The Western Washington University women’s basketball team defeated California State University East Bay 84-59 on Tuesday, Nov. 12 in their first home game of the season.
The victory is the Vikings’ first of the year after dropping two games on the road in Carson, California during the West Region Crossover, from Nov. 8-9.
Western was powered by a strong night on offense, taking the lead 33 seconds into the first quarter and never giving it back. Six Vikings recorded double-digit scoring performances, led by senior guard Olivia Wikstrom’s 21-point game.
Back-to-back threes from sophomore guard Demi Dykstra put the exclamation point on the Vikings’ 12-3 run in the game’s opening minutes.
“My teammates set me up perfectly for those two threes to get us rolling,” Dykstra said. “We played together, which opened up driving lanes and shots for me, and opportunities for me to kick it out to my teammates for them to get shots too.”
Dykstra certainly wasn’t the only Viking with a hot hand early. Western shot 55% from the field and 66% from three in the first quarter, leading to an offensive onslaught and a 15-point lead going into the second.
“When we share and move the ball, we do a great job,” Head Coach Carmen Dolfo said. “We have to be focused on what we are good at.”
Despite a third quarter where East Bay attempted to stymie Western’s offense with a full-court press and went on an 11-3 run, the Vikings punched back with a dominant final 15 minutes to seal the victory.
Western Athletics and Flatstick Pub gave out free pizza to Western students before the game to maximize the home atmosphere on that Tuesday night. After a tough road trip, improving to 1-2 back at Sam Carver Gymnasium was crucial for the Vikings.
“It means a lot,” Dykstra said. “We had two tough losses in California and it was fun to win together.”
Western eclipsed their average point total of 52.5 from their two road games midway through the third quarter, showcasing the scale of their offensive breakout.
“It's good to get [the win] at home, that really builds our confidence,” said senior guard Maddy Grandbois, who recorded an efficient statline of 12 points on 5-6 shooting. “It’s important for us as a team to prove we can do something hard, and it’s going to help keep us rolling.”
Dolfo will attempt to guide this squad to another Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship season despite already being heavily impacted by graduations, injuries and redshirts.
“We have to build on the good moments we had,” Dolfo said. “We’re going to have to stick to a game plan and continue to play together on both ends of the court.”
The Vikings looked to ride the momentum of the home opener victory into matchups against No. 18 nationally ranked Azusa Pacific University and California State University San Marcos in the Falcon Classic at Seattle Pacific University on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14 and 15.
Western had no answer for the dynamic Azusa Pacific offense and fell short 77-88 despite a 20-point performance by Grandbois, but bounced back with a victory against San Marcos 65-48, powered by another dominant first quarter.
The Vikings return to action at Central Washington University on Nov. 29 for the CWU Thanksgiving Classic, with games against Biola University and Westminster University.
To learn more about the Vikings’ new season, check out The Front’s other coverage.
Jonah Billings (he/him) is a Sports and Recreation reporter for The Front. He is a second-year Western student and is majoring in journalism with a minor in history. In addition, he is a member of Western’s varsity cross-country and track and field teams. He enjoys running, reading and spending time with friends. You can reach him at jonahbillings.thefront@gmail.com.
