The CWU men’s basketball team is getting ready to gear up for a tough matchup in the first of two crucial rivalry games against a nationally ranked Western Washington University (WWU).

“It’s a huge rivalry, it’s probably one of the biggest rivalries in small college basketball,” head coach Greg Sparling said. “There have been a lot of great games over the year and a lot of fans watching over the years and having the game on Root Sports expands our fan base even more.”

This is a rivalry that dates back all the way to the first meeting of the two teams in 1908.

Senior guard Dom Hunter is one of many players making a huge impact on the team this year.

“It’s more critical here, it’s almost like a national championship game here. It’s more focus[ing] and the situations are different. It’s just more serious,” Hunter said.

Hunter, a transfer from University of Alaska-Anchorage, is currently the third highest scorer in the nation averaging 25.5 points per game and helping lead the Wildcats to an 11-3 record so far this season.

“Words can’t describe how excited I am for this game. I just hope we get out there and take care of business like we’re supposed to” Hunter said.

One of the biggest things that could hurt WWU in this matchup is the fact that they are not playing at their home court, Sam Carver; instead, they are playing at Whatcom Community College, a gym that holds 1,300 less people than Sam Carver.

“I think it’s an advantage for us playing at Whatcom because normally playing at their place they have 2,500 people and they are all screaming, you can’t even hear yourself think” Graduate Assistant Joey Roppo said.  

But Roppo wasn’t the only one who thought that CWU is at an advantage playing at Whatcom. Sparling is in agreeance with Roppo.

“There are only about 900 seats at Whatcom and there are usually about 250 empty seats,” Sparling said “Sam Carver has almost 2,000 more seats and each seat is filled. I have been in Sam Carver where it’s so loud you can’t hear yourself think.”

But it’s going to take more than moving WWU to a different gym to beat them. In the past eight matchups, CWU has only won two games, however, one of those games was held at Whatcom last February.

“Us and WWU are usually two of the top teams in our conference so it’s about hunkering down and knowing who you’re guarding, watching film on them and knowing your matchup so we can get that extra edge on them,” senior guard Terry Dawn said.  

In his four season at CWU, Terry Dawn knows what to expect. When facing a tough nationally ranked Vikings team, it doesn’t make a difference how he and the team prepares for this game.

“We are aware of their ranking but we are also starting to get national recognition too. We are right on the outside of the top 25, we’re starting to get votes though as well,” Roppo said.

CWU faces off against WWU Saturday, January 21 at 7 p.m.