Tuesday, February 19, 2019

THREE IN, THREE TO GO: The field for the GNAC Championships is starting to round into form with the first three teams clinching berths this week.

As expected, Saint Martin’s punched its ticket first. The Saints clinched their third straight tournament berth on Thursday with a 73-41 win over Concordia and extended its win streak to four games with a 64-56 victory over Western Oregon on Saturday.

Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific both clinched trips to Bellingham with wins on Saturday. The Nighthawks clinched their first trip to the Championships since 2015 with a 104-75 rout of Alaska while the Falcons earned their eighth trip in nine years with a 78-50 win over Concordia.

Western Oregon looks to be the next team to earn a tournament berth. The Wolves face a pair of tough challenges at home in the New P.E. Building this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

The next milestone for Saint Martin’s would be to clinch the first GNAC regular-season title in program history. That distinction likely won’t be decided until next week as the Saints host Northwest Nazarene on Thurs., Feb. 28. The Saints own a one-game lead over the Nighthawks.

SIMON FRASER/WESTERN WASHINGTON POSTPONED: The scheduled Feb. 12 game between Simon Fraser and Western Washington, in Burnaby, B.C., was postponed due to the inclement weather in the Northwest. Both campuses were closed on Tuesday as snow continues to pile up in both communities. The game has been rescheduled for Tues., Feb. 26, in Burnaby. The Clan and Vikings both look to try and surge to gain a GNAC Championships berth as both teams are tied for seventh at 6-9.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC Players have been recognized with all-tournament team honors during the 2018-19 season...

PacWest/GNAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 9 & 10 at Honolulu): Spencer Sweet (UAF), Tyler Brimhall (UAA).

CCAA/GNAC Challenge (Nov. 9 & 10 at La Jolla, Calif.): Trevor Jasinsky (WWU), Othniel Spence (SFU).

Concordia Oxford Suites Classic (Nov. 16 & 17 at Portland): Obi Megwa (NNU, Most Valuable Player), Adonis Arms (NNU), Hunter Sweet (CU).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Obi Megwa
Northwest Nazarene
G • 6-0 • Sr. • Phoenix, Ariz.

Megwa led the Nighthawks as they clinched their first GNAC Championships berth in four years with 57 points, seven rebounds and six assists in two home wins, shooting 65.7 percent from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Arms shared top scoring honors in Thursday’s 87-77 win over Alaska Anchorage with 23 points, connecting on 9 of 16 from the field and 4 for 5 from the free throw line. He then led all scorers with 34 points in Saturday’s 104-75 victory over Alaska, making 14 of 19 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to go with three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Also Nominated: Brennan Rymer (Alaska Anchorage), Gamaun Boykin (Central Washington), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Rhett Baerlocher (Saint Martin’s), Michael Provenzano (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska lost both games on last week’s road trip, taking an 84-65 loss at Central Washington on Thursday and a 104-75 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior forward Michael Kluting finished with 31 points and 25 rebounds to lead the Nanooks. Kluting finished with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds at Central Washington, making 7 of 12 from the field. He repeated the performance with 16 points and 13 rebounds at Northwest Nazarene. Kluting is averaging 12.4 points per game and leads the GNAC with 8.5 rebounds per contest.

• Junior guard Tymoryae Glover scored 22 points in the two games. The bulk of his production came at Central Washington where he finished with 16 points on 7 of 19 from the field with two rebounds and three assists. Glover is the Nanooks’ leading scorer with 13.6 points per game.

• Senior guard Isaiah Easaw dished out 13 assists in the two road games, led by a seven-assist performance at Central Washington. Easaw has 62 total assists on the season, averaging 4.13 assists per game in 15 games.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 70.2 points and 31.8 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.739).

• The Nanooks will play all four of their remaining games in Alaska. They host Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage succeeded in a split on its road trip, taking an 87-77 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before beating Central Washington on Saturday, 92-85.

• Junior guard/forward Tyler Brimhall led Alaska Anchorage once again with 40 points and 13 rebounds on the trip, connecting on 53.8 percent from the field. Brimhall led the Seawolves with 19 points at Northwest Nazarene to go with four rebounds and three assists. He finished just short of a double-double at Central Washington with 21 points and nine rebounds. Brimhall is fourth in the GNAC at 18 points per game and is sixth at 6.7 rebounds per contest.

• Sophomore guard Brennan Rymer just missed a triple-double at Central Washington as he went off for 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. He made 10 of 13 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Rymer is averaging 9.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 4.21 assists per game.

• Senior forward Brian Pearson connected for 26 points in the two games, including 15 points at Central Washington in a game where all five starters scored in double figures. He made 6 of 8 from the field to go with eight rebounds. Pearson is averaging 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week averaging 73.2 points and 32.3 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank 30th in Division II with 16.6 assists per game and are also second in the GNAC with a .385 three-point percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage closes the regular season with four games at home at the Alaska Airlines Center. The Seawolves host Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split a pair of home contests. The Wildcats snapped a six-game losing streak with an 84-65 win over Alaska on Thursday before taking a 92-85 loss to Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Freshman forward Zellie Hudson led the Wildcats with 31 points and 10 rebounds in the two games, making 50 percent of his shots from the field. Hudson scored seven points and had four rebounds against Alaska and then led CWU with 24 points and six rebounds against Alaska Anchorage, making 8 of 14 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line. Hudson is averaging 7.8 points per games in 24 games and 12 starts.

• Senior guard Malik Montoya added 28 points off the bench in the two games as he shot 57.1 percent from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range. Montoya finished with 16 points against Alaska, making 4 of 5 from outside and 4 of 4 from the free throw line to go with seven rebounds and four assists. He then added 12 points against Alaska Anchorage. Montoya is averaging 9.8 points per game.

• Freshman forward Matt Poquette scored 25 points against the Alaska schools and led all scorers against Alaska with 17 points on 6 of 7 from the field Poquette enters the week averaging 10 points per game.

• Central Washington enters the week third in the GNAC in scoring at 82 points per game while averaging 33.6 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.744).

• Central Washington travels to Oregon this week, facing Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia lost both games in the Puget Sound region last week, dropping a 73-41 decision at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and a 78-50 game at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior forward Dakota Ayala led the Cavaliers with his 17 points in the two games. All of those points came at Seattle Pacific as he connected on 7 of 14 from the field with three rebounds and two blocks. Ayala enters the week averaging 6.1 points per game.

• Senior guard Tyler Wells scored 16 points in the two games with 11 of those points coming at Seattle Pacific on 4 of 7 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. Wells is averaging six points per game and has started 18 of 21 contests this season.

• Senior guard Cory Starr led the Cavaliers at Saint Martin’s with 12 points in 25 minutes off the bench, connecting on 4 of 9 from the field. Starr is averaging 9.3 points per game.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 72.6 points per game and 34.2 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are fourth in the GNAC with a .738 free throw percentage.

• Concordia plays its final home games of the season this week, hosting Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings kept itself in the GNAC Championships picture with two wins in the team’s home finale. The Yellowjackets claimed an 83-60 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday and a 94-90 win over Western Washington on Saturday.

• Freshman forward Brendan Howard continues to pace MSUB offensively, finishing with 40 points and 14 rebounds in the two games. He opened the week with 20 points and six rebounds against Simon Fraser, making 7 of 15 from the field. He dropped 20 more points against Western Washington to go with eight rebounds and a 7 of 7 night from the free throw line. Howard is sixth in the GNAC with 15.5 points per game and leads MSUB with 5.1 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Tyler Green added 31 points and nine assists in the two games, shooting 50 percent from the field. Green scored 11 points on 5 of 10 from the field against Simon Fraser before sharing top scoring honors with 20 points and seven rebounds against Western Washington. Green is fifth in the GNAC with 16.6 points per game and is 21st in Division II with a .444 three-point percentage.

• Montana State Billings enters the week fourth in the GNAC with 81 points per game while averaging 36.1 rebounds per contest. The Yellowjackets are third in the GNAC with 9.42 three-pointers made per game.

• The Yellowjackets will finish the regular season with four straight games on the road, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene clinched its first GNAC Championships since 2015 with an 87-77 win over Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 104-75 win over Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior guard Obi Megwa was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after scoring 57 points in the two games, shooting 65.7 percent from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Megwa shared top scoring honors with 23 points against UAA, making 9 of 16 from the field. He then went off for 34 points against Alaska, connecting on 14 of 19 from the field to go with three rebounds and five assists. Megwa is third in the GNAC with 19 points per game and 1.55 steals per contest.

• Junior guard Adonis Arms contributed 34 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in the two games. He shared top honors with Megwa with 23 points against UAA to go with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals despite an illness. Arms returned to score 11 points against Alaska. Arms leads the GNAC with 20.7 points per game and is 25th in Division II with a .588 field goal percentage.

• Sophomore guard Sam Roth scored 20 of his 24 points for the week against Alaska, connecting on 8 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range to go with seven rebounds. Roth enters the week averaging 6.6 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC in scoring and is 24th in Division II with 86.1 points per game. The Nighthawks also lead the league and are 10th in Division II with a .514 field goal percentage. They also rank 24th in Division II with 28.45 defensive rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene returned to the NABC Division II Coaches Poll, ranking No. 25 after dropping out of the poll for a week. The Nighthawks continue to receive votes in the D2SIDA Media Poll.

• The Nighthawks make their final road trip of the regular season this week, playing at Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s clinched its third straight trip to the GNAC Championships with a 73-41 home win over Concordia on Thursday and a 64-56 win over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Senior guard Rhett Baerlocher led the Saints with 22 points and 17 rebounds in the two games. After scoring just five points and five rebounds against Concordia, Baerlocher notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds against Western Oregon. He made 6 of 11 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Baerlocher is averaging 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard EJ Boyce scored 24 points in the two games. He led all scorers with 19 points against Concordia, making 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range to go with two rebounds and four assists. Boyce leads the Saints with 12.8 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 2.96 three-pointers made per game.

• Senior guard Luke Chavez added 23 points in the home games, which included 12 points in the win over Concordia. Chavez is averaging 12.1 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with 2.09 three-pointers made per game.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 77.5 points and 33.7 rebounds per game. The Saints are 20th in Division II in three-point defense (.316), 21st in three-pointers made per game (10.8) and 29th in both three-pointers made (260) and turnovers per game (11.1).

• Saint Martin’s climbed two more spots to No. 12 in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and three spots to No. 11 in the D2SIDA Media Poll. The Saints are No. 1 in the final D2SIDA West Region Rankings of the season.

• Saint Martin’s will play at Seattle Pacific on Tuesday before playing its home finale against Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific earned its eighth trip to the GNAC Championships with a pair of home victories, 66-57 over Western Oregon on Thursday and 78-50 over Concordia on Saturday.

• Senior forward Coleman Wooten led the Falcons with 29 points and 13 rebounds last week, connecting on 62.5 percent from the field and 85 percent from three-point range. Wooten opened with 13 points and six rebounds against Western Oregon and then added 16 points and seven rebounds against Concordia, making 6 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from the three-point line. Wooten is averaging 12.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC with seven rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Harry Cavell registered 21 points and 11 rebounds in the two games. He finished with 12 points with four rebounds against Western Oregon, making 5 of 7 from the field. Cavell then added nine points against Concordia. Cavell is averaging 10.4 points per game.

• Senior forward Nathan Streufert scored 18 points and had 17 rebounds in the contests, led by a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds against Western Oregon. Streufert is averaging 8.5 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 6.5 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 79.4 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 37.6 rebounds per game. The Falcons are second in the GNAC and 17th in Division II with a .498 field goal percentage. They are also 28th in Division II in fewest turnovers with 266 and 29th in fewest fouls with 362.

• Seattle Pacific wraps its 2018-19 home schedule this week with games against Central Washington on Tuesday and Montana State Billings on Thursday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser lost its lone game of the week, taking an 83-60 loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday to snap a three-game win streak. The Feb. 12 scheduled contest against Western Washington was moved to Tues., Feb. 26 due to snow.

• Junior guard Michael Provenzano led the Clan with 17 points to go with four rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. He shot 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. Provenzano is averaging 10.7 points per game and leads the GNAC with his 4.78 assists per contest.

• Sophomore forward Jasdeep Singh finished with 13 points in the loss on 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. He also had four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Singh is averaging 10.3 points per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 80.8 points per game and is ranked fourth in the GNAC at 36.2 rebounds per game. The Clan ranks third in the GNAC with a .471 field goal percentage and is second with 16.22 assists per game. Individually, sophomore center Julian Roche is eighth in the GNAC with 14.3 points per game and fifth with 6.8 rebounds per game. He also ranks 30th in Division II with a .579 field goal percentage.

• The Clan will take the Alaska road trip this week, playing at Alaska on Thursday and at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took a pair of losses on the road last week, dropping a 66-57 decision to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a 64-56 game to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior guard Dalven Brushier led the Wolves with 25 points in the two games. He led all scorers with 15 points at Seattle Pacific, making 5 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free throw line. Brushier then contributed 10 points along with five rebounds at Saint Martin’s. Brushier enters the week averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Senior forward Kaleb Warner added 21 points in the two games, led by his 12 points at Saint Martin’s on 4 of 9 from the field and 2 of 7 from three-point range. Warner is averaging 11.9 points per game.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 78.4 points and 35.5 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC and rank 13th in Division II in scoring defense (65.7 points allowed per game) while ranking 20th in Division II in scoring margin (12.7) and 27th in assist/turnover ratio (1.41).

• Western Oregon hopes to clinch a GNAC Championships berth in its final two home games of the season, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington took a loss in its only game of the week, a 94-90 defeat at Montana State Billings on Saturday. The Feb. 12 scheduled game at Simon Fraser was moved to Tues., Feb. 26, due to snow.

• Junior forward Cameron Retherford led the Vikings in the loss with 19 points, connecting on 6 of 9 from the field to go with five rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Retherford is averaging 8.2 points per game and has 16 blocks on the season.

• Junior guard Leif Anderson added 14 points as he made 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. Anderson enters the week averaging 8.5 points per game.

• Junior forward Trevor Jasinsky contributed 12 points to go with six rebounds. Jasinsky is second in the GNAC with 19.7 points per game and fourth with seven rebounds per game. He is also is second in the league with a .884 free throw percentage and 20th in Division II with 130 free throws made.

• Western Washington enters the week second in the GNAC with 82 points per game and 38 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and are 15th in Division II with 4.4 blocked shots per game. They also lead the league and rank 21st in Division II with a .782 free throw percentage.

• The Vikings will play in Alaska this week, playing at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and at Alaska on Saturday.