BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Freshman forward Kelsey Rogers scored a team-high 19 points but visiting Montana State University Billings pulled away from a four-point halftime lead to earn a 76-63 win over the Western Washington University women’s basketball team Saturday night on WECU Court at Carver Gym in the season finale for the Vikings.
WWU (12-16, 8-12 GNAC) concluded the season schedule just shy of a GNAC Championships tournament berth, finishing one game back of Simon Fraser (14-14, 9-11 GNAC) in the conference standings. SFU claimed the sixth and final spot in the GNAC Championships following the conclusion of the regular season schedule on Saturday as the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season compose the postseason conference tournament field.
MSUB finished the regular season 19-11 overall and 12-8 in conference play with the win on Saturday as the Yellowjackets are set to enter the GNAC Championships as the No. 4 seed.
The ‘Jackets pulled away from a 32-28 halftime advantage to lead by as many as 10 points in the third quarter and stretched their lead to as many as 17 points in the final quarter. Forward Alisha Breen, the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, led all players with a season-high 32 points to fuel MSUB offensively and help deny comeback attempts from the Vikings.
Rogers (Bothell, WA/Lynnwood) came within 2 points of equaling her career high with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, going 5-of-6 at the free throw line as well. Redshirt freshman guard Gracie Castaneda (Arlington, WA) added 11 points and 7 rebounds while senior forward Hannah Stipanovich (St. Louis, MO/MSU Denver) and sophomore guard Dani Iwami (Seal Beach, CA/Hawai’i Pacific) scored 9 points apiece.
Freshman guard Emma Duff (Tumwater, WA/Black Hills) added 7 points, sophomore guard Lexie Bland (Ellensburg, WA) finished with 6 points and sophomore center Anna Schwecke (Evergreen, CO/Colorado-Colorado Springs) scored 2 points to round out the WWU scoring. Bland tied her career high with a game-high 6 assists as well.
WWU held a 14-13 advantage over MSUB after the first quarter, led by 6 points from Stipanovich. Neither team led by more than 4 points in the period, which featured a pair of lead changes and four ties in a back-and-forth opening 10 minutes.
The ‘Jackets pulled ahead 23-19 with a 10-5 spurt to begin the second quarter but WWU answered to tie the game 23-23 with 4:39 remaining. The Vikings came within 27-26 of the ‘Jackets on a 3-pointer from Castaneda with 2:19 to play before 5 consecutive points from Breen gave MSUB a 32-26 lead with 1:27 left en route to the 32-28 halftime advantage.
MSUB used an 8-3 stretch to begin the third quarter for a 40-31 advantage at the 7:46 mark, though the Vikings responded with a 10-4 run to come within 44-41 with 3:28 left. The ‘Jackets answered later in the period after WWU was again within 3 points at 49-46 with 1:54 to go. MSUB ended the quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from forward Vanessa Stavish with 7 seconds remaining, to take its largest lead to that point at 56-46 after three quarters.
The ‘Jackets kept their lead in double digits throughout the final period, stretching the advantage to as many as 17 points at 76-59 with 1:46 remaining. After MSUB had built a 61-46 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the Vikings responded to come within 63-53 after a layup from Rogers with 7:41 remaining. But four free throws by Breen extended the lead to 67-53 with 6:01 left and the Vikings were unable to reduce the deficit to fewer than 11 points the rest of the way.
Breen, who was 9-of-15 from the field and 11-of-12 at the free throw line for her 32 points, was joined in double figures by guard Rylee Kane (15 points) and Stavish with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
WWU finished 25-of-57 (43.9%) from the floor and made 4-of-17 (23.5%) from long range. The Vikings finished 9-of-16 (56.3%) at the free throw line.
MSUB was 22-of-53 (41.5%) from the field and 6-of-18 (33.3%) from 3-point range. The ‘Jackets went 26-of-33 (78.8%) at the free throw line.
Saturday was Senior Night for the Vikings, with Stipanovich and senior guard Maia Barnett (Los Angeles, CA/The Archer School) honored during a pregame ceremony.
Game Notes: WWU concluded the season 12-16 overall and 8-12 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play…finished one game shy of tying for sixth in the conference standings…top six teams compose the GNAC Championships tournament field…Saturday was Senior Night for WWU with senior Hannah Stipanovich and Maia Barnett honored prior to the game…sophomore guard Lexie Bland tied her career high with 6 steals.
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 —
