Wednesday, February 25, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – The final week of the regular season is upon us, meaning there’s time for one last ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week.

The Simon Fraser Clan take their talents to Bellingham to face Western Washington in the regular season finale Saturday at 7 p.m. Pacific.

Both teams have already secured spots in the GNAC tournament which starts next Wednesday with the quarterfinal rounds.

Simon Fraser is locked-in to the fourth seed with a 10-7 conference record while WWU still has a chance to clinch a first-round bye at 12-5. The Vikings, who cannot finish below the third seed, are tied with Seattle Pacific for a first-round bye.

This border battle is against two of the top three scoring teams in the GNAC.

The Clan is led by the GNAC’s all-time leading scorer in Erin Chambers. The senior forward averages 23.7 points per game, which also ranks second nationally.

Meg Wilson is the force underneath, making 55 percent of her shots while collecting 8.5 rebounds each game. Ellen Kett leads the GNAC, and ranks fourth nationally, in assist/turnover ratio while senior Katie Lowen has made more three’s than anyone else in the conference.

Western Washington has one of the more balanced offenses in the GNAC. Six players have led the Vikings in scoring in 26 games this season while four average at least 11.1 points per game. The Vikings also rank in the top 10 in the country in field-goal percentage, three-point efficiency and free throw percentage.

Four seniors, playing their last game in Sam Carver Gymnasium Saturday, is the force behind this powerful offense. Katie Colard eclipsed the 1,000-point mark earlier in the season while Sydney Donaldson has hit a few game-winning shots.

Starting guard Jenni White has picked up her scoring efforts in the second half of the season while Marcel Pounds has contributed off the bench in all 26 games.

This contest is a rematch of the first conference game of the season back on Dec. 6 where Simon Fraser held on for a 74-71 win in Burnaby, BC.

Notes:

• The third official NCAA West Region Poll will be released Wednesday, March 4. This poll determines the five West Region at-large teams that will make the NCAA tournament along with the GNAC, Pac-West and CCAA champions. Alaska Anchorage topped the poll again last week while SPU stayed in the fifth spot.

• With their season on the line, the Saints Krista Stabler banked-in a long three-pointer at the buzzer to send their game against NNU into overtime. Brooke Paulson and Elin Johansson scored nine of their teams 11 points in OT for the victory. Megan Wiedeman also set GNAC game-highs in rebounds (19) and blocked shots (6) during the overtime win. SMU needs either a win or a UAA win to clinch a spot in the GNAC tournament.

• Western Oregon’s Goularte and MSUB’s Peoples were selected GNAC co-Players of the Week. Goularte scored 46 points while Peoples shot a career-high eight three-pointers in a two-game performance last week.
   
• PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
  

  • Alaska Anchorage – Clinched the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the GNAC tournament. Receive a first-round bye.

  • Seattle Pacific – Can clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye with a win against Alaska OR Western Washington loses to Simon Fraser.

  • Western Washington – Needs to win its last game AND Seattle Pacific lose to Alaska to secure the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. If not, the Vikings clinch the No. 3 seed.

  • Simon Fraser – Clinched the No. 4 seed.

  • Central Washington – Can clinch the No. 5 seed if Wildcats beat Saint Martin’s. If CWU loses, it can clinch the sixth-seed if Seattle Pacific beats Alaska AND Alaska Anchorage beats Montana State Billings.

  • Saint Martin’s – If Saint Martin’s beats Central Washington, it earns the No. 5 seed. If the Saint’s lose, they’re the No. 6 seed if Alaska Anchorage beats Montana State Billings.

  • Alaska – Can clinch No. 6 seed if the Nanooks beat SPU AND Saint Martin’s beats Central Washington AND Alaska Anchorage beats Montana State Billings.

  • Montana State Billings – If Montana State Billings beats Alaska Anchorage, it will secure the No. 6 seed.