Boxscore
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Amanda Dunbar had 16 of her game-high 26 points in the first half as 19th-ranked Western Washington overcame an early 13-point deficit and defeated Northwest Nazarene 76-63 on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.
The Vikings (18-2, 9-0) remained unbeaten in the GNAC with their ninth consecutive victory. The Cruasaders (14-5 overall) saw their conference record dip to 4-4. WWU is currently ranked 2nd in the NCAA West Regional Poll, while the Crusaders are 5th.
Forward Kristin Hein and guard Heather Adams each had 13 points to lead NNU, which shot 50.0 percent (23-46) from the field, the first team to achieve that mark against Western this season.
Western trailed as late as 90 seconds into the second half and led by just two (60-58) with less than nine minutes to play before putting the defensive clamps on the Crusaders, holding them to just five points the rest of the game.
The Vikings used a run of nine consecutive points in a 1:32 span to take a 69-58 lead with seven minutes left and never led by less than nine points after that.
NNU shot 68.2 percent (15-22) from the field in the first half, including five of six on three-pointers, and were 22 of 37 overall (59.5 percent) with eight minutes left in the game, but made just one of its next nine attempts.
Guard Ashley Fenimore had 13 points for Western, hitting all three of her three-point attempts, and forward Willow Cabe added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
NNU hit seven of its first eight shots from the field in jumping to an 18-5 lead less than five minutes into the contest.
Western gradually chipped away at that margin, taking its first lead of the game at 34-33 on a Dunbar layin with 1:51 left in the half, but the Crusaders took a 38-37 lead at halftime as Lindsay Brady hit a jumper from the right corner at the buzzer.
The Crusaders 63 points are the most Western has allowed in a GNAC game this season.
NNU will now travel to Seattle Pacific University for a 2 p.m. PST tip-off against the Falcons on Saturday.
