BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Redshirt freshman guard Gracie Castaneda scored 18 points to lead four Vikings in double-figure scoring and the Western Washington University women’s basketball team earned a 69-58 win Saturday over visiting Saint Martin’s University on WECU Court in Carver Gym for the 1,000th all-time victory in program history.
WWU (7-9, 3-5 GNAC) led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and denied a rally from SMU (5-11, 1-7 GNAC) as the Saints cut the deficit to three points early in the fourth quarter before the Vikings used a 15-4 run to pull away and snap a four-game losing streak.
According to available NCAA and NAIA records, WWU became the 15th team in women’s college basketball history across all divisions and levels to reach 1,000 all-time wins with Saturday’s victory. The Vikings are 1,000-351 (.740) over the 47-year history of the program with 34 seasons of 20 or more wins.
“We’ve had fabulous people here and I think that we’ve had fabulous administration who have supported women,” 27th-year head coach Carmen Dolfo said. “From the beginning with Lynda (Goodrich) fighting as we’ve gone through – it is so about everybody and about a great university.”
Castaneda (Arlington, WA) tied her scoring career high, totaling 18 points on 4-of-10 (40.0%) shooting from the field and making 9-of-10 (90.0%) of her free throw attempts to set career-best marks for free throws made and attempted. She added a game-best and career-high tying 4 assists as well. Castaneda was joined in double-figure scoring by sophomore guard Dani Iwami (Seal Beach, CA/Hawai’i Pacific) with 13 points, sophomore guard Lexie Bland (Ellensburg, WA) with 12 points and senior forward Hannah Stipanovich (St. Louis, MO/Metro State) with 10 points.
Iwami added 3 assists and a career-high 5 steals while Stipanovich finished with a game-high 8 rebounds. Sophomore center Anna Schwecke (Evergreen, CO/Colorado-Colorado Springs) nearly reached double-figure scoring with 9 points, also adding 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.
“I thought we did a better job defensively, we’re still struggling to get the ball in the basket and I think that goes with confidence,” Dolfo said. “I thought in the second half we really moved the ball better, and then our confidence came in our shooting.”
WWU led 11-9 after the first quarter but outscored SMU 20-13 during the second period. After a cold-shooting start in the first quarter (2-of-13 FG), the Vikings made 8-of-13 (61.5%) of their shots from the floor in the second quarter. WWU used an 8-2 run that featured five straight points from Iwami and a Castaneda 3-pointer to pull ahead 19-12 with 5:48 to play. WWU later extended the lead to double digits at 24-14 on a 3-point play from Castaneda with 3:31 to go en route to a 31-22 lead at the half.
SMU reduced the WWU lead to seven points on three occasions in the third quarter but could come no closer in the period. Iwami scored 8 of her 13 points in the quarter to help lead the offense.
With WWU leading 50-42 after three quarters, the Saints used a 7-0 run early in the final period to come with 52-49 at the 8:06 mark. WWU answered with an 8-1 run, featuring five straight points from Stipanovich.
A 3-point play from Stipanovich capped the run and gave WWU a 60-50 lead with 4:09 remaining. The Saints were unable to reduce the deficit to fewer than seven points the rest of the way and WWU kept the lead in double digits over the last 2:11 of the game.
The Vikings shot 40.0% (20-for-50) from the field and connected on 5-of-19 (26.3%) of their 3-point attempts. WWU also made 24-of-30 (80.0%) free throws, setting season-high marks for free throws made and free throws attempted.
The WWU defense generated 21 points off turnovers, holding its opponent to fewer than 60 points for the second time in the last four games.
“I was really proud of our defense, I felt like we played good team defense and we were helping each other out a little bit better than we did previously on the drive so it was a good defensive effort,” Dolfo said.
Forward Saniah Simpson-Patu led the Saints with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Forward Mercedes Victor added 12 points while center Elin Johansson finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Sara Bowen came off the bench to score 9 points.
The Saints finished 21-of-48 (43.8%) from the floor, making 3-of-11 (27.3%) from long range and going 13-for-19 (68.4%) at the free throw line.
WWU will play its next four games on the road, beginning next week at Northwest Nazarene (Jan. 18) and Central Washington (Jan. 20). The Vikings head to Alaska the following week to face No. 6 Alaska Anchorage (Jan. 25) and Alaska Fairbanks (Jan. 27) before playing at home again in early February. All games will stream live on GNAC.tv.
Game Notes: WWU earned its 1,000th all-time win in the 47-year program history, become the 15th team in women’s college basketball history to reach the milestone (according to available records)…WWU 1,000-351 (.740) all-time with 34 season of 20 or more wins…WWU went 24-for-30 at the free throw line on Saturday to set season-high marks in free throws made and attempted…most free throws made by WWU since making 24 at Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 1, 2016…most free throws attempted since attempting 39 against UC San Diego on Nov. 19, 2016…Gracie Castaneda had 18 points and 4 assists to tie career-best totals in both categories while setting career-best marks for free throws made and attempted (9-of-10)…Dani Iwami had a career-high 5 steals…Vikings are 3-0 when four WWU players finish with double-digit points.

Courtesy of WWU Athletics.