Tuesday, March 22, 2016

WESTERN OREGON CLAIMS WEST REGION TITLE ON HOME FLOOR: Western Oregon gave its fans a nail-biter for 38 minutes before securing the first NCAA Division II West Region championship in program history Monday (Mar. 14), beating UC San Diego 60-55 in the tournament final at the New P.E. Building in Monmouth, Ore.

After watching an early nine-point lead fade away, the Wolves played a nip-and-tuck battle the rest of the way before a three-pointer by Julian Nichols and a three-point play by Andy Avgi with under two minutes left sealed the win.

Avgi, who earlier in the day was named the West Region Player of the Year by the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after leading all scorers with 25 points. After scoring just five in the first half, Avgi finished the night making 9 of 19 from the field. Nichols finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 assists. The Wolves finished the night shooting 36.5 percent from the floor (19-52).

The win gives Western Oregon (30-3) its first regional title as a NCAA Division II program and the Wolves’ first trip beyond the round of 16 since the 1982 NAIA Division I National Tournament (which featured current WOU head coach Jim Shaw as a player) and matched the most wins in program history.

UC San Diego closes their season at 24-8 overall. Drew Dyer led the Tritons with 22 points, shooting 7 of 14 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Adam Klie finished with 14 points and Chris Hansen added 11 points. The Tritons finished the night shooting 41.3 percent from the floor (19-46) and out-rebounded the Wolves 37-24.

In the process, the teams set a pair of a records. Western Oregon set a GNAC record with no turnovers, bettering the mark of two set by Central Washington vs. Quest in 2013 and equaled by Western Washington against Quest in 2014. The two teams combined to make 97.1 percent of their free throws (33 of 34), which surpasses the record of free throw percentage by both teams (.970, 32 of 33) set by Hartford and Bentley on Feb. 22, 1983. UC San Diego was a perfect 14 of 14 while Western Oregon finished 19 of 20. Avgi and Nichols both went 6 for 6 for the Wolves.

With the home crowd out in force, the Wolves bolted out to a 9-2 lead on Devon Alexander’s jumper at the 13:23 mark, and took a nine-point lead on Tanner Omlid’s lay-in with 11:24 to go for a 13-4 advantage. The Tritons, slowly but surely, climbed back to it as they outscored WOU 20-11 through the rest of the half. Hansen’s lay-in with 3:05 left tied the contest at 22-22, but UCSD would never take the lead. Two Nichols’ free throws put Western Oregon back up two before Hansen hit a short jumper to tie it at 24-24 at halftime.

The Tritons kept the game close the entire second half and tied it up six times, but could never take the lead from the Wolves. Western Oregon built a 42-37 lead on Avgi’s dunk with 10:55 left, but the Tritons tied it right back up on five straight points by Dyer. The Wolves built and lost three and four-points twice more before taking the lead for good when an Avgi three-point play and a three-pointer by Nichols put the home team up 58-52 with 1:12 left. Wiley sealed the game with a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds left.

IMPRESSIVE RECORDS: Western Oregon set a pair of impressive records in their West Region championship game against UC San Diego on Monday. The Wolves finished the game without a turnover, marking the first time that has happened in the 15-year history of the GNAC (men or women). The previous record for fewest turnovers was two, set by Central Washington against Quest on Dec. 16, 2013, and equaled by Western Washington against Quest on Nov. 18, 2014. In addition, Western Oregon and UC San Diego combined  make 97.1 percent of their free throws (33 of 34), which surpasses the Division II record of free throw percentage by both teams (.970, 32 of 33) set by Hartford and Bentley on Feb. 22, 1983. UC San Diego was a perfect 14 of 14 while Western Oregon finished 19 of 20.

GNAC IN THE ELITE EIGHT: This marks the fifth time in the GNAC’s 15-year history that the conference will be represented in the Division II Elite Eight...The GNAC is 7-4 all-time in Elite Eight round games...Western Washington won the national championship in 2011-12, beating Montevallo 72-65 in the championships game...Western Washington is the only GNAC team to make the Elite Eight twice, returning to the tournament in 2012-13...The other GNAC teams to make it to the quarterfinals are Humboldt State (2004, now a member of the CCAA), Seattle Pacific (2006) and Alaska Anchorage (2008)...The GNAC has yet to lose a quarterfinals game in the Elite Eight.

AVGI, WIGGS SELECTED FOR ALL-AMERICAN HONORS: The two top scorers in the GNAC are adding more hardware to their walls as both Western Oregon’s Andy Avgi and Alaska Anchorage’s Sekou “Suki” Wiggs have been selected as Division II men’s basketball All-Americans.
Both Avgi and Wiggs were selected Monday as third team All-Americans by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) in the program voted upon by the division’s sports information directors. On Tuesday, Avgi was announced as one of 16 selections to the National Basketball Coaches Association Division II All-America Team.

The two All-American awards continue a long list of honors this season for Avgi. In addition to being named the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year and to preseason All-American teams by The Sporting News and Division II Bulletin, Avgi has ended the season with selection as the GNAC Player of the Year, D2CCA West Region Player of the Year and NCAA West Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Avgi enters the NCAA Division II Elite Eight averaging 20 points per game, second in the GNAC to Wiggs. He also ranks fourth in the league with an average of 1.32 blocked shots per game and is sixth with a .531 field goal percentage. His ledger includes three 30-plus point games, topped by a 34-point effort against Western Washington on Feb. 11. In the NCAA West Regional, Avgi averaged 20.7 points in three games, shot 50 percent from the floor and 58.3 percent from three-point range and had six blocked shots.

A First Team All-GNAC selection and the GNAC’s Newcomer of the Year after transferring to Alaska Anchorage from Division I Idaho, Wiggs led the conference in scoring with 24.1 points per game. The junior also ranked third in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and steals (1.6 spg), fourth in three-pointers (2.1 made per game) and ninth in assists (3.3 apg). Wiggs led the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 34.9 minutes per game, and he finished ranked second in Division II in free throws attempts (316) and third in free throws made (243).

FOUR GNAC PLAYERS NAMED TO NABC ALL-WEST REGION TEAM: Avgi and Wiggs also lead four GNAC selections to the NABC Division II All-West Region Teams. The two first team selections are joined by second team selections Mitch Penner of Seattle Pacific and Travante Williams of Alaska.

Penner, a First Team All-GNAC selection, led Seattle Pacific to their 12th consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearance after the Falcons finished the regular season tied for third in the GNAC regular season standings. Penner finished the season ranked fourth in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 18.6 points per game. His season ledger included a pair of 30-plus point games, topped by a 37-point performance against Concordia on Feb. 4. Penner was named the GNAC Player of the Week three times this season, the most of any individual player.

Williams, who earned First Team All-GNAC after transferring from Adams State, led the Nanooks to the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Championships, where they fell in the championship game to Western Oregon. Williams finished the season ranked third in the league in scoring at 18.7 points per game and second in rebounding at 7.5 rebounds per game. Williams also finished the season leading the GNAC and ranked ninth in Division II with 2.33 steals per game.

JIM SHAW NAMED NABC REGIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR: The transition from Division I assistant coach to Division II head coach has gone well for Jim Shaw, who has been selected by the NABC as their West Region Coach of the Year. Taking over at his alma mater over the summer, Shaw has led the Wolves to both the GNAC regular season and tournament titles, the West Region championship and a 30-3 record, tying for the most wins in program history. Shaw came to Western Oregon after one season as an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s (Calif.) and nine seasons working under Lorenzo Romar at Washington. Shaw played for the Wolves from 1981-1985 and was an Honorable Mention NAIA All-American in 1985. He played for the last Western Oregon team to reach the round of eight in a national tournament back in 1982.

GNAC MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
AVGI UNANIMOUSLY REPEATS AS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: He was the unanimous selection for the conference’s Preseason Player of Year. And by the end of the regular season, coaches’ opinion of Western Oregon forward Andy Avgi hasn’t changed.

The senior was a unanimous selection to the 2015-16 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Team and ran away in the voting to earn his second straight Player of the Year award. Avgi earned 10 of 11 possible first place votes in both all-conference voting and Player of the year voting (coaches may not vote for players from their own teams).

Avgi leads four Western Oregon selections to the All-GNAC Team, including second teamers Julian Nichols and Tanner Omlid and honorable mention Jordan Wiley. The four are joined by first year head coach Jim Shaw, who was selected by his peers as the GNAC Coach of the Year. Avgi was joined on the first team by four other unanimous selections: Sekou Wiggs of Alaska Anchorage, Travante Williams of Alaska, Mitch Penner of Seattle Pacific and Joseph Stroud of Central Washington. Also earning first team selection was Western Washington’s Jeffrey Parker.

Avgi was elected to the All-GNAC for the fourth consecutive season, earning first team selection last year and honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. Stroud and Parker moved up from second team selections last year while Penner jumps up from an honorable mention in 2015.

Named the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year as well as a preseason All-American by both the NABC and the D2 Basketball Bulletin, Avgi has lived up to expectations. The Woodburn, Ore., native leads the Wolves and is second in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 20.6 points per game, and ranks sixth in the league in field goal percentage (.537). His output includes three games of 30 or more points allowed Western Oregon to finish the regular season at 25-3 overall and 18-2 in the GNAC, earning the Wolves the No. 1 seed and a first round bye in the GNAC Championships.

The athletic Wiggs, a transfer from the University of Idaho, was selected as the conference’s Newcomer of the Year after leading Alaska Anchorage to a 21-10 overall record, a 14-6 GNAC mark and the No. 3 seed in the GNAC Championships. Known for his ability to create, Wiggs leads the GNAC in scoring at 24.2 points per game and is third in the league with 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Adept at getting to the free throw line, Wiggs enters the week ranked second in Division II with his 305 free throws attempted and third with 234 made. Like Avgi, Wiggs also has six games of 30 or more points on his ledger.

In addition to his first team selection, Stroud was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Stroud leads Central Washington in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and is second in the league in field goal accuracy at 61.5 percent. His defensive laurels were sealed in the swat department as Stroud leads the league and is 11th in Division II with his 67 blocked shots and 2.7 blocks per game.

Williams, a senior transfer from Adams State College in Colorado, led the Nanooks to second place in the GNAC standings and the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Championships. Another two-way threat, Williams is third in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game, and is second in rebounding at 7.6 rebounds per game. Another top defensive threat, Williams is tied with Omlid for the league lead and is eighth in Division II at 2.4 steals per game.

Penner paced Seattle Pacific to the No. 4 seed in this week’s GNAC Championships as the Falcons aim for their fourth straight tournament championship. The senior leads the Falcons and is fourth in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. His season ledger includes a pair of 30-point games, topped by a 37-point performance against Concordia on Feb. 4. Penner was named the GNAC Player of the Week three times this season, the most of any player this season.

Parker led Western Washington in scoring and is one of the top three-point threats in the league as he led the Vikings to the No. 6 seed in the GNAC Championships. Parker is fifth in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game, and leads the league in both three-pointers made (72) and three-pointers made per game (2.5). Parker has the highest scoring game in the GNAC to date, having scored 39 points against Alaska on Jan. 7.

Montana State Billings’ Preston Beverly joins the special award winners as the Freshman of the Year. A honorable mention all-conference selection, Beverly leads the Yellowjackets and is tied fifth in the GNAC in rebounding with an average of 6.9 rebounds per game. Beverly ranks third in balanced scoring attack for the Yellowjackets, averaging 13 points per game. View Complete Team

GNAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Saint Martin’s sophomore forward Victor Ieronymides leads the list of 21 players selected to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team.

Ieronymides, from Nicosia, Cyprus, has compiled a 3.95 cumulative grade point average while majoring in business. He has played a leading role in keeping the Saints alive for the sixth and final spot in the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships, which Saint Martin’s will host next week. Ieronymides is one of eight players on the squad with a grade point average of 3.70 or better.

Conference newcomer Concordia leads the teams honored with four selections, including three players with a 3.70 GPA or better. Sophomore Taylor Harris leads the Cavaliers with a 3.90 grade point average as a business administration major.

Six of the 21 honorees are repeat selections. Seattle Pacific senior guard Brendan Carroll is the only three-time selection to the team with a 3.50 grade point average as a business management major. Other repeat selections include Central Washington junior guard Terry Dawn and senior guard Joey Roppo, Northwest Nazarene junior guard Pol Olivier, Saint Martin’s junior guard Isaac Bianchini and Western Oregon junior center Connor Thompson.

To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic teams, a student-athlete must be in their sophomore year of eligibility with a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better. View Complete Team

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC players have been selected to all-tournament teams during the 2015-16 season:
GNAC/PacWest Crossover (Nov. 13-14, Fairbanks): Travante Williams, UAF (Most Valuable Player).
Seawolf Jamboree (Nov. 21-22, Anchorage): Sekou Wiggs, UAA (Most Outstanding Player); Bangaly Kaba, UAF; Travante Williams, UAF.
Sodexo Classic (Nov. 21-22, Seattle): Gary Jacobs, CWU (Most Valuable Player); Joseph Stroud, CWU; Bryce Leavitt, SPU.
GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 25-27, Anchorage): Sekou Wiggs, UAA.
Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic (Dec. 11-12, Seattle): Mitch Penner, SPU (Most Valuable Player); Gilles Dierickx, SPU; Preston Beverly, MSUB.
NCAA Division II West Region Championship (Mar. 11-14, Monmouth): Andy Avgi, WOU (Most Valuable Player); Julian Nichols, WOU.