Monday, November 28, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Two underclassmen who led their teams to multiple wins over the Thanksgiving holiday are this week’s GNAC Players of the Week.

Simon Fraser freshman forward Ozi Nwabuko was named the conference’s Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she led the Clan to four wins over the course of the week. Nwabuko averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the stretch while shooting 73.6 percent from the field (28 of 38). She scored in double digits in all four games, topped by a career-high 22 points in Tuesday’s 78-75 road win at Dominican.

Nwabuko has started in six of the Clan’s nine games and enters the week averaging 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. She leads the Clan with a .686 field goal percentage (35 for 51), but does not meet the NCAA minimum of five shots made per game for a national ranking. Simon Fraser enters GNAC play with an 8-1 record.

Montana State Billings forward Preston Beverly, the reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year, was tabbed as the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Beverly averaged 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game games to go along with eight assists, four blocks and four steals as the Yellowjackets won three road. Against Colorado mesa on Friday, the sophomore scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Beverly enters the week leading Montana State Billings and ranking seventh in the GNAC with an average of 17.7 points per game. He is also averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field (41 of 82). After a 1-3 start to the season, Montana State Billings enters GNAC play with a 4-3 overall mark.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 13
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings, F, 6-7, So., Wildomar, Calif. – Elsinore): Beverly led the Yellowjackets to three road victories over Thanksgiving week, averaging 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game with eight assists, four blocks and four steals. His top performance came against Colorado Mesa on Friday with 21 points and eight rebounds. Beverly shot 43.6 percent from the field (17 for 39) and 44.4 percent from three-point range (8 for 18). Also Nominated: Diante Mitchell (Alaska Anchorage), Tanner Omlid (Western Oregon), Tyrell Lewin (Simon Fraser), Drew Martin (Concordia), Jeffrey Parker (Western Washington), Jordan Kitchen (Saint Martin’s), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ozi Nwabuko (Simon Fraser, F, 5-11, Fr., Port Coquitlam, B.C. – Riverside): Nwabuko averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as she led the Clan for four wins. She opened the week by scoring a career high 22 points on 8 of 10 from the field to go along with nine rebounds in a 78-75 win over Tuesday over Dominican. Nwabuko scored double digits in all four games and shot 73.6 percent from the field (28 of 38). Also Nominated: Jasmine Miller (Western Oregon), Jordyn Peacock (Concordia), Jordan Wilson (Alaska), Jessica Valley (Western Washington), Elin Johannson (Saint Martin’s), Raquel Jardine (Northwest Nazarene).