Eighth-ranked Vikings win by 5 at home, move to 9-0 in league play

Forward Megan Pinske had a game-high 18 points and guard Amanda Dunbar added 17 as Western Washington University needed a strong finish to claim its 11th straight victory, a 64-59 triumph over pesky Northwest Nazarene University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game Thursday at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.

The Vikings, ranked eighth in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today/ESPN/NCAA Division II Top 25, improved to 16-1 overall and remained unbeaten in the GNAC at 9-0. It is the 19th consecutive home victory for Western, which is 6-0 this season at Carver Gym.

NNU fell to 10-8 overall and 5-5 in the GNAC. Guard Falissa Smith led the Crusaders with 15 points and forward Megan Hingston had 10 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

NNU had a 54-51 lead after a 3-pointer by Chelsie Luke with 5:46 to play. But the Crusaders did not score again until the final minute and Western ran off 11 straight points to take control of the contest.

Forward Gabby Wade gave the Vikings the lead for good at 55-54 on the second of two free throws with 3:49 left, then a jumper by Pinske and a putback by center Lauren Hefflin (Sr., Ridgefield) on the next two trips up the court put Western up by five, 59-54, with 2:38 to play.

NNU finally reached the board again on a steal and layin by Smith with 49 seconds left, but never got closer than six points in the final two minutes.

The game featured eight ties and six lead changes, and neither team led by more than eight points. The Crusaders held a 19-11 advantage midway through the first half, but Western rallied with eight straight points, four of them by guard Corinn Waltrip to tie score, and the Vikings eventually held a 27-25 lead at halftime.

Hefflin had a team-leading 10 rebounds and six steals for Western, which shot just 41.1 percent (23-of-56) from the field, but limited NNU to 38.7 percent (24-of-62). The Crusaders were 8-of-20 (40.0 percent) from 3-point range, but hit just 3-of-10 (30 percent) free throws.

The Vikings entertain Central Washington University on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Seattle Pacific University the following Wednesday (6 p.m.) in a pair of GNAC contests. The Seattle Pacific contest will be telecast live regionally on FSN Northwest.

WWU Athletics
The Western womens basketball team celebrates after defeating Northwest Nazarene University 64-59 on Thursday, Jan. 27. Photo by Alex Roberts | University Communications intern
Western was able to pull ahead of Northwest Nazarene University with a final score of 64-59 late in the game Thursday, Jan. 27. Western senior Megan Pinske scored a game high 18 points, helping Western to secure its 11th straight victory. Photo by Alex R
Western was able to pull ahead of Northwest Nazarene University with a final score of 64-59 late in the game Thursday, Jan. 27. Western senior Amanda Dunbar scored 17 points, helping Western to secure its 11th straight victory. Photo by Alex Roberts | Uni
Western was able to pull ahead of Northwest Nazarene University with a final score of 64-59 late in the game Thursday, Jan. 27. Western senior Megan Pinske scored a game high 18 points, helping Western to secure its 11th straight victory. Photo by Alex R
Western was able to pull ahead of Northwest Nazarene University with a final score of 64-59 late in the game Thursday, Jan. 27. Western senior Amanda Dunbar scored 17 points, helping Western to secure its 11th straight victory. Photo by Alex Roberts | Uni