BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A big fourth-quarter comeback fell just short as the No. 1 seed Western Washington University women's basketball team was edged 66-61 by No. 6 seed Montana State Billings in Saturday's GNAC Championships Final in Carver Gym.

Playing in front of an electric home crowd of 1,230 fans, the Vikings were unable to overcome a big third-quarter performance by the Yellowjackets seeing their nine-game winning streak snapped falling at home for the first time in 13 games this season.

The Vikings (24-7) are all but a lock to make the NCAA West Regional Championship and are a strong candidate to host the eight-team tournament that will be held next week. The complete 64-team tournament field will be unveiled during the NCAA Selection Show airing at 7:30 pm on NCAA.com. WWU entered the postseason ranked No. 2 in the West Region, with Central Washington No. 1 and Cal Poly Pomona No. 3.

WWU and MSUB were tied 30-30 at halftime, with a last-second three-pointer by the Yellowjackets knotting the score heading into the break. MSUB carried the momentum into the third quarter, out-scoring WWU 21-10 in the stanza to build a 14-point lead at 51-37.

The Vikings went on a 12-0 run spanning the end of the third quarter and the first part of the fourth quarter to pull to within two points at 51-49 with 7:38 remaining in the game. Junior guard Demi Dykstra drained a pair of 3-pointers and completed a three-point play to single-handedly bring the Vikings into a one-possession game.

The two teams battled down the stretch with Western closing the gap to one point at 62-61 on an Olivia Hodges jump shot and had the chance to take the lead but missed a pair of free throws at the 1:40 mark. WWU was held scoreless after the Hodges basket, going 1-for-7 from the field and 0-for-2 from the free throw line down the final stretch.

Junior guard Libby Stump led the Vikings with 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting, connecting on five three-pointers to fuel the comeback. Stump filled the stat sheet with four rebounds, four assists and three steals in 36 minutes. Hodges recorded her 23rd double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to earn a spot on the all-tournament team and Dykstra contributed 13 points and seven assists. Freshman Eden Sander provided a boost in her reserve role scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds in 21 minutes. 

WWU shot 30.6-percent (22-for-72) from the field, its fourth-lowest shooting performance of the season. After starting just 1-for-8 from 3-point range, WWU rallied to shoot 37.5-percent (9-for-24) from the arc including making seven of its final 15 threes to fuel the comeback. WWU was hampered by an 8-for-15 performance (53.3%) from the free-throw line. The Vikings out-rebounded the Yellowjackets 46-42.

The Yellowjackets became the first program in the 15-year history of the GNAC Tournament to win the title as the No. 6 seed, upsetting three consecutive teams on their path to the trophy. Freshman forward Cassie Chesnut scored a game-high 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting becoming the first freshman in the history of the tournament to be named GNAC Championships MVP, recording three consecutive 20-point performances.

The Vikings (24-7) will wait for the NCAA Division II Selection Show that airs on NCAA.com Sunday evening at 7:30 pm PT. WWU entered the postseason listed No. 2 in the West Region rankings, which makes for a virtual lock to advance to the eight-team regional tournament. The complete 2025-26 schedule complete with links to follow the Vikings at home and on the road will be posted at WWUVikings.com.

Cassie Chesnut – Montana State Billings (Most Valuable Player)

Kaitlin Grossman – Montana State Billings

Rae Smart – Montana State Billings

Olivia Hodges – Western Washington

Libby Stump – Western Washington

Danyell Booker – Western Oregon

WWU have advanced to play in the GNAC Championships in 14 out of 15 tournaments with four titles and is 21-10 all-time in the tournament. WWU won back-to-back titles in 2023 (in Bellingham) and 2024 (in Ellensburg). WWU has played in the tournament championship game 11 times during the 15-year history of the event.

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 2025-26 season:

Here are ways you can follow the 2026 GNAC Women's Basketball Championships:

• Championship Website
• GNAC Network
• Live Stats
• Tournament History

WWU served as the host for the 2026 GNAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships held March 5-7 in Carver Gym. The top six teams in the standings for both men's and women's basketball at the end of the regular season converged on Bellingham for the three-day tournament on WECU Court. More information on the GNAC Championships can be found at GNACSports.com with tickets currently on sale.

Thursday, March 5:

Quarterfinal 1: 12:00 pm – No. 6 Montana State Billings 69, No. 3 Saint Martin's 61

Quarterfinal 2: 2:15 pm – No. 5 Western Oregon 68, No. 4 Northwest Nazarene 67

Friday, March 6:

Semifinal 1: 12:00 pm – No. 6 Montana State Billings 79, No. 2 Central Washington 74

Semifinal 2: 2:15 pm – No. 1 Western Washington 66, No. 5 Western Oregon 55

Saturday, March 7:

Championship: 5:00 pm – No. 6 Montana State Billings 66, No. 1 Western Washington 61

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2025-26 schedule and results: