Vikings end seven-game losing streak with 93-82 win over Northwest Nazarene :: Henne scores game-high 22 points, McAllister has career highs of 17 points and 11 assists

Henne scores game-high 22 points, McAllister has career highs of 17 points and 11 assists

Feb. 22, 2007

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Forward Lukas Henne (Sr., Bremerton/Central Kitsap) scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Western Washington University snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 93-82 victory over Northwest Nazarene University on Thursday in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game on Haggen Court at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

Western improved to 10-13 overall, 4-9 in the GNAC, snapping its longest losing streak since the 1982-83 season. Guard Harold McAllister (Fr., Vancouver/Mountain View) had career-highs of 17 points and 11 assists for the Vikings.

Northwest Nazarene, which had won its last two games, fell to 9-15 overall and 4-9 in the GNAC. Center Kendall Gielow led the Crusaders with 21 points and six rebounds.

The score was tied at 57-57 with under 11 minutes to play when Western went on a 10-2 run, with McAllister and reserve center David Brittinen (So., Hoquiam) each scoring four points, to take a 67-59 lead with 7:58 left.

The Vikings led the rest of the way. Northwest Nazarene pulled within two, 69-67, on a 3-pointer by Tim Ireland with 5:21 to go, but never got that close again, and were never closer than four points in the final three minutes.

Western, which had averaged just 64.6 points and shot 39.6 percent from the field during its losing streak, shot 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from the floor in the triumph. Henne was 7-of-8 from the field, as was center Steve Severin (Fr., Richland/Hanford). Severin finished with 14 points.

The Vikings were also 82.9 percent (24-of-29) on free throws, with McAllister going 10-of-10.

Guard Ira Graham (So., Fontana, CA) added 14 points and five assists for Western. The Vikings had 21 assists after totaling just 18 over the previous three games.

Ireland had 15 points for Northwest Nazarene, forward Justin Parnell had 14, and guard Marcus Clift added 13 points and six assists.

The Crusaders led much of the first half, holding a 28-23 lead with eight minutes remaining, but the Vikings used an 11-1 run to grab a 34-29 advantage with 4:26 left in the period, and held a 41-38 lead at halftime.

The 93 points were Western's third highest output of the season, and the best in the last 12 games.

The Vikings next are at Western Oregon University on Saturday for a GNAC counter.