob Hofstetter (12th season) and Atiavo Jude (12th season).

 

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.