Tuesday, January 10, 2017

TAKING THE LEAD, TAKING THE TEAM OF THE WEEK: A pair of critical home wins not only allowed Western Washington to take sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings, but also gave the Vikings the conference’s Red Lion Team of the Week award.

The Vikings were selected after picking up two wins against the GNAC’s Alaska schools. Western Washington picked up a 78-69 win over Alaska on Thursday before taking a 91-84 victory over Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. After having lost three of their previous four games, the Vikings improved to 11-3 overall and took sole possession of first place in the GNAC at 5-1.

Against Alaska on Thursday, the Vikings doubled their opponent’s rebounding tally, 42-21. The Vikings never trailed in the second half, leading by as much as 16 points following a Blake Fernandez lay-up. Western Washington held on for a 78-69 victory behind Jeffrey Parker’s 18 points with 8 of 15 field goals made.

On Saturday against Alaska Anchorage, Taylor Stafford tallied a team-high 32 points, marking the fourth time this year that he has scored at least 30 points in a game. His effort paced the Vikings’ 91-84 win over the Seawolves, breaking the tie for first place. Again, the Vikings never trailed in the second half. The Vikings lead the conference offensively with 90.9 points per game and lead in field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage.

“We hit a stretch where we lost a few games after a great start and doubt starts to set in,” WWU head coach Tony Dominguez said. “To change that, you have to focus and dial in. We did that in some good stretches and took a good step forward. I am proud of the guys for the way they practiced all week and competed.”

THREE GNAC GAMES TO AIR ON ROOT SPORTS: For the eighth consecutive year, Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball will be featured throughout the Northwest on ROOT SPORTS.

The conference and the regional sports network have agreed to a three-game schedule that will feature six different GNAC men’s basketball programs. The slate begins on Thurs., Jan. 19, with Montana State Billings playing at Saint Martin’s in a game that will tip off at 9 p.m. (Pacific).

Two games will air in February. Western Oregon will host Seattle Pacific on Sat., Feb. 4, for a 5 p.m. (Pacific) tip off. One of the conference’s top rivalries completes the schedule as Central Washington plays host to Western Washington on Thurs., Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. (Pacific).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC players have been selected to all-tournament teams during the 2016-17 season:
Veteran’s Day Pioneer Challenge (Nov. 11-12, Hayward, Calif.): Jeffrey Parker, WWU (Most Valuable Player), Taylor Stafford, WWU.
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 11-12, Seattle): Coleman Wooten, SPU (Most Valuable Player), Joe Rasmussen, SPU.
Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic (Nov. 18-19 at Seattle): Dom Hunter, CWU; Coleman Wooten, SPU.
Ron Logsdon Basketball Classic (Nov. 18-19 at Rohnert Park, Calif.): Tyler Copp, SMU.
Seawolf Jamboree (Nov. 18-19 at Anchorage): Brandon Davis, UAF; Connor Devine, UAA; Corey Hammell, UAA, Suki Wiggs, UAA (Most Outstanding Player).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 26-27 at Bellingham, Wash.): Jeffrey Parker, WWU (Most Valuable Player); Daulton Hommes, WWU; Brandon Davis, UAF; Nahjee Matlock, UAF.
GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 23-26 at Anchorage): Diante Mitchell, UAA.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tanner Omlid
Western Oregon
F • 6-3 • Jr. • Monmouth, Ore.

Omlid averaged 26 points, 2.5 steals and three blocked shots per game and shot 45.2 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point range in two wins for the Wolves. He scored 34 points with seven rebounds in Thursday’s 76-74 win at Seattle Pacific, shooting 13 of 22 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range with three blocks. He added 18 points, two rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Saturday’s 80-67 win at Saint Martin’s.

Also Nominated: Spencer Svejcar (Alaska Anchorage), Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings), Taylor Stafford (Western Washington), Maurice Jones (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• The Nanooks split in a pair of games along the border. The Nanooks took a 78-69 loss at Western Washington on Thursday before coming back from a 22-point halftime deficit to beat Simon Fraser on Saturday, 88-83.

• Senior forward Bangaly Kaba was UAF’s leading scorer at Western Washington with 20 points and nine rebounds, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field. Kaba is the Nanooks’ top rebounder, averaging 6.1 boards per game.

• Senior forward Zach Pederson led the Nanooks in the win over Simon Fraser with 22 points, hitting 10 of 15 from the field. He also posted a 16-point performance against WWU and finished the week shooting 60.7 percent from the field (17-28). Pederson enters the week ranked ninth in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.507, 72-142).

• Senior guard Nahjee Matlock leads the GNAC and is 26th in Division II with a 2.89 assist/turnover ratio. Matlock is also second in the GNAC with 5.2 assists per game and 21st in Division II with 78 total assists.

• As a team, Alaska is averaging 75.9 points and 35.1 rebounds per game. The Nanooks lead the GNAC and are 10th in Division II in turnover margin (+4.93). They also lead the league and are 23rd in Division II in assist/turnover ratio (1.44).

• Alaska continues a four-game road trip at Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday and on Saturday at Montana State Billings.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage split its games in the GNAC borderlands. The Seawolves shot 51 percent from the field to blow past Simon Fraser on Thursday, 77-47, before taking a hard-fought 91-84 loss on Saturday at Western Washington.

• With the win, UAA improved to 16-0 all-time against Simon Fraser. The Seawolves outrebounded the Clan 42-27.

• Senior guard Spencer Svejcar has a career high 31 points against Simon Fraser, making 9 of 14 from the field, 6 of 8 from three-point range and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Svejcar enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked eighth in Division II with a .927 free throw percentage (38-41). He is also fifth in the GNAC in three-point percentage (.464, 32-69) and seventh in three-pointers made (2.29).

• Senior guard Sekou “Suki” Wiggs was the Seawolves’ leading scorer against WWU with 24 points on 8 of 21 from the field. It was his ninth 20-plus point performance of the season. Wiggs is second in the GNAC and 11th in Division II in scoring with 23.2 points per game. Wiggs is also in the Division II top-30 in five other statistical categories, including total points (325, 16th).

• In both games, the starters accounted for the wide majority of the scoring. The starting five scored 68 of 77 points against Simon Fraser and 80 of 91 points against Western Washington.

• The Seawolves enter the week leading the GNAC in scoring defense (62.2 points allowed per game), scoring margin (+19.1), field goal defense (.394), rebounding (42.2), rebounding defense (27.8), rebounding margin (+14.4), assists (16.79 per game) and offensive rebounds (15.71). Alaska Anchorage leads Division II in rebound margin, fifth in scoring defense and eighth in scoring margin.

• Alaska Anchorage returns home on Tuesday to host Alaska before traveling east to play at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington ran its win streak to three games with a pair of victories. The Wildcats collected a 94-80 win at home over Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday before scoring an 81-77 win over a hot Montana State Billings team on Thursday.

• Senior guard Dom Hunter was CWU’s leading scorer with 27 points against Northwest Nazarene, connecting on 9 of 19 from the field and 7 of 11 from three-point range to go along with five assists. Hunter went on score 16 points against MSUB. Hunter leads the GNAC and is ranked third in Division II in scoring, averaging 26 points per game. He also leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 4.00 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior guard Jawan Stepney led the Wildcats in the win over MSUB with 23 points to go along with four rebounds. Against NNU, sophomore guard Naim Ladd finished short of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.

• Central Washington finished shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 46.8 percent from three-point range in the two games. The Wildcats shot 49.3 percent from the field against NNU, including 57.1 percent in the second half, and shot 53.4 percent in the win over MSUB.

• Forward Fuquan Niles added 10 blocks over the two games. He now leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 3.33 blocks per game and is also fourth in Division II with 40 total blocks.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II in scoring at 89.5 points per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC in blocked shots (4.33 per game) and three-pointers made per game (10.83) and is second in three-point percentage (.392), turnover margin (+4.33).

• Central Washington is home for its next two games, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia took a pair of road losses over the weekend, falling at Saint Martin’s 84-64 on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific, 88-83, on Saturday.

• Senior forward Drew Martin once again led the Cavaliers in both games. Martin scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Saint Martin’s and scored 23 points on 9 of 18 from the field and five assists against Seattle Pacific. Martin enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC with 7.2 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Latrell Wilson matched Martin against SMU with 14 points, which included 7 of 9 from the free throw line. Junior guard/forward Bryan Michaels added 13 points against Seattle Pacific on 7 of 13 from the field.

• Concordia made good use of the inside game against Saint Martin’s, scoring 34 of the team’s 64 points in the paint. The Cavaliers finished with 18 assists against Seattle Pacific and scored 15 points off of 20 Falcons’ turnovers.

• The Cavaliers enter the week averaging 79.7 points and 39.8 rebounds per game. Concordia leads the GNAC in defensive rebounds (28.77 per game) and is second in blocked shots (4.00 per game).

• Concordia returns home for a pair of contests, hosting league-leading Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• The Yellowjackets saw a four-game win streak stopped at home on Thursday, falling to Central Washington on Thursday 81-77. Montana State Billings bounced back on Saturday to beat Northwest Nazarene 77-72.

• Sophomore forward Preston Beverly scored double digits in both games. He scored 16 points to go along with seven rebounds against CWU on Thursday, sinking 14 in the second half. He then led the Yellowjackets with 18 points and 13 rebounds in the win over NNU. Beverly enters the week third in the GNAC in rebounding at 8.6 boards per game and fourth in scoring at 17.6 points per game.

• Freshman guard Cinco Durr provided a big boost for the Yellowjackets off of the bench against Central Washington. In 22 minutes, Durr finished with 21 points on 8 of 15 from the field. He led an effort that saw the MSUB bench score 35 total points in the contest.

• Senior guard Marc Matthews was named the USBWA Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he finished with 48 points and shot 60.7 percent from the field in wins over Simon Fraser on Dec. 29 and Western Washington on Dec. 31. Matthews scored 20 points in the win at Simon Fraser, which included his 1,000th career point. He followed that up with a 28-point performance at Western Washington.

• Matthews had a week-high of 22 points in the win over NNU. He enters the week second in the GNAC with 3.29 three-pointers made per game.

• Arguably the most improved team in the GNAC, MSUB needs two more wins to match its win total from 2015-16 (11).

• Montana State Billings is averaging 83.7 points and 37.6 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II in free throw shooting at 76.7 percent. The team is also second in the GNAC in three-point defense (.324) and offensive rebounds (12.86 per game).

• Montana State Billings closes a four-game home stand this week, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took road losses last week, falling at Central Washington on Tuesday, 94-80, and at Montana State Billings on Saturday, 77-72.

• Senior guard Pol Olivier led the Crusaders against Central Washington, scoring 20 points on 8 of 13 from the field. As a team, NNU shot 50.3 percent from the field (30-59) at CWU.

• Junior forward Maurice Jones had double-doubles in both games, his fourth and fifth of the season. Jones finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds against Central Washington and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds against MSUB. Jones enters the week ranked sixth in the GNAC with 8.2 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Bouna N’Diaye also had a double-double against MSUB, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 73.5 points and 35.8 rebounds per game. The Crusaders are third in the GNAC in scoring defense (72.8 points allowed per game), field goal percentage (.473) and field goal defense (.414).

• The Crusaders return home for a pair of games, hosting Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• The Saints split its first games at home since Dec. 10. Saint Martin’s scored a big 84-64 win over Concordia on Thursday before falling to Western Oregon on Saturday, 80-67.

• Junior guard Trey Ingram led the Saints against Concordia with 23 points, finishing with 9 of 13 from the field to go along with four rebounds and four assists. He then had 15 points on 4 of 6 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 4 of 5 from the free throw line against Western Oregon. Ingram enters the week second in the GNAC in three-point percenrage (.500, 35-70), fourth in three-pointers made (2.69 per game) and  fifth in field goal percentage (.549, 67-122).

• Senior center Fred Jorg led the Saints against Western Oregon with 19 points, shooting 5 of 8 from the field and 9 of 13 from the free throw line, to go along with eight rebounds.

• The Saints also had a pair of 15-point scorers in the Concordia win in senior guard Cole Preston and senior forward Brandon Kenilvort. Preston scored on 4 of 6 from both the field and the free throw line while Kenilvort had a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 81.7 points and 38.4 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC in three-point defense (.319) and is second in scoring defense (70.9 points allowed per game), field goal percentage (.477), field goal defense (.410) and defensive rebounds (28.46 per game).

• Saint Martin’s takes to the road this week, playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Central Washington on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific was also the recipient of a split in its games last week. The Falcons took a close 76-74 loss to Western Oregon on Thursday before scoring an 88-83 win over Concordia on Saturday.

• Senior center Joe Rasmussen was a major factor in both games on the offensive end. He scored 20 points on 6 of 11 from the field against Western Oregon and added 22 points on 8 of 13 from the field against Concordia. .

• Sophomore forward Coleman Wooten led all scorers with 27 points on 8 of 15 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free throw line to go along with nine rebounds in the win over Concordia. Wooten enters the week second in the GNAC in rebounding, averaging nine per game. He is also seventh in scoring at 17.2 points per game.

• Freshman forward Tony Miller finished with his fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds against WOU and 13 points and 11 rebounds against Concordia. Miller and Wooten are tied for 23rd in Division II with six double-doubles. Miller is also ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 16.5 points per game.

• The Falcons enter the week averaging 79.3 points and are second in the GNAC with 40.3 rebounds per game. Seattle Pacific is also second in rebounding margin (+6.4) and third in both offensive rebounds (12.43 per game) and defensive rebounds (28.43 per game).

• Seattle Pacific hits the road for a pair of games, playing at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser saw its losing streak run to 10 games. The Clan fell 77-47 to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and lost a close 88-83 decision to Alaska on Saturday.

• The Clan excelled at the free throw line against UAA, connecting on 11 of 14. Simon Fraser could not be stopped in the first half of Saturday’s game against Alaska, shooting 21 of 35 from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The Clan also scored 22 points off of 14 Alaska turnovers.

• Freshman guard Michael Provenzano led the Clan against Alaska with 19 points, connecting on 8 of 12 from the foeld to go along with three assists and three steals. Provenzano enters the week tied for fifth in the GNAC in assists with 3.64 per game.

• Junior guard JJ Pankratz also had 19 points against Alaska as he made 8 of 16 shots from the field to go with seven rebounds. Freshman guard Othniel Spence led SFU against Alaska Anchorage with 16 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

• Sophomore Tyrell Lewin finished 10 points against Alaska Anchorage. He is the Clan’s leading scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 69.2 points and 31.2 rebounds per game.

• Simon Fraser is on the road for next week’s games, playing at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Concordia on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon won both games on the road last week to improve to 7-7 overall. The Wolves scored a 76-74 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and collected an 80-67 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior forward Tanner Omlid was named GNAC Player of the Week after he scored 52 points in two games. He scored a season-high 34 points on 13 of 22 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range against Seattle Pacific to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Against Saint Martin’s, Omlid finished with 18 points, two rebounds, three assists and three blocks. The junior enters the week leading Division II in steals with 3.23 per game and is 29th in blocked shots with 2.15 per game.

• Junior guard Ali Faruq-Bey had double-digit scoring performances in both games. He finished with 15 points and four rebounds against Seattle Pacific and added 17 points and seven rebounds against Saint Martin’s.

• The Wolves excelled from the free throw line all week, connecting on 10 of 13 from the line against Seattle Pacific and 13 of 18 against Saint Martin’s.

• Western Oregon is averaging 73.7 points and 34.9 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC and are 20th in Division II with 9.2 steals per game. They are also 11th in Division with a turnover margin of 4.7.

• Western Oregon returns home this week, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington secured sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings with two wins. The Vikings were 78-69 winners over Alaska on Thursday and wrestled first place away from Alaska Anchorage with a 91-84 win over Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• For their winning efforts to secure first place in the GNAC ladder, Western Washington was named the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week.

• Senior forward Jeffrey Parker led the Vikings in the win over Alaska, scoring 18 points on 8 of 15 from the field. He finished with 21 points in the win over Alaska Anchorage, going 6 of 8 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line to score his 1,600th career point. Parker enters the week sixth in GNAC in scoring with 17.2 points per game and 10th in field goal percentage (.503, 88-175).

• Senior guard Taylor Stafford led all scorers against Alaska Anchorage with 32 points, connecting on 9 of 14 from the field, 6 of 10 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free throw line. It was his fourth 30-plus point performance of the season. Stafford enters the week third in the GNAC and 16th in Division II in scoring with 22.5 points per game. He also second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II in free throw percentage (.927, 38-41)

• Western Washington excelled at the charity stripe, making 47-53 from the free throw line in the two games. The Vikings lead the GNAC and are seventh in Division II in free throw percentage (.783). Three WWU players are in the GNAC top-10 in free throw shooting: Stafford, Daulton Hommes (.886, 31-35) and Parker (.837, 36-43).

• With the two wins, Western Washington retained spots in both top-25 polls. The Vikings are ranked No. 20 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll and No. 21 in D2SIDA Media Poll.

• Western Washington leading the GNAC and ranked 11th in Division II in scoring at 90.9 points per game. The Vikings are 20th in Division II in field goal percentage (.504) and 18th in three-point percentage (.414), leading the GNAC in both categories.

• Western Washington makes the Oregon road trip this week, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.