Tuesday, January 8, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. - Western Washington, which is one of six remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II, is ranked fifth in this week's NABC Division II men's national basketball poll.

The Vikings are off to a 12-0 start and have won a GNAC record-tying 18 consecutive games.  WWU can break the record Thursday when it hosts Central Washington at 9:10 p.m. in a game that will be televised on ROOT Sports.

The Vikings beat Seattle Pacific 66-56 last Thursday before tying the record on Saturday with a 95-80 win at Montana State Billings.  Seattle Pacific's loss cost them only one position in the national rankings as the Falcons (10-2) fell from seventh to eighth in the NABC poll.

Thursday's regionally televised game will feature two of the highest scoring teams in the nation.  Central Washington ranks fifth in Division II in scoring averaging 91.0 points per game.  The Vikings are sixth with a 90.8 scoring average.

WWU also ranks fourth nationally in scoring margin (22.6) and 10th in field goal percentage (51.3).  Seattle Pacific is ranked in the Top 10 in three categories - fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.49), fifth in rebounding margin (11.8) and ninth in assists (19.3).

Five GNAC players also rank in the Top 10 nationally including Central Washington guard Mark McLaughlin, who leads the GNAC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring with a 23.3 average.

Jonathan Hawkins of Northwest Nazarene ranks third in free throw percentage (95.3).  Saint Martin's Brady Bomber and Seattle Pacific's Riley Stockton rank sixth (3.57) and eighth (3.31), respectively, in assist/turnover ratio.  Kyle Fossman of Alaska Anchorage ranks seventh in three-point percentage (49.3).

The CWU/WWU game is one of four on Thursday's schedule.  Elsewhere Alaska Anchorage hosts Western Oregon, Saint Martin's plays at Alaska Fairbanks and Northwest Nazarene plays at Simon Fraser.  Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific are idle before playing on Saturday.  All of Thursday's games tipoff at 7 p.m. except for the CWU/WWU game.

NATIONAL STATISTICS (Through Jan. 6): Team (Top 30): Scoring – 5. Central Washington 91.0; 6. Western Washington 90.8.  Scoring Defense – 15. Seattle Pacific 59.8.  Scoring Margin – 4. Western Washington 22.6; 19. Seattle Pacific 14.3.  Field Goal PCT. – 10. Western Washington 51.3. Three-Point Field Goals – 14. Alaska Anchorage 9.3; 24. Western Washington 8.8.  Three-Point Percentage – 14. Saint Martin’s 41.3; 16. Western Washington 41.0; 25. Seattle Pacific 39.8.  Three-Point Field Goal Defense – 15. Western Oregon 27.1.  Free Throw PCT. – 21. Western Washington 74.9.  Rebound Margin – 5. Seattle Pacific 11.8; 18. Western Washington 8.9; 30. Alaska Fairbanks 7.3. Assists – 9. Seattle Pacific 19.3; 13. Alaska Anchorage 18.6; 20. Alaska Fairbanks 17.9; 27. Western Washington 17.3. Assist/Turnover Ratio – 4. Seattle Pacific 1.49; 12. Alaska Anchorage 1.36; 17. Western Washington 1.29. Blocks – 16. Western Washington 4.9. Fewest Turnovers – 26. Saint Martin’s 12.1.  Turnover Margin – 15. Central Washington 4.8.   Individuals (Top 30): Scoring – 6. Mark McLaughlin, CWU, 23.3.  Field Goal PCT. – 15. Andy Avgi, WOU, 63.4; 22. Paul Jones, WWU, 61.4.  Three-Point Field Goals – 21. Kyle Fossman, UAA, 3.00.  Three-Point PCT. – 7. Kyle Fossman, UAA, 49.3; 16. Elijah Matthews, SFU, 46.3; 23. Jobi Wall, SPU, 45.2.  Free Throw PCT. – 3. Jonathan Hawkins, NNU, 95.3; 15. Dominique Brinson, UAF, 90.2; 24. Kyle Fossman, UAA, 89.5.  Steals – 18. Devon Alexander, WOU, 2.82.   Assist/Turnover Ratio -  6. Brady Bomber, SMU, 3.57; 8. Riley Stockton, SPU, 3.31; 11. Kalob Hatcher, MSUB, 3.26; 28. David Downs, SPU, 2.42.