BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team erased a 19-point second-half deficit, but the comeback fell just short in an 86-83 Senior Night loss to Northwest Nazarene Saturday night on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

WWU finished the season winning 11 of its last 13 conference games and will be the No. 4 seed in the GNAC Championships with the postseason opening play Thursday, March 6 in Lacey on the Saint Martin's University campus. The Vikings enter the postseason with a 19-9 overall record and tied for 3rd in the GNAC standings at 11-7. Western will face Montana State Billings in Thursday's quarterfinal game beginning at 2:15 pm.

The Vikings got off to a slow start in Saturday's game vs. NNU, trailing 44-28 at the half and found themselves down by 19 points at 53-34 with just over 16 minutes remaining. WWU used a 10-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to four points at 62-58 with 9:31 remaining and tied the game 72-72 at the 3:46 mark. The Vikings also forged a tie at 77-77 (2:06) and pulled to within one point following a pair of Tijan Saine free throws with 20-seconds remaining. NNU hit a pair of free throws to extend its lead to three points and a last second three-pointer attempt by senior Will Wilson didn't fall to give the Nighthawks the three-point victory.

Playing without normal starting guard Grant Kepley due to an injured right hand sustained Thursday in the win over CWU, the Vikings couldn't find a rhythm early in the game. The second-half run was sparked by quality minutes from reserves Jordan Tate and big plays by Wilson and freshman guard Aidan Rice. 

Sophomore guard Tijan Saine led the Vikings in scoring for the fourth time in the last five games with 23 points on 7-for-13 and was 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Wilson scored 17 points on his senior night and Rice fell one point shy of his single-game career high with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Freshman forward Trevor White added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. WWU shot 51.8-percent from the field (29-for-59) despite going 4-for-15 from three-point range (.267). The team also continued its strong free throw shooting going 21-for-22 from the charity stripe.

NNU reached the 20-win mark at 20-6 overall and finished in 2nd place in the GNAC at 13-5 to earn a first-round bye in the GNAC Championships. The Nighthawks were led by a game-high 29 points by Kye Dickson (9-for-16 FG) and 21 points from Ryzin Bergersen. Briggs Ranstrom neared triple-double territory with eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists. NNU shot a season-high 56.9-percent for the game (29-for-51) and was 8-for-20 from three-point range.

The announced attendance for the season finale was 1,005 giving the Vikings four consecutive games with at least 1,000 fans in Carver Gym (1147 average over last four home games)…redshirt freshman guard Grant Kepley (14.7 points per game) was not available due to an injured right hand sustained during Thursday's game vs. CWU…over his last five games Tijan Saine has scored 139 points (27.8 points/game)…the Vikings celebrated seniors Will Wilson and Charlie Dietiker prior to the game, along with WWU Cheer, WWU Band, Vikings TV an Viking Creative seniors throughout the night…WWU never led in the game but did force two ties in the final four minutes (72-72, 77-77) of the game.

The Vikings (19-9, 11-7 GNAC) turns its attention to the postseason making a return to the GNAC Championships as the No. 4 seed in the six-team tournament that opens play Thursday, March 6 in Lacey on the Saint Martin's University campus. WWU takes on No. 5 seed Montana State Billings in the 2:15 pm game inside Marcus Pavilion. The complete season schedule, complete with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/MBB.

WWU tied for 3rd in the GNAC standings and earned the No. 4 seed via tiebreaker for the upcoming GNAC Men's Basketball Championships. The three-day, six-team tournament will be held March 6-8 in Marcus Pavilion on the Saint Martin's University campus in Lacey. WWU will play No. 5 seed Montana State Billings on Thursday in the second quarterfinal game at 2:15 pm. All games during the GNAC Championships will stream live and free online on YouTube at GNAC.tv with additional tournament information available at GNACSports.com. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA II West Regional Championships.

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 earned the regular season sweep over WWU, with the two wins by a combined four points. The Nighthawks defeated WWU 75-75 in the GNAC opener on December 5 in Nampa and recorded a three-point 86-83 win Saturday night. The Vikings are 4-3 in the last seven meetings vs. NNU and lead the all-time series 37-15 (23-5 in home games, 21-5 in Carver Gym).

The Vikings officially punched their ticket to the postseason as one of the six teams to qualify for the 2025 GNAC Men's Basketball Championships and will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The Vikings return to the GNAC Championships after a two-year absence and will be looking to earn its third conference postseason title. Western is 9-8 all-time in the GNAC Tournament. WWU will compete for the conference title March 6-8 in Lacey with all games hosted by Saint Martin's University inside Marcus Pavilion. More information on the GNAC Championships can be viewed online at GNACSports.com.

Here is a look at the final 2024-25 GNAC Men's Basketball standings with the regular season schedule wrapped up on Saturday. 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 narrow loss to NNU:

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 1,579 all-time victories.