Tuesday, January 16, 2018
PORTLAND, Ore. – This week’s edition of GNAC Insider featured an athletic director and a pair of basketball players leading their respective teams to solid GNAC starts. Hosted by Rob Lowery tonight at 7 p.m., Pacific, Montana State Billings director of athletics Krista Montague, Alaska men’s basketball sophomore forward Michael Kluting and Seattle Pacific women’s basketball senior forward Erica Pagano joined the show.
In her fifth year as director of athletics of Montana State Billings, Montague has made academics a top priority. Last year, the Yellowjackets’ student-athletes posted a 3.21 GPA overall, which was among the highest in program history. Montana State Billings is also among 19 nation-wide finalists for the 2018 Division II Award of Excellence, an award that recognizes Division II institutions for its community engagement and service to its local communities. Montague is currently serving a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Committee and is the chair of the Division II West Region Women’s Basketball Committee.
Kluting has vastly improved in his sophomore campaign, logging valuable minutes for an Alaska team in the midst of a three-game win streak. The sophomore has made 11 starts in 14 appearances this season and is third on the team with 11.6 points per game. He also leads the Nanooks and is fourth in the GNAC with 7.6 rebounds per game. Alaska, the reigning Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week, sits tied in third place at 7-7, 5-3 GNAC with Seattle Pacific. The Nanooks return home this week to host Western Washington (13-3, 8-0 GNAC) on Thursday before taking on Simon Fraser (8-8, 2-6 GNAC) on Saturday.
Pagano has been a solid role player for the Falcons this season, averaging 6.4 points per game off the bench. The forward has appeared in all 15 games, logging two starts for 17.1 minutes per game. Pagano is averaging 2.7 rebounds per game and is shooting almost 47 percent from the field. Seattle Pacific (12-3, 6-2 GNAC) is tied for second with Northwest Nazarene and is currently riding a three-game win streak. The Falcons lead the GNAC in scoring defense (60.4) and is second in the league in field goal percentage defense (.371), rebounding margin (+6) and steals per game (10.9). Seattle Pacific hosts the Alaska schools this week inside Brougham Pavilion.