BELLINGHAM, Wash. – With their backs against the wall and down 13 five minutes into the second half, the Western Washington University men's basketball team found its stride erasing the deficit to defeat Seattle Pacific University 71-66 Thursday night in GNAC action in front of a strong crowd of 1,174 fans at WECU Court in Carver Gym.

WWU committed 11 first-half turnovers and trailed by 10 points 37-27 at the break. The second half was a different story as the Vikings had just five turnovers and out-scored SPU 44-29 to record the comeback victory improving to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in GNAC play.

Trailing by 13 points at 51-38 with 15:11 remaining, the Vikings went on a 13-1 run to climb to within one point at 52-51, a scoring spurt that took just 3-and-a-half minutes off the clock.

Freshman guard Dennis Johnson III tied the game 56-56 on a layup and gave the Vikings the lead for good with a three-pointer at the 5:28 mark. Junior guard Nehemiah Pollard converted a three-point play to cap an 8-0 run that proved to be the difference late in the game.

Johnson III led all players with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting (3-7 3FG), went 4-for-4 from the free throw line and filled the stat sheet with four rebounds, two steals and a pair of blocked shots. Sophomore forward Bennett Olujic sparked the Vikings comeback with a career-high 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Olujic also had a steal in the final minutes that helped seal the come-from-behind victory.

Sophomore guard Aidan Rice tallied 13 points – all in the second half – while adding five rebounds and five assists. Pollard contributed 10 points and senior forward Garrett Levesque neared a double-double with nine points and a game-high eight rebounds.

SPU (6-5, 1-3 GNAC) featured four players scoring in double digits, led by 15 points from Grant Coleman on 5-for-11 shooting (all from 3-point range). Trace Evans added 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting and Julian Mora scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

WWU shot 44.4-percent for the game (24-for-54) and was 15-for-18 from the free throw line. The Vikings held a decisive 36-23 advantage in rebounding with a 13-4 edge in offensive boards.

The Vikings (8-8, 2-3 GNAC) remain at home Saturday hosting Montana State Billings in a 5 pm game on WECU Court in Carver Gym. The complete 2025-26 WWU men's basketball schedule is available online at WWUVikings.com, complete with links to follow the team on the road, updated statistics and team information.

Here is a look at the statistical comparison between WWU and Seattle Pacific:

The Vikings won the first of two regular-season meetings against the Falcons with the return trip to Seattle planned for February 7 in Royal Brougham Pavilion. SPU swept the series last season, including a last-second victory on a three-pointer by Grant Coleman. The series is tied 5-5 over the last 10 meetings and SPU holds a 92-60 lead in the all-time series that spans 152 meetings between the Northwest programs.

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

Here is a look at the GNAC standings and schedule through play on Thursday to open the third week of the conference 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.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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