Jan. 28, 2013

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University is the first school in 12-year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to have both its men's and women's basketball teams go unbeaten during the first half of league play.

Following last week's action, both Viking squads are 9-0 in GNAC contests, the men holding a one-game lead in the standings and the women a two-game advantage.

Together, the teams are 33-2, a winning percentage of 94.3 with a combined winning streak of 33 games. The defending NCAA Division II champion men, ranked No.2 nationally, are 18-0 and working on a two-year victory string of 24, their longest in school history. The women, ranked No.5 nationally, are 15-2 with a nine-game win streak.

The Vikings' school record for a combined ledger is 45-5 set in 1971-72, 90.0 percent. That year the men finished 26-4 and the women 19-1.

There has been only one other season in which the total losses for both WWU teams were less than 10. That was in 2005-06 when they posted a 50-9 record, 84.7 percent, with the men finishing 23-7 and the women 27-2.

Last year, the WWU men won the national title with a 31-5 record, a school record for wins, and the women were 22-8 and reached the regional semifinals.

Both Viking teams are at home this week, playing a pair of doubleheaders at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus. On Thursday, Jan. 31, the women meet Alaska Fairbanks at 5:15 p.m., followed by the men against Montana State Billings at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 2, the women face defending league and West Region champion Alaska Anchorage at 5:15 p.m., and the men take on No.4-ranked Seattle Pacific at 7:30 p.m.

Both WWU teams are 9-0 at home this season with the men unbeaten in their last 19 games at Carver Gym over the last two campaigns, one short of the school record, and the women having a home streak of 13 for a combined win streak of 32.