BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women’s basketball team battled from behind to tie the game with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter before visiting Valdosta State regained an advantage and held on to top the Vikings, 59-56, on Friday night in the Lynda Goodrich Classic on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

The Vikings (2-3) came back from a nine-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to tie on a layup from senior forward Hannah Stipanovich (St. Louis, MO/Clayton/Metro State) with 1:07 to play. WWU later came within two points of the Blazers with 11 seconds left, creating a chance to potentially tie on their final possession of the game. Valdosta State, ranked No. 20 nationally in the most recent Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll, improved to 3-1 with the victory.

Trailing 53-49 with just over two minutes remaining, WWU scored four straight points and tied the score when sophomore point guard Lexie Bland (Ellensburg, WA) found Stipanovich with a long pass for a fast break layup at the 1:07 mark. On the next Valdosta State possession, the Blazers responded when center Madi Mitchell was fouled as she made a layup, adding the free throw for a 56-53 lead with 48 seconds left.

After a WWU turnover, Mitchell added two more points at the free-throw line with 16 seconds left for a 58-53 lead before sophomore guard Dani Iwami (Seal Beach, CA/Los Alamitos/Hawai’i Pacific) drained a 3-pointer to bring WWU within 58-56 with 11 seconds remaining. After Mitchell made one of two free throws on the other end, a potential game-tying 3-pointer from Iwami with 5 seconds to go was off the mark as Valdosta State held on. Mitchell scored the last 10 points of the game for Valdosta State and had 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Stipanovich and redshirt freshman guard Gracie Castaneda (Arlington, WA) each scored 14 points to lead the Vikings. Bland and Iwami added 8 points apiece, with Bland totaling a game-high 5 assists. Junior guard Amanda Lance (Buckley, WA/White River) scored 6 points while junior guard Bobbi Westendorf (Auburn, WA/Kentridge/Tacoma CC) had a team-high 10 rebounds and a game-high 3 blocks.

The score was tied at the end of the first and second quarters before Valdosta State used a 10-0 run to open a 38-28 lead in the third quarter and took its largest lead of the game at 41-30 with 1:23 left in the period. The Vikings used a 7-0 spurt to start the fourth quarter during the comeback effort.

The Vikings had jumped to an early 5-1 lead during the first quarter before the Blazers responded with a 9-0 run to go up 10-5. WWU halted the run on back-to-back 3-pointers from Lance for an 11-10 edge en route to a tie at 15-15 after the first quarter. Neither team led by more than four points during the second quarter, with a 3-point play from Castaneda tying the game with 48 seconds to play for the halftime score of 26-26.

Overall, WWU finished 23-for-60 (38.3%) from the floor, and 4-of-19 (21.1%) from 3-point range. The Vikings hit 6-of-7 (85.7%) free throws.

Valdosta State shot 18-for-61 (29.5%) from the field and 5-of-20 (25.0%) from 3-point range. The Blazers made 18-of-23 (78.3%) of their free throws, led by Mitchell who was 10-for-14.

Mitchell finished with a game-high 22 points for the Blazers while guard Taylor Buie added 14 points. Forward Kenya Samone’ Dixon totaled 10 points and 15 rebounds.

WWU faces Academy of Art on Saturday night (7:30 pm) for its second game in the Lynda Goodrich Classic. Saint Martin’s topped Academy of Art, 82-61, in the first game of the tournament on Friday. Valdosta State and Saint Martin’s will play on Saturday at noon.

Lynda Goodrich Classic

Friday (Nov. 24)
Saint Martin’s 82, Academy of Art 61
Senior center Elin Johansson scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down 9 rebounds as Saint Martin’s topped Academy of Art, 82-61, in the first game of the Lynda Goodrich Classic on Friday. The Saints (4-2) had three players in double figures scoring, building a 22-point lead during the third quarter before the Urban Knights (0-5) responded to reduce the lead to 8 points late in the third quarter. Saint Martin’s took control once again in the fourth quarter, pulling away from a 57-48 lead at the end of the quarter for the comfortable victory margin.
Valdosta State 59, WWU 56

Saturday (Nov. 25)

Valdosta State vs. Saint Martin’s (12 pm)

WWU vs. Academy of Art (7:30 pm)

Courtesy of WWU Athletics