WWU’s Vikings, led by Black Hills grad Emma Duff, aim for their first national title
The Western Washington women’s basketball team is in the NCAA Division II championship game for the first time in school history.
Here’s what to know about how the Vikings reached the final, their upcoming opponent in Glenville State (W. Va.) and how to watch the national championship game.
GAME INFORMATION
No. 5 seed Western Washington (25-5) vs. No. 3 seed Glenville State (34-1)
5 p.m. (PST) Friday
Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream | Live stats
Full NCAA Division II tournament bracket
ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
WESTERN WASHINGTON
NCAA West Regional Championships
Quarterfinals — defeated No. 6 seed Alaska Anchorage, 76-64
Semifinals — defeated No. 2 Central Washington, 64-58
Final — defeated Cal State East Bay, 73-59
Elite Eight
Quarterfinals (Elite Eight) — defeated No. 4 Valdosta State, 58-55
Semifinals (Final Four) — defeated No. 1 North Georgia, 74-68
GLENVILLE STATE
NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships
Quarterfinals — defeated No. 8 seed Lincoln, 88-60
Semifinals — defeated No. 5 Shepherd, 82-70
Final — defeated No. 6 Charleston, 89-58
Elite Eight
Quarterfinals (Elite Eight) — defeated No. 6 West Texas A&M, 103-56
Semifinals (Final Four) — defeated No. 2 Grand Valley State, 77-53
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
WWU is on the verge of history — in more ways than one. The Vikings are not only in the national championship game for the first time in program history, and seeking their first title. They’re also only the third Greater Northwest Athletic Conference team to make it to this point — joining Seattle Pacific (runner-up in 2005) and Alaska Anchorage (runner-up in 2016) — and looking to claim the conference’s first national championship. WWU won the regular season GNAC title, and is one of four teams in the conference that made the NCAA tournament field, along with GNAC tournament champion Central Washington, Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene. Senior guard Emma Duff — the former Black Hills High School star who was The Olympian’s All-Area player of the year in 2007 — paces the Vikings in scoring (15.5 points per game), and was a GNAC first-team pick and honorable mention All-American this winter. Sophomore forward Brooke Walling, who starred at Prairie and played two seasons at Fresno State before joining WWU this season, leads the Vikings in rebounds (7.6 per game), steals and blocks. Lynden Christian’s Avery Dykstra, a junior guard, was the GNAC defensive player of the year this season, while younger sister Riley was the conference’s freshman of the year. WWU’s roster includes 11 players who were standouts at high schools in Western Washington. Longtime Vikings coach Carmen Dolfo, in her 31st season with the program, was the GNAC coach of the year this winter.
Individual stat leaders
Scoring — Emma Duff (15.5 points per game), Brooke Walling (10.2), Riley Dykstra (7.7)
Rebounds — Walling (7.6), Duff (7), Riley Dykstra (5.1)
Assists — Avery Dykstra (73), Duff (61), Mollie Olson (56)
Steals — Walling (38), Duff (36), Olson (28)
Blocks — Walling (26), Duff (25), Truitt Reilly (18)
Team stats
Scoring — 69.3 points per game
Scoring margin — 12
Shooting percentage — 44.1
3-point percentage — 30.9
Free throw percentage — 71.6
Rebounds — 40.4
Assists — 14.6
Steals — 7.3
Blocks — 4.2
Players with Washington high school ties on WWU’s roster
G Gracie Castaneda, sr. (Arlington)
G Emma Duff, sr. (Black Hills)
G Avery Dykstra, jr. (Lynden Christian)
G Riley Dykstra, fr. (Lynden Christian)
G Monique Fierke, jr. (Monroe)
F Katrina Gimmaka, jr. (Nooksack Valley)
G Maddy Grandbois, fr. (Marysville-Getchell)
G Jamie Johnson, fr. (Ferndale)
G Mason Oberg, fr. (Union)
G Mollie Olson, jr. (Napavine)
F Brooke Walling, soph. (Prairie)
ABOUT THE PIONEERS
There hasn’t been much stopping Glenville State and its high-scoring offense this winter. The Pioneers — in the title game for the first time in program history — lead the Division II ranks in both scoring offense (95.8 points per game) and scoring margin (33.3), have reached the 100-point mark in 12 contests and are the only program that has surpassed 3,000 points this season, with 3,352 to this point. The only hiccup in what has been a nearly perfect run this season was a three-point loss to Charleston in the Mountain East Conference championship game earlier this month. Otherwise? The Pioneers finished 22-0 in regular season conference play, have won 34 of their 35 games overall — including 31 of those contests by double digits, and 26 by at least 20 points. Four of Glenville State’s guards — juniors Zakiyah Winfield (17.9 points per game), Re’Shawna Stone (16.5), Dazha Congleton (12.1) and Taychaun Hubbard (11.2) — average double figures scoring. Stone, a three-time first-team all-conference selection — who shoots 51.5 percent from the floor, 39 percent from 3-point range, 81.4 percent from the free throw line and leads the Pioneers in assists and steals — was the MEC player of the year and a first-team All-American this winter, while Winfield was also a first-team MEC pick. Glenville State is coached by Kim Stephens, in her sixth season, who was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association national coach of the year this week and was also the MEC coach of the year.
Individual stat leaders
Scoring — Zakiyah Winfield (17.9 points per game), Re’Shawna Stone (16.5), Dazha Congleton (12.1)
Rebounds — Winfield (7.1), Abby Stoller (5.8), Congleton (5.5)
Assists — Stone (121), Congleton (103), Winfield (81)
Steals — Stone (71), Congleton (63), Winfield (62)
Blocks — Taychaun Hubbard (19), Congleton (14)
Team stats
Scoring — 95.8 points per game
Scoring margin — 33.3
Shooting percentage — 47.1
3-point percentage — 33.2
Free throw percentage — 67.6
Rebounds — 44.1
Assists — 17.4
Steals — 14.4
Blocks — 1.8
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
