Wednesday, February 12, 2020
THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Yazmeen Goo
Alaska Anchorage
G • 5-10 • Sr. • Daly City, Calif.
While averaging 11.5 points per game in wins at Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, Goo led the Seawolves on defense as they solidified their spot in first place. Goo scored just seven points in Thursday’s win at NNU but anchored a defense that held the Nighthawks to 23 points under their season average. Goo then scored a season-high 16 points in Saturday’s win at CWU, connecting on 5 of 8 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Also Nominated: Kassidy Malcolm (Central Washington), Dorcas Wu (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), McKenna Emerson (Northwest Nazarene), Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s), Ozioma Nwabuko (Simon Fraser), Keyonna Jones (Western Oregon), Lexie Bland (Western Washington).
AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska lost 91-69 at Central Washington on Thursday before losing at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, 93-72.
• Jocelyn Gandara led the Nanooks in scoring again with 51 points in the two games to go with 19 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Gandara opened the week with 33 points, nine rebounds and three assists at CWU as she connected on 8 of 18 from the field, 2 of 4 from three-point range and 15 of 16 from the free-throw line. She closed the week with 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals at NNU. Gandara leads the GNAC in scoring with 18.9 points per game.
• Sam Tolliver finished the week with totals of 30 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Her week was highlighted by a 17-point performance in Nampa.
• The Nanooks already played a game this week, losing at Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday, 90-36.
• The Nanooks will finish the week on the road, playing at Montana State Billings on Saturday.
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 2-0 last week, defeating Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, 68-54, and Central Washington on Saturday, 67-59, to solidify itself in first place.
• Yazmeen Goo was named the GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 11.5 points per game and sparked a strong defensive effort by the Seawolves. Goo scored just seven points at NNU but helped to limit the Nighthawks to 23 points under their season average. She then scored a season-high 16 points at CWU, connecting on 5 of 8 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line.
• Tannae Voliva finished with totals of 24 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, two blocks and an assist as she scored 12 points in both games. She made 55.6 percent from the field on the week.
• The Seawolves already played a game this week, beating in-state rival Alaska at home on Tuesday, 90-36.
• Alaska Anchorage remains ranked No. 8 in the latest WBCA National rankings and also ranks No. 9 in the D2SIDA poll. The Seawolves are ranked No. 2 in the D2SIDA West Region Rankings for the third straight week.
• Alaska Anchorage is 23-2 overall (13-1 GNAC). The Seawolves will finish the week on the road, playing at Montana State Billings on Thursday.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split at home against the Alaska schools with a 91-69 victory over the Nanooks on Thursday and a 67-59 loss to the Seawolves on Saturday.
• Kassidy Malcolm put up a pair of double-figure performances last week. She opened the week with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds to go with two assists on 8 of 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line against the Nanooks. She finished the week with 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists against the Seawolves on 6 of 13 from the field.
• Alexis Pana finished the week with totals of 31 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, four steals and a block, connecting on 50 percent from the field and from beyond the arc. Pana scored 15 points against UAF then followed with 16 points against UAA.
• The Wildcats are among others receiving votes in the D2SIDA West Region Rankings for the fourth straight week.
• Central Washington is 13-9 overall and sits in fifth place with an 8-6 conference mark. The Wildcats will take to the road this week, playing at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday.
CONCORDIA
• Concordia split its week with an 83-73 victory at in-state rival Western Oregon on Tuesday and a 74-50 loss at Montana State Billings on Saturday.
• Dorcas Wu led the Cavaliers in scoring with 38 points in the two games while making 68.4 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from outside and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line. Wu opened the week with 21 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds at WOU then finished the week with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals at MSUB. She ranks fifth in the GNAC with 1.1 blocks per game and 18th with 4.9 rebounds per game.
• Riley Friauf finished the week with totals of 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Her week was highlighted by an 18-point, eight-rebound performance in Monmouth. Friauf connected on 55 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line. She is 12th in the conference with six rebounds per game, 16th with a .448 field goal percentage and 27th in scoring with 10 points per game.
• The Cavs will return home this week to host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings won both of its games over the Oregon schools at home last week, scoring an 87-75 overtime victory over Western Oregon on Thursday and a 74-50 win over Concordia on Saturday.
• Taryn Shelley recorded back-to-back doubles in the two wins, connecting on 56.7 percent from the field. Shelley scored 23 points to go with 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block against the Wolves then followed with 13 points and 14 rebounds against the Cavs. She is ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 13.2 points per game while also ranking third with 8.4 rebounds per game and fourth with 1.1 blocks per game.
• Jeanann Lemelin finished the week with totals of 32 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals and a block while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. Lemelin dropped 20 points and added four assists, three rebounds and three steals against the Wolves then followed with 12 points and two assists against the Cavs.
• Hannah Collins scored 30 points to go with 12 rebounds, nine assists and three steals in the two games. Her week was highlighted by 17 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Wolves.
• Montana State Billings improved to 12-11 overall and sits in sixth place with a 7-7 conference mark. The Yellowjackets will stay home this week to host Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.
NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split with the Alaska schools at home last week, falling 68-54 to the Seawolves on Thursday before bouncing back to top the Nanooks on Saturday, 93-72.
• Erin Jenkins led the Nighthawks with 26 points to go with 11 rebounds. She opened the week with 10 points and six rebounds against the Seawolves then led NNU with 16 points on 5 of 10 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to go with five rebounds against the Nanooks.
• McKenna Emerson finished the week with totals of 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block. She scored 11 points in both games, connecting on 46.7 percent from the field.
• The Nighthawks rank third in Division II with 13.7 steals per game, fifth with 302 total steals and eighth with a +8.14 turnover margin. Marina Valles leads the GNAC and ranks ninth in Division II with 69 steals and 3.14 steals per game.
• The Nighthawks moved up one spot to No. 6 in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings.
• Northwest Nazarene is now 16-6 overall and sits in a tie for second place with Simon Fraser with an 11-3 conference mark. The Nighthawks will hit the road this week, playing at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.
SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split at home last week, losing 65-55 to Simon Fraser on Thursday before pulling off a 71-63 upset of Western Washington on Saturday.
• Bria Thames scored in double digits in both games, connecting on 45.8 percent from the field. Thames opened the week with 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss to the Clan then recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds against the Vikings. She is ninth in Division II with 11.6 rebounds per game and 20th with 11 double-doubles while also ranking fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 14.7 points per game.
• Tierney DeDonatis scored 27 points on the week to go with six rebounds, four assists and a steal. Her top performance came on Saturday as she dropped 24 points on 7 of 12 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to lead the Saints over the Vikings. DeDonatis is second in the conference with a .429 three-point percentage.
• Janealle Sutterlict scored 17 points in both games, making 45.8 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. She also totaled six assists, four rebounds and two steals on the week. Sutterlict is fourth in the conference with a .400 three-point percentage.
• With six games remaining, the Saints are tied for seventh place with a 5-9 conference mark. The Saints will head down Interstate 5 this week to play at Concordia on Thursday and at Western Oregon on Saturday.
SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific went 0-2 at home last week with losses to Western Washington (77-62) on Thursday and Simon Fraser (75-68) on Saturday.
• Ashlynn Burgess scored a pair of 15-point games last week on 62.5 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three-point range and 100 percent from the free-throw line. Burgess also racked up 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. She is third in the GNAC with a .565 field goal percentage, fifth with a .818 free-throw percentage and 14th with 12 points per game.
• Ashley Alter finished the week with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Her week was highlighted by 14 points and four rebounds on 4 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 from outside against the Vikings.
• Seattle Pacific is tied for seventh place with Saint Martin’s with a 5-9 conference mark. Up next, the Falcons will take to the road to play at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Concordia on Saturday.
SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser won both of its road games last week to extend its win streak to four games. The Clan defeated Saint Martin’s on Thursday, 65-55, then beat Seattle Pacific on Saturday, 75-68.
• Jessica Jones led the Clan with 34 points to go with 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block in the two games. Jones put up 13 points and five rebounds at Saint Martin’s. She then closed the week by scoring 21 points on 7 of 12 from three-point range while also contributing six rebounds, four assists and two steals at Seattle Pacific. Jones ranks 23rd in Division II with 66 three-pointers made and 12th with 3.30 three-pointers per game.
• Sophie Klassen led the Clan in scoring in Lacey with 15 points off the bench to go with seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. She shot 7 of 10 from the field in the game.
• The Clan is ranked No. 9 in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings.
• Simon Fraser improved to 16-8 overall and sits in a tie for second place with Northwest Nazarene with an 11-3 conference mark. Up next, the Clan will return home to host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.
WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon saw its losing streak extend to eight games last week with an 83-73 loss at home to Concordia on Tuesday and an 87-75 overtime loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday.
• Keyonna Jones led the Wolves with 44 points to go with nine rebounds, four assists and a steal on the week as she connected on 65.2 percent from the field, 50 percent from long range and 92.3 percent from the free-throw line. Jones opened the week with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists against the Cavs. She then closed the week with a career-high 28 points on 8 of 13 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line to go with five rebounds in Billings.
• Tresai McCarver scored in double digits in both games. McCarver came off the bench against the Cavs and scored 18 points to go with five assists. She then started against the Yellowjackets and scored 13 points on 6 of 16 from the field while adding seven rebounds and four assists. McCarver is 15th in the GNAC with 2.5 assists per game.
• The Wolves will return home this week to host Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.
WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington split last week, winning at Seattle Pacific on Thursday, 77-62, before losing at Saint Martin’s on Saturday, 71-63.
• Lexie Bland led the Vikings with 24 points to go with seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals while connecting on 36 percent from the field. Her week was highlighted by 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in Seattle. Bland is seventh in the GNAC with 3.3 assists per game.
• Kelsey Rogers finished the week with totals of 24 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Rogers scored 16 points on 8 of 13 from the field to go with three rebounds and three assists at SPU. She finished the week with eight points and three rebounds at SMU. Rogers is averaging 10 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and ranks 12th in the conference with a .487 field goal percentage.
• The Vikings dropped one spot to No. 7 in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings.
• Western Washington is 16-6 overall and sits in fourth place with a 10-4 conference mark. The Vikings will return home this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.