BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Forwards Kelly Dykstra and Tina Donahue each had 19 points and five rebounds as Western Washington defeated Seattle Pacific 82-71 on Saturday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's basketball match-up of nationally-ranked teams Saturday, December 31.

Western, ranked No.7 in the latest USA Today/ ESPN poll for NCAA, Division II women's basketball, improved to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the GNAC.  It was Western's first win in the last eight meetings with Seattle Pacific, the last triumph coming late in the 2001-02 season.

Guard Mollie Stelmack added 17 points for the Vikings, and center Courtney Clapp had 10.

Seattle Pacific, which is No.14 nationally and reached the NCAA II national championship game last season, fell to 7-4 overall, 1-1 in the GNAC.  Guards Mandy Wood and Jenny Poe each had 13 points for the Falcons, who lost for just the second time in their last 56 conference games.

Dykstra hit her first five shots from the field, scoring 12 points as Western jumped to a 25-9 lead seven minutes into the game. The Vikings led by as much as 18 points in the first half and held a 43-27 lead at halftime, holding the Falcons to just 29.4 percent (10-of-34) field-goal shooting in the opening period.

Western led by 26, 61-35, on a three-pointer by Stelmack with 14:48 left, and were up by 25, 66-41, with 12 minutes to go, but Seattle Pacific rallied, running off 13 consecutive points to narrow the gap to 12 with 7:36 left.  The Falcons eventually pulled within eight, 71-63, on a layin and free throw by Poe with 4:36 to play, but got no closer.

 

Western shot 47.6 percent on three-pointers, hitting 10-of-21.  The Vikings also had a 43-37 edge in rebounds, with guard Samantha Hubbard and reserve center Claire Pallansch each grabbing nine.

The Vikings are 6-0 at home and have won 92 of their last 101 games there.