BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team battled Montana State Billings Thursday on the road in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, falling 91-87 inside Alterowitz Gym.

Both teams had double-digit leads in the game, with the Vikings leading the Yellowjackets by 14 points 58-44 with 15:24 remaining in the second half. MSUB found their rhythm going on an 18-9 run to get back into the game and scored 14 consecutive points over a three-minute stretch to lead 82-75.

The Vikings battled back to get to within two points 89-87, but the Yellowjackets iced the game at the free throw line to earn the win improving to 19-6 overall and 8-4 in GNAC play. WWU had its three-game winning streak snapped falling to 11-12 overall and 5-7 in conference games. Western is 0-7 in true road games this season and 5-9 away from Bellingham.

Freshman guard Dennis Johnson III scored a game and career-high 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting, filling the stat sheet with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Junior guard Nehemiah Pollard added 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting and sophomore guard Aidan Rice contributed 18 points.

The Vikings shot 47.0-percent for the game (31-for-66) and were 14-for-37 from three-point range. After hitting nine three-pointers in the opening half, the Vikings were 5-for-16 in the final 20 minutes.

MSUB was led by 21 points by Jakob Milling and 18 points (all in the second half) by Brandon Tchouya. Mason Landdeck neared triple-double territory with 12 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

The Vikings and Yellowjackets also played a close contest in Bellingham on January 10, with MSUB earning a 94-92 road victory.

WWU trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half down 26-14 at the 11-minute mark, but answered with a 23-4 run to take a 37-30 lead. The scoring spurt included a 13-0 run with Dennis Johnson III scoring 13 of the 23 points. The Vikings defense held MSUB scoreless over a five-minute stretch to help build the 45-38 halftime lead for WWU. The Vikings shot 47.2-percent in the first half (17-for-36) while going 9-for-21 (.429) from three-point range. Johnson III led Western with 15 points (6-for-10 FG) and guards Nehemiah Pollard and Aidan Rice both had 10 points. MSUB was led by 15 first-half points from Jakob Milling while shooting 34.1-percent as a team (14-for-41).

The Vikings (11-12, 5-7 GNAC) remain on the road playing at Seattle Pacific University on Saturday with tip-off set for 4:15 pm inside Royal Brougham Pavilion. The complete 2025-26 WWU men's basketball schedule is available online at WWUVikings.com, complete with links to follow the team, updated statistics and game information.

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

WWU endured a pair of tight losses in both games of the regular-season series vs. MSUB, falling 94-92 at home on January 10 and 91-87 Thursday on the road. The Vikings won both regular-season meetings last season, but lost on a last-second three-pointer in the GNAC Quarterfinals, the start of the Yellowjackets current three-game winning streak vs. Western. WWU leads the all-time series 27-17 with MSUB winning five of the last nine games in Billings.

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