Tuesday, February 25, 2020

THREE IN AND THREE TO GO: The logjam in the quest to qualify for next week’s GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships is starting to clear out a bit.

While Seattle Pacific entered last week as the only school assured of a berth, Western Washington and Northwest Nazarene both won two games to clinch the next two spots in the field.

The Vikings opened the week with a sound 71-61 win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday. They secured the playoff position for sure by beating the Falcons in Carver Gym on Saturday, 73-68. The game snapped SPU’s six-game win streak and made WWU just the second conference team to beat the Falcons this season.

The Nighthawks, meanwhile, leaned on dramatics to earn its return to the GNAC Championships. Northwest Nazarene held off a spirited second-half comeback by Concordia to take a 77-76 win on Thursday. It took overtime to defeat Western Oregon on Saturday with NNU winning 89-87.

Western Oregon and Alaska Anchorage need just one win in the final week of the regular season to clinch berths. The Wolves will have the benefit of being at home, hosting the Seawolves on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday. Alaska Anchorage will close at Concordia on Saturday.

Alaska could clinch a playoff spot for sure with two wins on the Oregon road trip. Central Washington also remains in the mix and will close the regular season at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

ALL-TOURNAMENT PERFORMERS: The following GNAC players have earned all-tournament team honors during the 2019-20 season...

GNAC/CCAA Challenge (Nov. 8-9, Bellingham): Jalen Green (WWU), Logan Schilder (WWU), Wilfried Balata (SFU).
Alaska/Hawaii Challenge (Nov. 9-10, Anchorage): Tobin Karlberg (UAA), Oggie Pantovic (UAA), Shadeed Shabazz (UAF).
Otter Classic (Nov. 15-16, Seaside, Calif.): Shadeed Shabazz (UAF).
SF State Gator Invitational (Nov. 29-30, San Francisco): Darius Lubom (WOU, Most Valuable Player), Dalven Brushier (WOU).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 29-30, Bellingham): D’Angelo Minnis (WWU, Most Valuable Player), Luke Lovelady (WWU), Jasdeep Singh (SFU), Wilfried Balata (SFU).
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 29-30, Anchorage): Niko Bevens (UAA), Tyler Brimhall (UAA), Oggie Pantovic (UAA).
D2 Power Invitational (Dec. 19-21, Honolulu): First Team - Jasdeep Singh (SFU). Second Team - Oggie Pantovic (UAA), Wilfried Balata (SFU), Demonte Malloy (SMU).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Trevor Jasinsky
Western Washington
F • 6-8 • Sr. • Camas, Wash.

Jasinsky averaged 21.5 points and six rebounds per game in two wins as the Vikings clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Jasinsky finished with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Thursday’s 71-61 win over Saint Martin’s, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field. He then led the Vikings with 22 points on 8 of 15 from the field to go with two assists in Saturday’s 73-68 victory over league-leading Seattle Pacific, handing the Falcons just their second GNAC loss of the season. For the week, Jasinsky shot 57.1 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range.

Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Tyrus Hosley (Alaska Anchorage), Dakota Ayala (Concordia), Adalberto Diaz (Northwest Nazarene), CJ Jennings (Saint Martin’s), Othniel Spence (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska kept its GNAC Championships hopes alive with a split in its final home weekend, falling 94-52 to Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday before collecting a 71-68 win over Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz once again led the Nanooks with 47 points, 18 assists and 11 steals in the two games. Shabazz opened with a double-double of 25 points and 12 assists against Alaska Anchorage to go with four rebounds and five steals. He then finished with 22 points, three rebounds, six assists and six steals against Montana State Billings. Shabazz leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 25.6 points per game. He also leads Division II with 102 total steals and 3.92 steals per game.

• Senior guard Spencer Sweet contributed 23 points and 13 rebounds in the two games. After scoring six points with five rebounds against Alaska Anchorage, Sweet finished with 17 points and eight rebounds against Montana State Billings. For the week, Sweet shot 50 percent from the field and was 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Sweet is averaging 13.4 points per game.

• Junior guard Merkel Banks finished with 20 points in the two games, led by his 16 points against Alaska Anchorage on 7 of 11 from the field. Banks is averaging 7.9 points per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 75.7 points and 29.4 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC with 8.15 steals per game.

• The Nanooks close the regular season on the road, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage has now won four in a row and took a step toward solidifying a GNAC Championships spot with a 94-81 win at  Alaska on Tuesday and an 87-73 home win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Tobin Karlberg led the Seawolves with 43 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the two games, shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Karlberg finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists at Alaska. He then scored 20 points against Montana State Billings on 7 of 12 from the field and 6 of 8 from three-point range. Karlberg is averaging 12.8 points per game.

• Senior guard Tyrus Hosley added 35 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists. Hosley scored 15 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists at Alaska. He then notched a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists against Montana State Billings on 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Hosley is averaging 11.5 points per game and is 14th in Division II with a 3.00 assist/turnover ratio.

• Senior guard Niko Bevens connected for 34 points in the two games while shooting 64.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Bevens opened with 15 points and three rebounds at Alaska on 5 of 8 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range. He then connected for 19 points, six rebounds and four assists against MSUB on 6 of 9 from the field and 5 of 8 from three-point range. Bevens is averaging 13.2 points per game and ranks 20th in Division II with a .453 three-point percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is fourth in the GNAC with 79.3 points per game and is averaging 33 rebounds per game. The Seawolves are fourth in Division II with 874 three-point attempts, sixth with a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio and 12th with 18.4 assists per game.

• Alaska Anchorage closes the regular season on the road, playing at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Concordia on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• The Wildcats split on its final homestand of the season. Central Washington lost to Western Oregon on Thursday, 71-61, before taking a 69-66 win from Concordia on Saturday.

• Senior guard Jeryn Lucas once again led the Wildcats offensively with 30 points in the two games. Lucas came off the bench for eight points and four rebounds in 22 minutes against Western Oregon. Returning to the starting lineup against Concordia, Lucas finished with 22 points on 8 of 15 from the field. Lucas leads the Wildcats with 13.9 points per game, is fifth in the GNAC with 2.69 three-pointers made per game and eighth with a .440 three-point percentage.

• Senior guard Davon Bolton contributed 28 points in the two contests. He led CWU with 21 points against Western Oregon, connecting on 8 of 17 from the field. He then scored seven points with four assists against Concordia. Bolton enters the week averaging 9.1 points per game.

• Junior forward Marqus Gilson was big on the glass with 18 rebounds last week. He pulled down 10 rebounds, including three offensive boards, against Western Oregon before pulling down equal amounts of offense and defensive rebounds for eight total against Concordia. Gilson is averaging five rebounds per game and is eighth in the GNAC with 1.92 offensive rebounds per game.

• Central Washington is averaging 73.7 points and 35.1 rebounds per game. The Wildcats rank third in the GNAC in rebounding defense (32.7) and are 18th in Division II with 14.6 personal fouls per game.

• Central Washington will close the season on the road, facing Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia dropped a pair of close games on the program’s final road trip, taking a 77-76 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a 69-66 loss at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior forward Dakota Ayala led Concordia once again with 31 points and 18 rebounds in the two games, making 73.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Ayala scored 15 points and had eight rebounds at Northwest Nazarene, making 5 of 7 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. He then notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Central Washington, shooting 7 of 8 from the field. Ayala is averaging 12.2 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with a .557 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard El-roi Butler finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds on the road trip. He scored 15 points in each game, shooting 6 of 11 from the field at Northwest Nazarene and 5 of 11 from the field and 4 of 9 from three-point range at Central Washington. For the week, Butler shot 50 percent from the field. He is averaging 6.2 points per game.

• Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet had totals of 17 points and 16 rebounds. Sweet notched a big double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds at Northwest Nazarene before adding four points at Central Washington. Sweet leads the Cavaliers with 12.3 points per game.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 69.5 points and 33.9 rebounds per game.

• Concordia will play its final games this week, hosting Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. The school announced earlier this month that it will cease operations at the end of the academic year.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped both games in its final road trip of the season, falling 71-68 to Alaska on Thursday and 87-73 to Alaska  Anchorage on Saturday.

• Senior guard Tyler Green led the Yellowjackets with 30 points and 11 assists on the road trip on 50 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point range. Green scored 15 points at Alaska, making all five of his seven shots from beyond the arc. He repeated the 15-point performance at Alaska Anchorage, making 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. Green is ninth in the GNAC with 15.2 points per game and is eighth in Division II with 232 three-point attempts. He also leads the GNAC with a .910 free-throw percentage (61-67).

• Junior forward Zharon Richmond finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the two games. Richmond opened the week with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists at Alaska. He then added 15 points at  Alaska Anchorage on 6 of 6 from field and 3 of 3 from three-point range. Richmond is seventh in the GNAC with 15.9 points per game and fifth with 7.3 rebounds per game. He is the only player to rank in the GNAC’s top-10 in both categories.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard had a quieter scoring week with 23 points in the two games. Howard connected for 13 points and six rebounds at Alaska, which included 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. He then scored 10 points at Alaska Anchorage. Howard is second in the GNAC in scoring at 20.6 points per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 75.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 37 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets rank third in Division II in fewest fouls with 331.

• Montana State Billings concludes the season at home, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene secured its spot in the GNAC Championships with two home wins, escaping with a 77-76 win over Concordia on Thursday before taking an 89-87 overtime win over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Senior forward Adalberto Diaz led the Nighthawks with 49 points and 16 rebounds in the two wins. Diaz came up big against Concordia with 21 points and nine rebounds on 10 of 15 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. Diaz added 22 points and seven rebounds against Western Oregon. For the week, Diaz made 54.5 percent from the field. Diaz is averaging 13 points and five rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Ezekiel Alley came off the bench for 39 points in the two games, making 54.2 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line. Alley finished with 14 points against Concordia and hit the two free throws late that secured the win. He then led the Nighthawks with 25 points in 25 minutes against Western Oregon on 9 of 13 from the field. Alley is sixth in the GNAC with 16.3 points per game.

• Freshman guard George Reidy finished with 25 points in the two games, paced by his 16-point performance against Western Oregon. Reidy is averaging 10.6 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 77 points per game and leads the GNAC with 38.3 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and rank 21st in Division II in field goal defense (.414). They also rank third in the GNAC with a .477 field goal percentage.

• Northwest Nazarene closes out the regular season on the road, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s saw its losing streak extend to six games following a 71-61 road loss to Western Washington on Thursday and an 82-74 road loss at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior guard CJ Jennings paced the Saints once again with 40 points in the two games. Jennings finished with 16  points and six rebounds at Western Washington, which included 6 of  8 from the free-throw line. He then led the Saints at Simon Fraser with 24 points on 9 of 17 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range. Jennings ranks eighth in the GNAC with 15.7 points per game and ranks fourth with 2.74 three-pointers made per game.

• Freshman guard Alex Schumacher connected for 28 points to go with six steals last week. Coming off the bench in both games, Schumacher opened with 18 points on 7 of 12 from the field at Western Washington before adding 10 points, four assists and four steals at Simon Fraser. Schumacher is averaging 13.5 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with 1.50 steals per game.

• Junior center Marky Adams contributed 23 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in the two games. Adams posted six points and seven reebounds at Western Washington and then finished with 17 points, six rebounds and four blocks at Simon Fraser. Adams is averaging 10.1 points per game, is second in the GNAC with 8.3 rebounds per game and is 21st in Division II with 1.96 blocks per game.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 72.5 points and 35.8 rebounds per game.

• The Saints close out the 2019-20 season at home, hosting Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific opened its border road trip with an 88-67 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday before seeing its six-game win streak snapped with a 73-68 loss at Western Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Harry Cavell led the Falcons with 38 points and 11 rebounds in the two games, shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. Cavell opened the week with 24 points and six rebounds at Simon Fraser, shooting 9 of 13 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. He then connected for 14 points and five rebounds at  Western Washington, which included 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Cavell is averaging 13.3 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 6.9 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Divant’e Moffitt contributed 36 points, 11 rebounds and six assists last week on 56.5 percent shooting from the field. He opened the week with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists at Simon Fraser, shooting 8 of 12  from the field. Moffitt added 16 points and five rebounds at Western Washington. Moffitt is fourth in the GNAC with 16.6 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 3.35 assists per game.

• Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC with 80.2 points per game and is averaging 33.7 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank 14th in Division II with a .500 field goal percentage while also ranking fourth in Division II with a .804 free-throw percentage.

• The loss to WWU dropped Seattle Pacific out of the NABC Division II Coaches Poll, but the Falcons are among teams receiving votes with 23. Seattle Pacific dropped one spot to No. 23 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and was No. 6 in the first NCAA Division II West Region Rankings of the season.

• Seattle Pacific will close the regular season at home, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday. The Falcons will also host next week’s GNAC Basketball Championships.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser clung to life in the GNAC Championships chase with a split, taking an 88-67 loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday before scoring an 82-74 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Senior guard Othniel Spence led the Clan with totals of 46 points and 13 rebounds in the two home games. Spence led SFU with 24 points and six rebounds against Seattle Pacific, making 9 of 21 from the field and 5 of 12 from three-point range. He then added 22 points against Saint Martin’s to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Spence is averaging 13.6 points per game.

• Junior forward Jasdeep Singh added 38 points and nine rebounds as he made 57.7 percent from the field. Singh came up just short of a double-double against Seattle Pacific with 21 points and eight rebounds on 8 of 15 from the field. He then added 17 points against Saint Martin’s on 7 of 11 from the field. Singh is fifth in the GNAC with 16.6 points per game.

• Senior guard Michael Provenzano connected for 24 points and nine assists, paced by his 14-point performance against Seattle Pacific and seven assists against Saint Martin’s. Provenzano is averaging 12 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 4.16 assists per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 79 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 36.5 rebounds per game. The Clan leads the league and ranks 29th in Division II with 8.56 steals per game.

• With a potential GNAC Championships spot still in the cards, the Clan will hit the road to play at Western Washington on Tuesday and at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split on its final regular-season road trip of the season, taking a 71-61 win over Central Washington on Thursday before seeing a four-game win streak end with an 89-87 overtime loss to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior guard Dalven Brushier led the Wolves with 41 points and 10 rebounds in the two games, making 53.8 percent from both the field and three-point range. Brushier opened the week with 18 points and six rebounds at Central Washington. He then connected for 23 points at Northwest Nazarene on 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 9 from three-point range. Brushier is third in the GNAC with 17.8 points per game and a .863 free-throw percentage (69-80).

• Sophomore John Morrill-Keeler contributed 24 points and 14 rebounds on the road trip. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in both contests, shooting 6 of 8 from the field at Central Washington while going 3 for 4 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line at Northwest Nazarene. Morrill-Keeler is averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Darius Lubom finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the two games. Lubom had his scoring high of 14 points at Central Washington while dealing three-of-a-kind at Northwest Nazarene with six points, six rebounds and six assists. Lubom is averaging 12.7 points per game and leads the GNAC  with 4.42 assists per game.

• Western Oregon leads the GNAC and is 21st in Division II with 86.3 points per game. The Wolves also lead the GNAC and Division II with a .820 free-throw percentage (260-318). They also lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II with a .416 three-point percentage.

• The Wolves were ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA West Region Rankings on the season, released last Wednesday.

• Western Oregon aims to secure its GNAC Championships berth at home, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington secured its spot in the GNAC Championships with two home wins, collecting a 71-68 victory over Saint Martin’s on Tuesday and a 73-68 win over Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Senior forward Trevor Jasinsky was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he finished with 43 points and 12 rebounds in the two wins, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range. Jasinsky opened the week with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks against Saint Martin’s on 8 of 13 from the field. He then led the Vikings with 22 points and six rebounds against Seattle Pacific on 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from the arc. Jasinsky leads the Vikings with 14.7 points per game.

• Freshman guard D’Angelo Minnis came alive for 24 points and 12 assists in the two games. Minnis scored 12 points in both games. He made 4 of 7 from both the field and three-point range against Saint Martin’s. Against Seattle Pacific, Minnis was just short of a double-double with nine assists on 5 of 9 from the field. Minnis is averaging 12.2 points per game and is 10th in the GNAC with 3.16 assists per game.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Green finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists last week, headlined by his 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks against  Seattle Pacific. Green is averaging 13.2 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with 2.19 offensive rebounds per game.

• The Vikings rank third in the GNAC with 80 points per game and second with 37.7 rebounds per game. Western also leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 5.3 blocked shots per game.

• Western Washington was ranked No. 9 in the first NCAA West Region Rankings of the season, released last Wednesday.

• Western Washington closes the regular season by hosting Simon Fraser on Tuesday before traveling to Montana State Billings on Thursday.