Tuesday, January 7, 2020

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE: By the time the results of the second week of conference play had been reported, there was just one undefeated team.

There doesn’t seem to be anyone who can stop Seattle Pacific right now. After losing four games to start the season, the Falcons ran their win streak to eight games with an 83-76 win over Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and an 86-68 win over Alaska on Saturday. While improving to 4-0 in conference play, SPU handed both Alaska teams their first conference losses of the season.

Thanks to its superior efforts on the floor, Seattle Pacific was selected as the GNAC Team of the Week. In the wins, SPU shot 48 percent from the floor and went 29 of 32 from the free throw line. The Falcons also out-rebounded the Alaska schools by an average of 10 boards per game.

“This is the best post-Christmas prep that our guys have ever had,” head coach Grant Leep said. “They’ve been handling things with maturity and energy that are infectious. It’s fun to come to practice every day and they do such a great job of absorbing information and then applying it on the court.”

Freshman forward Shaw Anderson was selected as the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field. His week was punctuated by a 33-point performance against the Nanooks.
Seattle Pacific will put its win streak on the line in Oregon this week, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

WOLVES, VIKINGS SWEEP THE WEEK: Western Oregon and Western Washington joined Seattle Pacific with a pair of 2-0 weeks.

The Wolves improved to 8-2 on the season while claiming the program’s first conference wins of the season with a 94-73 victory over Concordia on Thursday and an 88-76 victory over Montana State Billings on Saturday. After dropping both conference games to the Alaska schools in December, Western Oregon has won three straight. That streak started on December 20 with a 91-75 win over nationally-ranked Dixie State.

Western Oregon is performing well under first-year head coach Wes Pifer, leading the conference and ranking among Division II’s top-20 teams in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage.

The Vikings, meanwhile, extended their current win streak to four games with an 80-69 victory over Central Washington on Thursday and an 84-59 romp over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday. In the wins, WWU shot 49.1 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range while holding a 21-8 advantage in steals. The first half was the best half for the Vikings, outscoring their foes 85-54.

Both WOU and WWU will have significant tests this week. Western Oregon will host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday. Western Washington heads to Alaska for games against Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage 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
Shaw Anderson
Seattle Pacific
F • 6-6 • Fr. • Kelso, Wash.

Anderson paced Seattle Pacific to two more GNAC wins with 44 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. He shot 61.5 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from three-point range and went 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Anderson opened with 11 points and six rebounds in Thursday’s 83-76 win over Alaska Anchorage. He then came alive for 33 points, nine rebounds and three assists in Saturday’s 86-68 win over Alaska. He connected on 12 of 16 from the field, 4 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line.

Also Nominated: Oggie Pantovic (Alaska Anchorage), Kevin Baker (Central Washington), Dakota Ayala (Concordia), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Julian Roche (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon), Siaan Rojas (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska split in its return to GNAC play, collecting a 98-88 win at Saint Martin’s on Thursday before taking an 86-68 loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday. The loss was the Nanooks’ first GNAC defeat of the season.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz continues to impress, scoring 45 points in the two games. He did most of his damage at the free throw line, making 16 of 18 on the week. Shabazz finished with 30 points at Saint Martin’s, connecting on 10 of 20 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free throw line with four steals. It was his second 30-plus point performance of the season. Shabazz closed the week with 15 points at Seattle Pacific, which included 9 of 9 from the free throw line. Shabazz is second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II in scoring at 21.7 points per game. He also leads the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with 2.92 steals per game.

• Junior guard Koby Huerta registered 35 points over the week and was a perfect 8 of 8 from the free throw line. He opened with a 21-point performance at Saint Martin’s, making 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. Huerta finished with 14 points at Seattle Pacific. He enters the week averaging 9.3 points per game.

• As a team, Alaska shot 92.8 percent from the free throw line in the two games (39-42). Four players were perfect from the line, including Huerta, junior forward Alex Sommerfield, senior guard Quinn Daugharty and freshman forward Mawich Kachjanni. The Nanooks are second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with a .777 free throw percentage.

• Alaska is averaging 74.3 points and 30.8 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are fourth in the GNAC with 6.4 steals per game.

• Alaska returns home this week to host Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• The Seawolves split in the Puget Sound region last week, dropping an 83-76 decision at Seattle Pacific on Thursday before scoring a big 96-57 win at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• While the loss at Seattle Pacific was UAA’s first conference loss of the season, the 39-point win at Saint Martin’s was the Seawolves’ largest for a road game in the GNAC era.

• Senior guard Niko Bevens led the Seawolves with 32 points on the road trip. After scoring a quiet nine points at Seattle Pacific, all on three-pointers, Bevens connected for 23 points at Saint Martin’s. All but two free throws of those 23 came from beyond the arc. Bevens leads the Seawolves in scoring at 13.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is ninth in Division II with 3.73 three-pointers made per game while ranking 25th nationally with a .463 three-point percentage. Bevens also leads Division II with 56 three-pointers made.

• Junior forward Oggie Pantovic finished with 29 points and 21 rebounds, collecting a double-double in both games. Pantovic finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds at Seattle Pacific on 7 of 11 from the field. He then added 13 points and 11 rebounds at Saint Martin’s on 6 of 8 from the field. Pantovic is averaging 11.8 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 6.9 rebounds per game. He is also 24th in Division II with a .598 field goal percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is fourth in the GNAC with 78.4 points per game while also averaging 34.1 rebounds per game. The Seawolves rank fourth in Division II with 458 three-pointers made, fifth with 278 total assists and 12th with 11.9 three-pointers made per game.

• Alaska Anchorage returns home to host Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington dropped both road games on its return to GNAC play, taking an 80-69 loss at Western Washington on Thursday and a 75-57 loss to Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Senior guard Davon Bolton was the Wildcats’ leading scorer with 22 points in the two games. Bolton did his most damage at Western Washington, scoring 18 points on 5 of 10 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Bolton enters the week averaging 9.5 points per game.

• Junior forward Kevin Baker came up with 21 points and 12 rebounds last week, shooting 52.9 percent from the field. Baker opened with eight points and seven rebounds at Western Washington before adding 13 points on 5 of 8 from the field and five rebounds at Simon Fraser. Baker leads the Wildcats in scoring at 13.3 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Matt Poquette finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. He just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds with two blocks at Western Washington and then finished with nine points and four rebounds at Simon Fraser. Poquette is averaging 8.8 points per game and leads CWU with 5.3 rebounds per contest. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with one blocked shot per game.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 76.3 points and 35.7 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are fourth in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.479), rank 24th in Division II with 14.7 personal fouls per game and 26th in fewest fouls with 176.

• Central Washington continues its road trip with contests at Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday and at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia dropped a pair of contests in its return to GNAC play, falling 94-73 at Western Oregon on Tuesday and 85-73 at home to Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior forward Dakota Ayala came up big for the Cavaliers with 40 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists over the week, shooting 55.1 percent from the field.  Ayala opened with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists at Western Oregon. Against MSUB, Ayala finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists as he connected on 10 of 15 from the field. Ayala is averaging 13 points and 5.2  rebounds per game and ranks seventh in the GNAC with a .584 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds in the two games. Sweet led the Cavaliers with 19 points at Western Oregon and just missed a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds against MSUB. Sweet is sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 16 points per game and is second with 34.33 minutes played per game.

• Junior guard Russell Tillery added 26 points, paced by his 15 points against MSUB on 6 of 12 from the field. Tillery is averaging 7.2 points per game.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 72.8 points and 32.9 rebounds per game.

• The Cavaliers continue a three-game homestand this week, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings procured a split on its Oregon road trip, taking an 88-76 loss to Western Oregon on Thursday and an 85-73 win at Concordia on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard finished with 48 points and 15 rebounds in the two games to lead the Yellowjackets. Howard opened with 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists at Western Oregon, connecting on 9 of 14 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range and 8 of 10 from the free throw line. He then added 20 points and eight rebounds at Concordia, making 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Howard leads the GNAC and is 22nd in Division II with 22.2 points per game. He is also second in the GNAC with 8.7 rebounds per game and 19th in Division II with 106 field goals made.

• Junior guard Psalm Maduakor added 24 points and 13 rebounds over the two games. After opening with nine points and five rebounds at Western Oregon, Maduakor just missed a double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds at Concordia, connecting on 6 of 8 from the field. Maduakor is averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

• Junior forward Zharon Richmond also connected for 23 points and 15 rebounds. He had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds at Western Oregon before finishing with 11 points and five rebounds at Concordia. Richmond has played in just four games this season and is averaging 17.5 points per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 74.7 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 37.7 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are third in the GNAC with 3.17 blocked shots per game, rank seventh in Division II with 13.3 personal fouls per game and ninth in fewest fouls (159).

• Montana State Billings plays its first GNAC home games of the season this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split in its first games in nearly a month, scoring a 74-71 win at Simon Fraser on Thursday before taking an 84-59 loss at Western Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Ezekiel Alley led the Nighthawks with 31 points as he connected on 59 percent from the field. Alley opened with 16 points at Simon Fraser as he made 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range to go with two assists and four steals. He then finished with 15 points at Western Washington on 7 of 12 from the field. Alley is averaging 13.4 points per game in eight games off the bench.

• Senior forward Adalberto Diaz added 23 points and 10 rebounds on the road trip. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds at Simon Fraser on 7 of 15 from the field. Diaz then finished with eight points at Western Washington. Diaz enters the week averaging 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

• Freshman guard George Reidy had 22 points on the trip, headlined by his 16 points on 7 of 10 from the field at Simon Fraser. Senior guard Jayden Bezzant had 21 points, led by his 11 points in Burnaby. Reidy leads the Nighthawks with 13.7 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 69.8 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with 37.9 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC in field goal percentage defense (.425) and defensive rebounds per game (27.78). They are also 11th in Division II in fewest turnovers (126) and fifth in fewest fouls (150).

• Northwest Nazarene will host Central Washington on Tuesday before traveling to Montana State Billings on Thursday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s took losses to both Alaska schools at home last week, dropping a 98-88 decision to the Nanooks on Thursday and a 96-57 game to the Seawolves on Saturday.

• Junior guard CJ Cummings led the Saints with 45 points in the two games, connecting on 51.6 percent from the field. He provided consistent play, scoring 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting against Alaska and 23 points on 8 of 17 from the field and 6 of 12 from three-point range against Alaska Anchorage. Cummings is ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 14.9 points per game.

• Freshman guard Alex Schumacher added 33 points in the two games. He came up big with 23 points against Alaska on 8 of 13 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range before scoring 10 points against Alaska Anchorage. Schumacher is averaging 14.2 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 1.69 steals per game.

• Junior center Marky Adams finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds, notching a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds against Alaska before adding five points and four rebounds against Alaska Anchorage. Adams leads the GNAC with 8.8 rebounds per game and is eighth in Division II with seven double-doubles.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 75.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 37.8 rebounds per game. The Saints rank second in the GNAC with 27.23 defensive rebounds per game.

• The Saints travel to Oregon this week to face Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific ran its win streak to eight games with two home victories, defeating Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, 83-76, and Alaska on Saturday, 86-68.

• For its efforts in handing both Alaska teams their first conference losses of the season, the Falcons were selected as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Freshman forward Shaw Anderson was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he finished with 44 points and 15 rebounds in the two games. He shot 61.5 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from three-point range and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Anderson opened the week with 11 points and six rebounds against Alaska Anchorage. He then went off for 33 points and nine rebounds against Alaska, connecting on 12 of 16 from the field, 4 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line. A starter in the first 12 games of his career, Anderson is averaging 11.2 points and five rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Divant’e Moffitt finished with 32 points and 10 assists to open 2020. Moffitt scored 18 points and had five assists against Alaska Anchorage and then added 14 points and five more assists against Alaska. Moffitt finished the week shooting 50 percent from the field. Moffitt leads the Falcons in scoring at 14.1 points per game, is tied for ninth in the GNAC with 3.08 assists per game and is 10th with a .784 free throw percentage.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 76.2 points and 33 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 70.7 points per game, and rank second in field goal percentage (.494).

• The Falcons returned to the D2SIDA West Region Rankings for the first time since the preseason rankings, hitting No. 7 this week.

• Seattle Pacific heads to Oregon for two games this week, playing at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split in its return to conference play. The Clan lost to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, 74-71, before taking a 75-57 win from Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior center Julian Roche led the Clan in the two games with 23 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks. He shot 50 percent from the field. Roche opened the week with six points, 10 rebounds and two blocks against Northwest Nazarene before notching a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds with three blocks and two steals against Central Washington. Roche is averaging 10 points per game, ranks ninth in the GNAC with 6.7 rebounds per game and sixth with 0.92 blocks per game.

• Senior guard Othniel Spence registered 22 points and nine rebounds over the week, led by his 15 points, four rebounds and three steals against Northwest Nazarene. Spence is averaging 12.9 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Wilfried Balata added 21 points and 14 rebounds. He had nine points and eight rebounds against Northwest Nazarene before finishing with 12 points and six rebounds against Central Washington. Balata is seventh in the GNAC with 15.8 points per game.

• Simon Fraser is third in the GNAC in scoring with 82.4 points per game and is fifth in rebounding at 36.8 per game. The Clan leads the GNAC and ranks ninth in Division II with 10.3 steals per game. They are also 11th in Division II in total steals (134), turnover margin (6.2) and turnovers per game (10.6).

• Simon Fraser makes the Alaska trip for its first GNAC road trip of the season, playing at Fairbanks on Thursday and Anchorage on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon evened its conference record to 2-2 with a 94-73 win over Concordia on Tuesday and an 88-76 win over Montana State Billings on Thursday. The Wolves have the GNAC’s best overall record at 8-2.

• Senior guard Dalven Brushier led the Wolves in the two games with 35 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 52 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. Brushier opened the week with a near triple-double of 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against Concordia. He then scored 21 points against Montana State Billings on 7 of 15 from the field. Brushier ranks third in the GNAC in scoring with 18.6 points per game and ranks eighth with 3.20 assists per game.

• Junior guard Darius Lubom also scored 35 points in the two games to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Lubom scored 16 points against Concordia with three rebounds, two blocks and two steals. He then scored 19 against MSUB on 7 of 9 from the field with four rebounds. Lubom is eighth in the GNAC with 15.4 points per game.

• Sophomore forward John Morrill-Keeler added 20 points and 15 rebounds in his two starts. The ledger included a near double-double of 14 points and nine rebounds against Concordia along with six points and six rebounds against MSUB. Morrill-Keeler is averaging 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

• Western Oregon is second in the GNAC in scoring with 84.3 points per game and is averaging 31.6 rebounds per contest. The Wolves lead the GNAC in field goal percentage (.503), three-point percentage (.424) and free throw percentage (.799). They rank fourth in Division II in three-point percentage, 13th in free throw percentage and 17th in field goal percentage.

• Western Oregon is ranked No. 24 in this week’s NABC Division II Coaches Poll. It is the first national ranking for the GNAC since the preseason poll.

• The Wolves will conclude a four-game GNAC homestand this week, hosting Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington ran its win streak to four games with two home wins, knocking off Central Washington 80-69 on Thursday before dispatching Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, 84-59.

• Senior guard/forward Siaan Rojas led the Vikings with totals of 27 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists, shooting 50 percent from both the field and three-point line. Rojas opened with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks against Central Washington. He then etched a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds against Northwest Nazarene on 6 of 8 from the field. Rojas is averaging 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

• Senior forward Trevor Jasinsky added 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks in the home games. He finished with 20 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks against Central Washington on 7 of 14 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. Jasinsky added 10 points, five rebounds and four assists against Northwest Nazarene. Jasinsky is fifth in the GNAC with 16.7 points per game and a .836 free throw percentage and is tied for fourth with 3.75 assists per game.

• The Vikings enter the week leading the GNAC with 84.7 points and 38.4 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II with 5.08 blocked shots per game while ranking 25th with 17.3 assists per game. Individually, senior center Logan Schilder leads the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with 1.82 blocked shots per game.

• Western Washington is 10th in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings, returning to the poll for the first time since Dec. 1.

• The Vikings will take to the road this week, traveling to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.