Friday, March 15, 2024
by Thomas Lal

Azusa, Calif. –  Western Washington is still dancing after taking a 66-61 victory over Cal Poly Pomona to advance to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball West Region Championships in Azusa, Calif.

The No. 3 seeded Vikings improved to 26-6 on the season and eliminated the No. 6 seeded Broncos to secure their place in tomorrow’s second-round matchup. Western Washington took advantage of a strong start to build their initial lead while putting some of Cal Poly Pomona’s best players into early foul trouble en route to the win. As has often been the case this season, the Vikings’ defense proved to be a deciding factor as they held the Broncos to just 38.4% from the field and didn’t allow a single three-pointer to fall for their opponents in the first or fourth quarter.

Reigning GNAC Championships MVP Brooke Walling led the way for WWU in the victory, finishing the day with a double double of 22 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 75% from the field (9-for-12) and 80% (4-for-5) from the free throw line. Walling also tied for the game lead with five assists while notching a block and a steal for good measure. She was backed up by 16 points from Aspen Garrison and nine from Demi Dykstra.

The first half was arguably as dominant as things would get for WWU as it led for all but just under two minutes through the first two quarters. The best run of play in that time saw the Vikings pull out to an 11-point advantage in the second quarter courtesy of a Walling layup. Walling also dished out all five of her assists in the first 20 minutes while Garrison led the team into halftime with nine points to her name.

The Broncos wouldn’t go quietly, however, pushing back to take the lead four times in the third quarter alone as the pace of the game picked up. While the Vikings couldn’t stay ahead the whole time, they matched the Broncos in intensity, snagging the lead back four times to 50-49 going into the final frame. While one of Cal Poly Pomona’s best players Jeanette Fine had to spend time on the bench due to foul trouble, Walling turned up the heat, scoring seven points in the third quarter alone. As a whole, the defense was exceptional at forcing turnovers coming out of halftime, with six Vikings snagging at least one steal before the final period even began.

Western Washington expanded its lead massively to start the fourth quarter, using a 13-1 run to build some early breathing room with Walling and Garrison putting in work on both sides of the ball. Walling capped off her impressive second-half effort with another eight points, consistently outworking the Broncos’ defense down low to finish with 16 points in the second half. Garrison came through seven of her points as the WWU did not concede the lead through the last 10 minutes despite the Broncos’ best efforts. Garrison finished the day with six rebounds before fouling out with just under two minutes left on the clock.

With the first-round win in the books, Western Washington has advanced further than it did in the 2023 edition of the tournament and now waits to see the winner of today’s matchup between No. 2 seed Cal State San Marcos and No. 7 seed Point Loma to know their opponent for tomorrow.