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July 13, 2011

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University men's basketball team will make its second appearance in three seasons at the fifth annual Disney West Coast Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 4-6 at Anaheim, Calif.

The tournament will be held at the 7,500-seat Anaheim Convention Center.

Western opens against Dominican University CA at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4. The Vikings play UC San Diego at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5; and take on Chestnut Hill College PA at 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6.

Dominican, 4-22 last season, is a member of the Pacific West Athletic Conference. UC San Diego (11-17) represents the host California Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Chestnut Hill (12-16) is in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Western won two of three games at the 2009 Disney Classic. The Vikings defeated Grand Canyon, 94-70; lost to Kentucky Wesleyan, 71-58; and beat San Francisco State, 71-52.

Western, a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, finished 16-11 last season. Four starters return for head coach Brad Jackson, who is beginning his 27th year (487-274) and is just 13 wins shy of his 500th career victory.

Heading the quartet of returnees are guard John Allen (Jr., Brier/Mountlake Terrace), a second-team GNAC all-star who averaged 14.3 points and 4.1 assists and ranked second nationally in free-throw percentage at 91.5; and forward Rory Blanche (Sr., Ashland, OR), who received GNAC all-star honorable mention averaging 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. He ranked No.14 nationally in field-goal shooting at 62.8 percent.