Thursday, November 21, 2019

SOLID START FOR NIGHTHAWKS ON HOME FLOOR: While Northwest Nazarene is adjusting to life without the conference’s two leading scorers, the Nighthawks have used the home floor to get off to a 3-1 start to the season.

The Nighthawks opened the year with a win over Canyon County rival College of Idaho, 66-57, last Tuesday in the first of two annual Mayor’s Cup games. It was the first loss of the season for the NAIA powerhouse Yotes, who re-paid the favor this last Tuesday with a 90-69 win over NNU in Caldwell.

Hosting the Fairfield Inn Tournament, the Nighthawks took two wins from Division II competition. Northwest Nazarene surged in the second half to collect a 77-74 win from Colorado Christian on Friday and then shot 52 percent from both the field and from three-point range in an 82-68 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday.

Through four games, Northwest Nazarene is averaging 73.5 points per game and leads the GNAC in field goal defense (.401).

NEW COACHES EARN FIRST WINS: The last week of play has also yielded the first wins for two of the three new GNAC head coaches.

Western Oregon’s Wes Pifer broke the ice first as his Wolves beat Hawaii Hilo on Saturday, 74-69. The Wolves pulled away from a 31-31 halftime tie, led by 21 points from Dalven Brushier. The night before, WOU collected an 85-68 exhibition win over Warner Pacific.

Saint Martin’s Aaron Landon was next as the Saints led most of the way in a 99-76 rout of Capilano in Lacey on Tuesday. Five players scored in double figures for the Saints, led by 27 points and 11 rebounds off the bench from Logan Rooney.

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).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Trevor Jasinsky
Western Washington
F • 6-8 • Sr. • Camas, Wash.

Jasinsky averaged 26 points and six rebounds per game over three games and shot an impressive 89.4 percent from the free throw line. Jasinsky opened the week with 24 points and four rebounds in an 86-65 loss to Cal Poly Pomona. He made 12 of 15 free throws in the game. He then finished with 24 points and eight rebounds in Friday’s 79-72 win over Concordia-Irvine, making 6 of 11 from the field and all nine free throws. Jasinsky closed the week with 30 points and six rebounds in a 90-80 loss to Azusa Pacific on Saturday, going 7 of 15 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free throw line.

Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Jack Macdonald (Alaska Anchorage), Xavier Smith (Central Washington), Dakota Ayala (Concordia), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Adalberto Diaz (Northwest Nazarene), Demonte Malloy (Saint Martin’s), Michael Provenzano (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska dropped both games last week at the Cal State Monterey Bay Tournament, losing to the host Otters 96-87 on Friday and 88-75 to Cal State San Marcos on Saturday.

• Senior guard Spencer Sweet led the Nanooks with his 30 points on 40.7 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from three-point range. Sweet scored 14 points and had four rebounds against Cal State Monterey Bay and then had 16 points against Cal State San Marcos with four rebounds and two steals. Sweet is averaging 12.5 points per game.

• Freshman forward/center Mawich Kachjanni had 20 rebounds over the two games. He finished with 10 rebounds in both games and scored nine points at Cal State Monterey Bay. Kachjanni is tied for first in the GNAC with nine rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz registered 29 points in the two games. After scoring 10 points, Shabazz scored 19 against Cal State San Marcos on 7 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. He was named to the All-Tournament Team. Shabazz is fourth in the GNAC with 17.8 points per game and third with 2.50 steals per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 70.2 points and 31.5 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are tied for third in the GNAC with 7.75 steals per game.

• The Nanooks play at the Westminster (Utah) Tournament this weekend, facing the host Griffins on Friday and Dixie State on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage won both of its games at the Ron Logston Classic in Rohnert Park, Calif., beating San Francisco State on Friday and the host Seawolves on Saturday by identical 81-69 margins.

• Senior guard Niko Bevens led UAA once again with 31 points in the two games on 7 of 19 from the field. He scored 14 points against San Francisco State with two rebounds and three assists. He then scored 17 points against Sonoma State on 6 of 11 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Bevens is averaging 13 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 20 three-pointers made and is 22nd in Division II with a .556 three-point percentage.

• Senior guard Jack Macdonald scored 27 points and eight assists and went a perfect 13 of 13 from the free throw line. He came alive for 20 points against San Francisco State on 4 of 7 from the field and 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Macdonald then scored seven points and had three rebounds and eight assists against Sonoma State. Macdonald is averaging nine points and 2.33 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Tyrus Hosley pulled down 15 rebounds in the two games, headlined by nine against San Francisco State. Junior forward Oggie Pantovic had 12 boards, topped by his seven against Sonoma State.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 77.2 points and 33.3 rebounds per game. The Seawolves rank fifth in Division II with 103 total assists, 10th with a 1.19 assist/turnover ratio, 12th with 20.6 assists per game and 14th with 158 three-point attempts.

• The Seawolves are tied for sixth in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings after receiving votes in the preseason rankings.

• Alaska Anchorage does not play again until Nov. 29 and 30, hosting the Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic against Montana Tech on Friday and Northern Michigan on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington won both of its games at the Fairfield Inn Tournament at Northwest Nazarene, collecting an 83-72 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday and a 70-65 win over Colorado Christian on Saturday.

• Junior guard Xavier Smith led the Wildcats with 43 points in the two games, shooting 59 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 13 of 16 from the free throw line. He opened with 23 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville on 7 of 13 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free throw line. Smith added 20 points against Colorado Christian on 6 of 9 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. Smith is fifth in the GNAC with 16.8 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Tariq Woody scored 29 points in the tournament on 11 of 15 from the field and 7 of 7 from the free throw line to go with 12 rebounds. Woody scored 17 points on 7 of 9 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free throw line with seven rebounds against TAMUK. He added 12 points and had five rebounds against Colorado Christian, making 4 of 6 from the field. Woody is averaging 10.8 points per game. He is third in the GNAC with a .708 field goal percentage and is tied for first with a 1.000 free throw percentage (9-9).

• Sophomore forward Matt Poquette had 19 points and 21 rebounds in Nampa, finishing with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds against TAMUK along with eight points and 11 rebounds against Colorado Christian. Poquette is tied for eighth in the GNAC with 7.3 rebounds per game.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC with 79.2 points per game and is averaging 34.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank 28th in Division II with a .509 field goal percentage.

• Central Washington plays one game this weekend, hosting Evergreen State on Friday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia is still in search of its first win of the season after taking a 74-69 loss to Hawaii Hilo and an 84-75 loss to Warner Pacific in games played at Western Oregon.

• Junior forward Dakota Ayala led Concordia with 36 points on 69.5 percent from the field. He led the Cavaliers with 23 points against Hawaii Hilo on 10 of 15 from the field to go with six rebounds and two steals. Ayala then had 13 points against Warner Pacific on 6 of 8 from the field with four rebounds. Ayala is averaging 15.3 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with a .600 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet added 30 points and 16 rebounds as he shot 59 percent from the field. Sweet opened with 13 points against Hawaii Hilo on 5 of 8 from the field to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. He then scored 17 points and had eight rebounds against Warner Pacific, shooting 8 of 14 from the field. Sweet is seventh in the GNAC with 16.3 points per game and is seventh with a .610 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith added 24 points in the two games, scoring 12 in both games. He also had four rebounds against Warner Pacific. Smith is averaging 12 points per game.

• Concordia is third in the GNAC with 78 points per game and is averaging 34.5 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are second in the league with a .479 field goal percentage.

• The Cavaliers host the Concordia Oxford Suites Tournament this weekend, hosting Regis on Friday and Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings lost its lone contest last week, taking an 83-74 loss at Minot State on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard led the Yellowjackets with 31 points as he connected on 11 of 17 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to go along with nine rebounds. Howard leads the conference with 22 points per game and is seventh with 7.3 rebounds per contest.

• Senior guard Tyler Green added 14 points and seven rebounds in the loss, shooting 5 of 13 from the field and 4 of 10 from three-point range. Green is averaging 11.7 points per game and ranks fifth in the GNAC with 7.8 rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 64.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 39.3 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC with 4.33 blocks per game. They are also ninth in Division II with 12.3 personal fouls per game.

• Montana State Billings will host Northwest (Wash.) on Thursday before playing an exhibition at cross-town rival Rocky Mountain on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks went 3-1 over the last 10 days to open the season. After opening with a 66-57 win over College of Idaho last Tuesday, NNU swept its own Fairfield Inn Tournament, beating Colorado Christian 77-74 on Friday and 82-68 over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday. The Nighthawks’ first loss came Tuesday at College of Idaho, 90-69.

• Freshman guard George Reidy led NNU with 52 points and eight rebounds in the opening games, shooting 18 of 28 from the field and 13 of 20 from the free throw line. He scored in double digits in three games, topped by his 20 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Reidy is averaging 13 points per game.

• Junior guard Ezekiel Alley scored 46 points in three games, shooting 17 of 35 from the field and 8 of 11 from the free throw line. He led the Nighthawks with 23 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville, connecting on 9 of 13 from the field, 3 of 3 from three-point range and 2 of 2 from the free throw line. Alley is 10th in the GNAC with 15.3 points per game and tied for fifth with two steals per game.

• Senior forward Adalberto Diaz finished with 46 points and 27 rebounds in the four games. He finished just short of a double-double against Texas A&M-Kingsville with 10 points and eight rebounds. He then had 15 points at College of Idaho on Tuesday to go with six rebounds. Diaz is averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 73.5 points per game and ranks third in the GNAC with 38.2 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and are 28th in Division II in field goal defense (.401).

• Northwest Nazarene does not play again until Tues., Nov. 26, at Cal State LA.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s went 1-3 over the last week to open the season. After taking an 88-55 loss to UC San Diego on Nov. 11, the Saints dropped an 80-77 decision to Westminster (Utah) on Friday and a 75-71 game to Dixie State on Saturday at the Dixie State Classic. The first win came on Tuesday, 99-76, over Capilano in Lacey.

• Junior guard Demonte Malloy scored 62 points and had 27 rebounds over the four games on 47 percent from the field. After scoring 16 points against Westminster, Malloy finished just short of a double-double with 26 points and nine rebounds against Dixie State, making 10 of 19 from the field. Malloy is ninth in the GNAC with 15.5 points per game.

• Freshman guard Alex Schumacher scored 56 points and had 21 rebounds over the four games, which included 78 percent from the free throw line. He finished with a pair of 22-point contests, finishing with that total against Westminster on 7 of 17 from the field and 5 of 11 from the three-point line. He had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds against Capilano. Schumacher is averaging 14 points per game.

• Junior guard/forward Logan Rooney lit up Capilano on Tuesday, dropping 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. He connected on 10 of 18 from the field and 6 of 10 from three-point range.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 75.5 points per game and leads the conference with 41.5 rebounds per game. The Saints are second in the GNAC with 10.25 three-pointers made per game.

• The Saints do not play again until Wed., Nov. 27, hosting Cal State East Bay.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• After dropping a 75-71 game last Tuesday to Stanislaus State, Seattle Pacific split its games at the Aramark GNAC/PacWest Challenge. The Falcons lost on Friday to Azusa Pacific, 72-57, before taking an 80-66 win on Saturday from host Concordia Irvine.

• Sophomore guard Divant’e Moffitt led the Falcons with 37 points in the three games with 11 rebounds on 44 percent from the field. Moffitt opened with a 14-point performance against Stanislaus State before scoring 13 against Azusa Pacific on 5 of 9 from the field and 10 points against Concordia Irvine. Moffitt is averaging 9.8 points per game.

• Senior guard Gavin Long scored 31 points and had 18 rebounds in the three games. He just missed a double-double with 12 points and eight rebounds against Stanislaus State and opened the GNAC/PacWest Challenge with 13 points and six rebounds against Azusa Pacific. Long leads the Falcons with 11.2 points and six rebounds per game.

• Freshman forward Shaw Anderson and junior guard Harry Cavell each had 15 rebounds over the three games. Anderson and Cavell topped their weeks with seven-rebound performances against Stanislaus State. Cavell is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game while Anderson averages 3.8 per game.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 63.8 points and 29.8 rebounds per game. The Falcons are third in the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 70.4 points per game.

• The Falcons do not play again until Wed., Nov. 26, when they travel to Sonoma State.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser won its only game last week, scoring a 98-93 victory over Canadian rival Trinity Western on Saturday in SFU’s home opener.

• Senior guard Michael Provenzano led the Clan with 22 points on 7 of 12 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line. He also had five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Provenzano is averaging 13 points per game and ranks third in the GNAC with 4.33 assists per game.

• Senior guard Othniel Spence scored 18 points, connecting on 5 of 9 from the field, 4 of 9 from outside and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. He also had five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Spence is averaging 14.7 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Wilfried Balata had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win. He is among the Division II leaders with a 1.000 free throw percentage (13-13), ranks second in the GNAC and is 29th in Division II with 2.67 steals per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week leading the GNAC with 83.3 points per game while averaging 36.7 rebounds per game. The Clan leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with a 7.0 turnover margin and also ranks 13th nationally with a .839 free throw percentage.

• Simon Fraser will play once this week, hosting Douglas on Saturday in Burnaby.

WESTERN OREGON
• After opening the weekend with an 85-68 exhibition win over Warner Pacific, Western Oregon officially opened the Wes Pifer era with a 74-69 win on Saturday at home over Hawaii Hilo.

• Senior guard Dalven Brushier led the Wolves in the Hawaii Hilo with 24 points on 7 of 15 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line to go with five rebounds and four assists.

• Senior guard Jalyn Richardson finished with 16 points in the victory. He also had five rebounds to go with two assists and four steals. Sophomore forward John Morrill-Keeler led the Wolves with nine rebounds in his WOU debut.

• The Wolves will play two games this weekend at the Concordia Oxford Suites Portland Classic, facing Notre Dame de Namur on Friday and Regis on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• After an 86-65 loss to Cal Poly Pomona at home last Tuesday, Western Washington split its contests at the Aramark GNAC/PacWest Challenge in Irvine, California. The Vikings collected a 79-72 win over the host Eagles on Friday before taking a 90-80 loss to Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

• Senior forward Trevor Jasinsky was named the GNAC Player of the Week after he averaged 26 points and six rebounds per game over the three games and connected on 89 percent from the free throw line. Jasinsky opened the week with 24 points and four rebounds against Cal Poly Pomona and then had 24 points and eight rebounds with a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line against Concordia Irvine. He ended the week with 30 points against Azusa Pacific on 7 of 15 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free throw line. Jasinsky is  second in the GNAC with 21.6 points per game. He is third in Division II with 39 free throws made and fifth with 44 free throw attempts.

• Senior forward Cameron Retherford scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds in the three games, shooting 60 percent from the arc and 80 percent from the free throw line. He came off the bench to score 17 points on 5 of 7 from the field against Concordia Irvine to go with eight rebounds. Retherford closed with 18 points against Azusa Pacific. He enters the week averaging 10.6 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Green pulled down 24 rebounds over the three games, topped by his nine boards against Cal Poly Pomona. Green is fifth in the GNAC with 7.8 rebounds per game and second with 3.60 offensive rebounds per contest.

• The Vikings enter the week averaging 77 points and 38 rebounds per game. They lead the GNAC and rank 24th in Division II with 14.60 offensive rebounds per game and are 18th with 94 free throws made.

• Western Washington is ranked eighth in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings, down from sixth in the preseason poll.

• Western Washington does not play again until Nov. 29 and 30 when they host the Chuck Randall Classic.