BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Humboldt State women's basketball team defeated Western Washington, 76-66, Friday evening to open the West Region Crossover Classic. It was the Lumberjacks first win over the Vikings since 2015.

"This is a great road win for us," said HSU Head Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson. "It was a fun environment, and I thought we did a great job of weathering the storm in the second half. We bounced back a few times after they went on runs and hit some big shots."

The Jacks watched the Vikings (0-1) score the game's first six points before responding with seven of their own. Alexia Thrower sank a 3-pointer to put the North Coast team in front, 7-6. The first quarter featured three lead changes, and HSU closed the quarter on top. Thrower was prominent in the paint and led the team with nine points and she grabbed a pair of rebounds in the eight minutes. Darian Gore hit a layup at the buzzer, and HSU took a 20-14 advantage into the second quarter.

The Green and Gold carried the lead throughout the second quarter shooting 47.2 percent. A layup from Jovannah Arrington halfway through gave the Jacks a 14-point lead, 30-16, over the Vikings. The double-digit gap held through the second, and Western Washington went into the half without seeing a lead in almost 16 minutes. Gore pulled down the team's 22nd rebound as time expired with the Jacks on top 37-22.

The Vikings made halftime adjustments and outscored the visitors 21-18 in the third quarter. HSU maintained its double-digit lead after 30 minutes of play, 55-43. Gabrielle Carbajal contributed eight points in the third and helped the Jacks hold their lead through the fourth. The teams traded 3-point buckets in the fourth, but the Jacks fought to stay ahead and closed it out 76-66.

Thrower finished with a double-double, dominating the leaderboards for HSU with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and shooting 8-of-16 from the field. Tyra Turner and Madeline Hatch finished with double-digit points and ended the night with 13 and 11, respectively. Arrington was prominent on offense and defense, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and recording four of the Jacks' nine steals.

"We will certainly enjoy this win, but we need to refocus and get ready for another tough battle tomorrow with Seattle Pacific," said Bento-Jackson.

HSU stays in Washington to take on Seattle Pacific to close out the West Region Crossover Classic on Saturday evening. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.