BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team closed out the 2024-25 regular season with a 66-51 loss at No. 21 nationally ranked Montana State Billings Saturday inside Alterowitz Gym.

 

The Vikings had their three-game winning streak snapped to finish the regular season at 17-10 overall and placed 4th in the GNAC standings at 12-6. WWU will be the No. 4 seed in the GNCA Championships opening the postseason next Thursday in the first quarterfinal game at 5:15 pm vs. No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene. The three-day tournament will be held inside Marcus Pavilion in Lacey, Washington on the Saint Martin's University campus.

 

MSUB wrapped up the regular season at 25-6 overall and clinched a first-round bye tying for 2nd place in the standings at 14-4.

 

After a strong first quarter the Vikings held a 19-13 lead over MSUB, but the Yellowjackets powered past WWU with a 35-14 advantage in the second and third quarters on the way to the 15-point victory.

 

WWU was led by a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double by junior forward Alyson Deaver, who finished the regular season leading the team averaging 13.7 points per game while starting all 27 games. Senior guard Olivia Wikstrom contributed 11 points to cross the 1,000-point mark for her collegiate career. Junior guard Mason Oberg added nine points, making a pair of three-pointers to move into the No. 8 spot in WWU history with 146 career made three-pointers.

 

The Vikings were held to 17-for-57 shooting (.298) for the third-lowest shooting percentage of the season.

 

MSUB senior Aspen Giese scored a game-high 26 points on 9-for-12 shooting (5-for-6 3FG) and recorded the Senior Day double-double with 10 rebounds. Dyauni Boyce added 18 points and three blocked shots. 

 

 

Senior guard Olivia Wikstrom reached the 1,000-point mark for her career hitting the milestone scoring mark on a 4th-quarter three-pointer. Wikstrom now has 1,001 career points in 139 games at Northern Colorado (1 season), Utah State (2 seasons) and Western Washington (568 points in 58 games).

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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WWU held a 19-13 after the first quarter, but Billings answered out-scoring the Vikings 17-6 in the 2nd quarter to take a 30-25 lead into the halftime break. MSUB used a 14-4 run to open the quarter to pull back ahead of the Vikings. The Yellowjackets out-scored the Vikings 35-14 in the second and third quarter combined.

 

The Vikings (17-10, 12-6 GNAC) turn their attention to the postseason having qualified as the No. 4 seed for the GNAC Championships that will be played March 6-8 next week in Lacey, Washington on the Saint Martin's University campus. WWU will play No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene at 5:15 pm on Thursday in the quarterfinal round. The complete season schedule, with links on how to watch the games, can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/WBB.

 

The 2025 GNAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be held March 6-8 at Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin's University in Lacey. The top six teams in the GNAC standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the GNAC Championships. WWU will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament facing No. 5 Northwest Nazarene in the quarterfinal round. Quarterfinal winners will advance to Friday's semifinals. Semifinal winners will meet on Saturday for the championship. The winners of the GNAC Championships will automatically qualify for their respective NCAA Division II Championships events. WWU has now advanced to play in the GNAC Championships in 13 out of 14 tournaments with four titles and an all-time record of 19-8 in the tournament.

 

2025 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships Schedule

March 6-8 | Lacey, Wash. | Saint Martin's University | Marcus Pavilion

 

Thursday, March 6, 2025

5:15 p.m. – No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 4 seed Western Washington

7:30 p.m. – No. 6 seed Saint Martin's vs. No. 3 seed Central Washington

 

Friday, March 7, 2025

5:15 p.m. – Winner NNU/WWU vs. No. 1 seed Alaska Anchorage

7:30 p.m. – Winner SMU/CWU vs. No. 2 seed Montana State Billings

 

Saturday, March 8, 2025

7:30 p.m. - Women's Championship Game

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

MSUB swept the regular season series adding a 64-58 victory in Bellingham in the GNAC opener on December 5 to Saturday's 15-point victory. WWU maintains the lead in the all-time series 31-21 and is 10-12 all-time in games played in Alterowitz Gym (17-7 in home games). Two teams have met in the GNAC Championships final each of the last two seasons, both won by the Vikings.

 

Here is a look at final 2024-25 GNAC Women's Basketball standings following the completion of play Saturday. 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 6-8 in Lacey, Washington.

 

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2024-25 season following the 66-51 loss at MSUB:

 

 

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 708, 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 1,140 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.