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Hawaiian road trip a mixed bag for WWU hoops teams

Women go 2-0, men finish 1-2 in tournament

Western Washington University’s Carley Zaragoza and Truitt Reilly
Western Washington University’s Carley Zaragoza and Truitt Reilly (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
By Nolan Baker News Intern

Western Washington University’s men’s and women’s basketball squads traveled to Honolulu for the Hoops in Hawai’i Holiday Classic, a three-game weekend of basketball at the Hawai’i Convention Center and in The Shark Tank at Hawai’i Pacific University.  

The women’s team won both its games before the third was canceled due to vague “health and safety protocols,” while the men’s team went 1-2. 

Both squads had standout performances, with junior forward D’Angelo Minnis (men’s) and redshirt freshman guard Mason Oberg (women’s) each being named to their respective All-Tournament teams.  

Tough losses, and a tight win for the men 

The men’s team started off its road trip with a tough, 76-66 loss to the University of Texas Permian Basin. The Vikings went into halftime trailing by just two points after an eight-point swing, but a late run in the second half by UT Permian Basin snatched the win. Western had four players score in double-digits in the first game, but the team was held well under its season average of 96.4 points per game.  

On Dec. 18, the Vikings faced Emmanuel College (Georgia) in a game that featured Western senior guard Daniel Hornbuckle hitting a game-tying 3-pointer with just over 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Hornbuckle, who scored 20 points while shooting 4-for-10 from behind the arc, sent the game to overtime, but Western couldn’t garner enough momentum in a 105-98 loss. 

The Vikings ended the road trip with a win, defeating Hawai’i Pacific University 70-69 on Dec. 19. Sparked by a team-high of 18 points and four assists from junior forward Isaac Morrow, the Vikings fended off the hosting Hawai’i Pacific team to snap a two-game skid. 

With 36 seconds remaining, Morrow hit a pull-up 3-pointer to tie the game at 69-69. On the next possession, Morrow snagged a defensive rebound and found sophomore guard Kai Johnson streaking downcourt, who drew a foul to sink the game-winning free throw.  

“Hard work pays off and Isaac [Morrow] was a huge lift for our team today in crucial moments,” Western coach Tony Dominguez said. “We were looking for a spark and Isaac did just that. I am proud of the team for battling through a tough weekend, and we’ll carry this good finish into our trip back to Washington and enjoy the holiday break. We have a tough restart to the schedule at Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s, but this team is ready for the challenge.” 


The 8-3 Vikings will stay on the road to face conference foes Western Oregon on Dec. 29 and Saint Martin’s on Dec. 31.  

Women on fire before weekend cut short

The Western women’s basketball team started off the Hoops in Hawai’i Holiday Classic with a bang, defeating Hawai’i Pacific University 77-70 on Dec. 16. Five Western players racked up double-digit points, led by a pair of 13-point performances from Oberg and junior forward Brooke Walling.  

Western stayed perfect on the road trip with a 76-63 win over Fairmont State University on Dec. 18, led by 49 bench points, including career-high points from Oberg (16) and sophomore guard Maddy Grandbois (18).  

Riding a seven-game win streak, Western’s weekend slate of games suddenly ended on Dec. 19 after Chaminade University bowed out due to “health and safety protocols” within the program, according to a Western Athletics press release.  

Sitting at 7-1 on the young season, the Vikings rank No. 8 in the DII National Media Poll, and No. 10 in the Washington Basketball Coaches Poll. Western will return to Carver Gym on Dec. 29 to host University of Alaska Anchorage, then the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 31.  

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