A loss in the regular season’s final game? A season-ending injury to one of its best players? Western men’s basketball coach Tony Dominguez is taking it in stride as the team readies for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament that starts Thursday, March 6 in Lacey.
No. 4 seed Western (19-9 overall, 11-7 GNAC) faces No. 5 Montana State Billings (20-11, 11-7 GNAC) at 2:15 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the six-team tournament. Western’s women (17-10 overall, 12-6 GNAC), the two-time defending GNAC tournament champions and 2022 NCAA Division II national runners-up, are also seeded fourth and play No. 5 Northwest Nazarene (16-11, 10-8 GNAC) at 5:15 p.m. Thursday.
Winners play the semifinals Friday, March 7 and championship games are set for Saturday, March 8. Tournament games will be streamed live and for free on YouTube at youtube.com/@gnacsports.
Men: ‘We definitely need to win first game’
The GNAC tournament winner earns an automatic berth in the eight-team NCAA Division II West Region Tournament, with the other seven earning at-large bids. The men, on a tear winning their last 11 of 13 games, are currently ranked seventh in the region; the women, winners of seven of their last 10 games, are ranked 10th.
The men have not played in the NCAA tournament since 2017 (it qualified for the 2020 tournament that was cancelled due to COVID).
The Vikings defeated MSU Billings both times this season, 84-70 on Jan. 11 in Billings, and 94-74 at home Feb. 6. If they win, they face top-seed Central Washington in Friday’s semifinal. Western split the season series, beating Central 90-73 just last week.
For a chance at an at-large bid, “I think we definitely need to win the first one,” coach Tony Dominguez said. “It all depends on what the teams ahead of you do and the teams behind you do. In theory, you traditionally would like to be (rated) five or six” for a cushion when at-large berths are considered following the GNACs.
The Vikings will have to play without standout guard Grant Kepley, out for the season after breaking his thumb in a Feb. 27 win over CWU. Kepley is a redshirt freshman and Sehome High grad who averaged 14.7 points per game and is fourth in assists in the GNAC.
“We haven’t had the same lineup for longer than two or three weeks” due to injuries, Dominguez said. “That’s a testament to these guys and (their) competitiveness. I do think we have the horses to win, so we’re excited.”
Women: Tough road to an NCAA berth
For the women, a season of injury Whac-A-Mole meant the Vikings failed to reach 20 wins for only the fifth time in coach Carmen Dolfo’s 34 seasons. Its low ranking in the West Region means Western will almost certainly have to win the conference tournament to make the NCAA Division II tournament, which the team has done in 20 of 25 seasons, including last season, when it reached the regional semifinals.
Getting the automatic bid will be a tall order. If the Vikings get past Northwest Nazarene, a team they split with (lost 63-51 at home Jan. 9 and beat 67-64 in Nampa Feb. 8), they’ll face top-seed Alaska Anchorage in Friday’s semifinal, a team that defeated them both times this season, including a 72-40 loss Feb. 13.
“It’s, for us, focus and we can’t get into foul trouble,” Dolfo said. “When we play together and when we play 40 minutes, I think we’re great, but we haven’t played 40 minutes.”
A 63-55 overtime loss to Cal State L.A. way back on Nov. 9 hurt Western’s chances for a higher regional ranking, along with long-term injuries to three heralded players that ended their seasons before they began. The Vikings are led by senior guards Olivia Wikstrom, just named a unanimous selection to the GNAC All-Conference first team, and honorable mentions Maddy Grandbois; sophomore guard Demi Dykstra and junior forward Alyson Deaver, playing with a nagging knee injury. Libby Stump, a University of Montana transfer from Lynden, managed to return after the season’s midway point with a repaired knee. Stump is averaging nine points in 10 games off the bench but is day-to-day.
“It’s just kind of been the story of our season,” Dolfo said. “We are just focused on our next game and trying to give it everything we can to keep playing as long as we can.”
Schedule
March 6–8 | Lacey, Thurston County | Saint Martin’s University | Marcus Pavilion
GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships
Thursday, March 6
Noon – No. 6 seed Alaska Fairbanks vs. No. 3 seed Seattle Pacific
2:15 p.m. – No. 5 seed Montana State Billings vs. No. 4 seed Western Washington
Friday, March 7
Noon – Winner UAF/SPU vs. No. 2 seed Northwest Nazarene
2:15 p.m. – Winner WWU/MSUB vs. No. 1 seed Central Washington
Saturday, March 8
5 p.m. – Men’s Championship Game
GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships
Thursday, March 6
5:15 p.m. – No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 4 seed Western Washington
7:30 p.m. – No. 6 seed Saint Martin’s vs. No. 3 seed Central Washington
Friday, March 7
5:15 p.m. – Winner NNU/WWU vs. No. 1 seed Alaska Anchorage
7:30 p.m. – Winner SMU/CWU vs. No. 2 seed Montana State Billings
Saturday, March 8
7:30 p.m. – Women’s Championship Game
Meri-Jo Borzilleri is a freelance journalist and former 20-year sports reporter.
