Monday, January 13, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – A week after earning his first career GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award, Seattle Pacific freshman forward Shaw Anderson found a way to win it again.

Anderson earned his second consecutive Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award after he led the Falcons with 45 points and 11 rebounds in two wins in Oregon, which ran SPU’s current win streak to 10 games. He opened the week with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in Thursday’s 80-55 win at Concordia. Anderson then blistered Western Oregon for a career-high 34 points and nine rebounds in the Falcons’ 98-88 overtime win in Monmouth on Saturday. He made 11 of 16 from the field, went 7 of 9 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line.

For the week, Anderson shot 62.5 percent from the field (15-24) and 76.9 percent (10-13) from beyond the arc. After losing its first four games of the season, Seattle Pacific is 10-4 overall and first place in the GNAC with a 6-0 mark.

Alaska Anchorage senior guard Safiyyah Yasin was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she provided a pair of consistent scoring performances as the Seawolves knocked off the two teams chasing right behind them in the standings. Yasin opened the week with 15 points in Thursday’s 68-51 win over Central Washington. She played a key defensive role in limiting the Wildcats to 37 percent shooting and forcing 21 CWU turnovers. Yasin then scored 18 points to go along with four assists, two rebounds and two steals in Saturday’s 73-58 win over Northwest Nazarene, which ended the Nighthawks’ eight-game win streak.

For the week, Yasin finished with 33 points while connecting on 11 of 26 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Alaska Anchorage was ranked No. 7 last week in both the WBCA and D2SIDA national polls and is 16-1 overall, 6-0 GNAC.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 20
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Shaw Anderson (Seattle Pacific, F, 6-6, Fr., Kelso, Wash. – Kelso): Anderson earned back-to-back selections after finishing with 45 points and 11 rebounds in two road wins that extended the Falcons’ current win streak to 10 games. He shot 62.5 percent from the field and 76.9 percent from three-point range. Anderson contributed 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in Thursday’s 80-55 win at Concordia before scoring a career-high 34 points with nine rebounds in Saturday’s 98-88 overtime win at No. 24 Western Oregon. He connected on 11 of 16 from the field and 7 of 9 from three-point range. With the victories, Seattle Pacific improved to 6-0 in conference play. Also Nominated: Oggie Pantovic (Alaska Anchorage), Tariq Woody (Central Washington), Dakota Ayala (Concordia), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Ezekiel Alley (Northwest Nazarene), Marky Adams (Saint Martin’s), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Safiyyah Yasin (Alaska Anchorage, G, 5-6, Sr., Oakland, Calif. – Diablo Valley Coll.): Yasin proved the model of consistency in finishing with 35 points, five assists and four rebounds as the Seawolves solidified first place in the GNAC standings. Yasin opened the week with 15 points in Thursday’s 68-51 win over Central Washington. She then added 18 points in Saturday’s 73-58 win over Northwest Nazarene, which ended the Nighthawks’ eight-game win streak. She also had four assists, two steals and two rebounds in the victory. Also Nominated: Kaelie Flores (Central Washington), Riley Friauf (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Avery Albrecht (Northwest Nazarene), Claire Dingus (Saint Martin’s), Tayler Drynan (Simon Fraser), Shariah Green (Western Oregon), Emma Duff (Western Washington).