BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Senior forward Hannah Stipanovich scored a game-high 19 points and the Western Washington University women’s basketball team earned a 67-59 victory over visiting Central Washington University on WECU Court at Carver Gym Thursday night in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
WWU (12-13, 8-9 GNAC) earned its fifth win over the last six games, picking up a key victory as the Vikings battle for a berth to the GNAC Championships tournament. WWU earned a split of the regular-season series against the Wildcats with the win as CWU dropped to 14-11 overall and 10-7 in conference play.
The Vikings led for nearly the entire game after gaining a 12-2 advantage with a strong start to the opening quarter and held off the Wildcats as CWU came within 5 points of WWU twice during the fourth quarter.
After the Wildcats scored the first basket of the game, the Vikings responded with 12 unanswered points to take a 12-2 lead with 5:42 to play in the opening quarter. Sophomore guard Dani Iwami (Seal Beach, CA/Hawai’i Pacific) had a 3-pointer along with a steal and fastbreak layup to help lead WWU during the run. The Vikings extended their lead to as many as 12 points at 18-6 with 2:57 to play in the quarter before CWU closed on a 6-0 spurt to trail 18-12 at the end of the period.
The Vikings led by as many as 10 points on four occasions during the second quarter and took a 30-20 lead into the halftime break. CWU had closed to within 26-20 at the 2:54 mark before the Vikings scored the last 4 points of the period. Stipanovich (St. Louis, MO/Metro State) and freshman forward Kelsey Rogers (Bothell, WA/Lynnwood) had 4 points apiece in the quarter to lead WWU.
WWU opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 37-22 with 8:17 to play, but the Wildcats answered with a 12-3 run to come within 40-34 at the 5:56 mark. CWU reduced the deficit to 6 points on three occasion in the quarter but WWU answered each time and led 50-40 after three quarters.
Sophomore guard Lexie Bland (Ellensburg, WA) and sophomore center Anna Schwecke (Evergreen, CO/Colorado-Colorado Springs) had 5 points apiece while Stipanovich and junior center Nikki Corbett (Camas, WA) each added 4 points in the third period.
The Vikings led 57-47 with 6:07 to play in the fourth quarter after a 3-pointer from redshirt freshman guard Gracie Castaneda (Arlington, WA) before CWU closed to within 57-52 with 3:43 remaining after a 5-0 run. Once again, WWU responded and extended its lead back out to double digits at 63-53 after a basket with 1:38 left from Stipanovich, who had 7 points in the final quarter. CWU came within 64-59 with 15 seconds to play but WWU went 3-of-4 at the free throw line over the last 15 seconds to help secure the win.
Stipanovich was 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line, adding 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists as well. Schwecke had 9 points and 4 rebounds while Rogers and Castaneda each added 8 points. Castaneda totaled 4 assists as well.
Iwami finished with 7 points and tied her career high with 9 assists after also totaling 9 assists against the Wildcats when the teams played in Ellensburg on Jan. 20. Corbett added 6 points in 6 minutes of action while Bland had 5 points. Freshman guard Emma Duff (Tumwater, WA/Black Hills) scored 3 points and junior guard Bobbi Westendorf (Auburn, WA/Tacoma CC) added 2 points to round out the scoring, with Westendorf also tying a career high with 3 blocks.
WWU was 28-of-60 (46.7%) from the field in the game, including 4-of-5 (80.0%) from 3-point range. WWU also made 7-of-10 (70.0%) at the free throw line.
CWU was 19-of-55 (34.5%) from the floor, marking the sixth time in the last seven games that WWU has held its opponent below 35.0% from the field. The Wildcats went 4-of-14 (28.6%) from long range and made 17-of-22 (77.3%) of their free throws.
Forward Kaelie Flores came off the bench to score 15 points, grab 9 rebounds and blocked 4 shots for the Wildcats. Guard Beverly Verduin added 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while guard Jasmin Edwards finished with 11 points. Center Taylor Baird added 9 points and 7 rebounds.
The Vikings host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday (7 pm). The game is part of a WWU basketball doubleheader with the Viking men hosting Alaska Fairbanks at 3 pm.
Saturday’s game will be the annual PINK Night game to raise awareness for cancer research. Tickets for all WWU home games are available to purchase in person at the WWU Box Office at the Performing Arts Center and online via WWUVikings.com/Tickets. All games are streamed via WWUVikings.com/Live.
Game Notes: Vikings are 8-9 in GNAC play with three conference games remaining in the regular season…WWU entered Thursday 6th in the GNAC standings…the top six teams in regular-season standings qualify for GNAC Championships…Vikings held opponent to under 35.0% from the field for the sixth time in the last seven games…WWU improved to 12-0 when leading at the half…Vikings attempted a season-low 5 shots from 3-point range, making 4…Dani Iwami tied a career high with 9 assists…Bobbi Westendorf tied a career-high with 3 blocks.
About WWU Basketball:
One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, recording a 20-win season in seven of the last eight seasons and 34 times in the 47-year history of the program. WWU has 20 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, win percentage and 20-win seasons. The Vikings have reached the NCAA II Tournament in 16 of 19 seasons at the Division II level with two trips to the Final Four. WWU is a five-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season champion and two-time GNAC Championships tournament champion. The Vikings are coming off a 2016-17 season where the program went 26-6, including an 18-2 record in conference play, and advanced to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II West Regional. The program has 1,005 all-time wins in the 47-year history of the program, and according to available records is the 15th women’s college basketball team across all divisions and levels to reach the milestone.
— @WWUWBB —
