Tuesday, January 3, 2017

FAR FROM LONELY AT THE TOP: It is only two weeks into conference play, but there is little to separate the top nine teams in the GNAC standings.

Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings all lead the table with 3-1 records. The Vikings lost the title of the only undefeated team on Saturday, falling at home to Montana State Billings, 100-93.

The parity continues to show with a logjam of six teams tied for fourth at 2-2, including Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, Concordia, Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene and Western Oregon.

The overall strength of the league can also be found in the overall records. Eight of the league’s 11 teams own winning overall records and all but one team has won at least five games this season.Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage top the table with 9-3 overall records.

HOT START: The conference’s hottest team entering January is Montana State Billings. The Yellowjackets enters the week on a four-game win streak and was selected as the GNAC/Red Lion Team of the Week after its two weekend victories over Simon Fraser and Western Washington.

The Yellowjackets performed exceptionally well in the two wins. In addition to scoring 100 points in both games, MSUB shot 54 percent from the field (68-126), 50.9 percent from three-point range (28-55) and 86 percent from the free throw line (43-50). The 100-93 win over Western Washington on Saturday was the Yellowjackets’ first ever win over the Vikings in Bellingham.

The team was paced by GNAC Player of the Week Marc Matthews, who scored 48 points in the two gmaes on 17 of 28 from the field. He scored his 1,000th point on Thursday at Simon Fraser.

“I am proud of the guys,” said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens following the win at Simon Fraser. “They played well, but most importantly they are playing and fighting together. These guys we have don’t quit at any point, and they continue to fight throughout the game.”

Montana State Billings enters the week with an 8-4 overall record and needs just three wins to match its overall win total from 2015-16. The Yellowjackets are 4-2 on the road and need one more win to match their road win total from last year.

THREE GNAC GAMES TO AIR ON ROOT SPORTS: For the eighth consecutive year, Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball will be featured throughout the Northwest on ROOT SPORTS.

The conference and the regional sports network have agreed to a three-game schedule that will feature six different GNAC men’s basketball programs. The slate begins on Thurs., Jan. 19, with Montana State Billings playing at Saint Martin’s in a game that will tip off at 9 p.m. (Pacific).

Two games will air in February. Western Oregon will host Seattle Pacific on Sat., Feb. 4, for a 5 p.m. (Pacific) tip off. One of the conference’s top rivalries completes the schedule as Central Washington plays host to Western Washington on Thurs., Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. (Pacific).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC players have been selected to all-tournament teams during the 2016-17 season:
Veteran’s Day Pioneer Challenge (Nov. 11-12, Hayward, Calif.): Jeffrey Parker, WWU (Most Valuable Player), Taylor Stafford, WWU.
Sodexo Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 11-12, Seattle): Coleman Wooten, SPU (Most Valuable Player), Joe Rasmussen, SPU.
Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic (Nov. 18-19 at Seattle): Dom Hunter, CWU; Coleman Wooten, SPU.
Ron Logsdon Basketball Classic (Nov. 18-19 at Rohnert Park, Calif.): Tyler Copp, SMU.
Seawolf Jamboree (Nov. 18-19 at Anchorage): Brandon Davis, UAF; Connor Devine, UAA; Corey Hammell, UAA, Suki Wiggs, UAA (Most Outstanding Player).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 26-27 at Bellingham, Wash.): Jeffrey Parker, WWU (Most Valuable Player); Daulton Hommes, WWU; Brandon Davis, UAF; Nahjee Matlock, UAF.
GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 23-26 at Anchorage): Diante Mitchell, UAA.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marc Matthews
Montana State Billings
G • 6-2 • Sr. • Sierra Vista, Calif.

Matthews finished with 48 points and shot 60.7 percent from the field (17-28) and 55.6 percent from three-point range (10-18) to lead the Yellowjackets to a pair of road wins. He opened the week with 20 points in a 107-66 win at Simon Fraser on Thursday, connecting on 7 of 11 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Matthews then had a game-high 28 points in Saturday’s 100-93 victory at Western Washington, connecting on 10 of 17 from the field and 6 of 11 from the three-point arc to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.

Also Nominated: Deandre Dickson (Western Washington), Tyler Copp (Saint Martin’s), Diante Mitchell (Alaska Anchorage), Drew Martin (Concordia), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• The Nanooks took two losses in their return to GNAC play. Alaska took an 87-71 loss to Saint Martin’s on Thursday and saw a second half rally fall short in a 79-77 loss on Saturday to Seattle Pacific.

• Senior forward Bangaly Kaba led Alaska against Saint Martin’s with 19 points, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field. Senior forward Zach Pederson led the way against Seattle Pacific with 17 points.

• The Nanooks are developing the look of a second half team. Alaska shot 57.1 percent from the field (16-28) in the final 20 minutes against Saint Martin’s and connected on 15 of 31 from the field and 13 of 16 from the free throw line in the second half against Seattle Pacific.

• Senior guard Nahjee Matlock leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with a 3.53 assist/turnover ratio. Matlock is also second in the GNAC with 5.15 assists per game and 26th in Division II with 67 total assists.

• Senior guard Brandon Davis is UAF’s leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. Kaba is the team’s top rebounder at 5.9 boards per game.

• As a team, Alaska is averaging 75.5 points and 35.8 rebounds per game. The Nanooks lead the GNAC and are 13th in Division II in turnover margin (+5.31). They also lead the league and are 13th in Division II in assist/turnover ratio (1.49).

• Alaska takes to the road this weekend, playing at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage improved to 3-1 in GNAC play with two home wins, defeating Seattle Pacific 85-49 on Thursday and rallying in the second half on Saturday to down Saint Martin’s, 55-49.

• All five starters finished in double-digit scoring for the Seawolves against Seattle Pacific, accounting for all but 12 of the team’s points.

• Senior guard Diante Mitchell led UAA in the win over Seattle Pacific with 25 points, connecting on 8 of 10 from the field and 7 of 9 from three-point range. Mitchell enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.833, 30-36).

• Senior guard Sekou “Suki” Wiggs came up with 28 points in the win over Saint Martin’s, his eighth 20-plus point performance of the season. Wiggs enters the week ranked second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II in scoring at 23.6 points per game. Wiggs is also 12th in Division II in total points (283), 13th in free throws made (71) and 16th in free throw attempts (94).

• Forward Corey Hammell notched a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds in the win over Seattle Pacific. Hammell leads the GNAC and is 17th in Division II in rebounding at 10.8 per game. Hammell also leads the league and is 2nd in Division II with 5.50 offensive boards per game.

• Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC in scoring defense (61.1 points allowed per game), scoring maergin (+20.4), field goal percentage defense (.395), rebounding (43.6 per game), rebounding defense (28.1 allowed per game), rebounding margin (+15.5), assists (17.83) and offensive rebounds (16.58 per game). The Seawolves are second in Division II in rebounding margin, fourth in scoring defense and seventh in scoring margin.

• The Seawolves hit the road for two games this weekend, playing at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split a pair of contests in Oregon last week. The Wildcats dropped a 98-77 decision at Western Oregon on Thursday, but rebounded for a 80-73 victory over Concordia on Saturday.

• Senior guard Dom Hunter led the Wildcats in scoring in both games, scoring 22 points at Western Oregon and a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia. In the process, he went 18 of 24 from the free throw line. Hunter enters the week leading the GNAC and second in Division II with 26.9 points per game. Hunter also leads the GNAC with 4.00 three-pointers made per game and is third in free throw percentage (.895, 77-86).

• Junior guard Jawan Stepney added 13 points against Western Oregon while junior forward Sage Woodruff fell just short of a double-double against Concordia with 14 points and nine rebounds.

• Despite the loss, Central Washington forced 21 turnovers by Western Oregon, resulting in 22 points. Against Concordia, the Wildcats scored 32 of their 80 points in the paint and received 20 points from bench performers.

• Forward Fuquan Niles enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked sixth in blocked shots with 3.00 per game. Niles added four blocks over the weekend, including three at Concordia.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II in scoring at 89.9 points per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank 16th in Division II with 10.8 three-pointers made per game. Central Washington is also 13th in Division II for fewest turnovers (109), is 12th in tunrover maergin (4.9) and 16th in turnovers per game (10.9).

• Central Washington hosts travel partner Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday before playing at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia succeeded in securing a split in its return to GNAC play. The Cavaliers opened with a 70-55 win over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before taking a competitive 80-73 loss to Central Washington on Saturday.

• Senior forward Drew Martin was the Cavaliers’ top scorer in both games. He came up with 14 points and seven rebounds against Northwest Nazarene and finished with 19 points against Central Washington. Martin enters the week ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 16.3 points per game.

• Junior forward Christopher Edward notched a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and connected on 6 of 9 from the field against Central Washington. Edward is third in the GNAC in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game. He is also second in the league in field goal percentage (.636, 70-110).

• Concordia received a good boost from the bench in the win over NNU with four players accounting for 24 points. Senior guard Latrell Wilson led the bench charge with nine points.

• Concordia enters the week leading the GNAC in blocked shots with 4.18 per game and defensive rebounds with 29.64 per game. The Cavaliers are averaging 80.8 points per game and are tied for second in rebounding with 41 per game

• Concordia leaves the state of Oregon for GNAC play for the first time this season, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Arguably the hottest team in the GNAC, Montana State Billings improved to 3-1 in league play and 8-4 overall with a pair of road wins. The Yellowjackets collected a 107-66 win at Simon Fraser on Thursday and beat Western Washington on Saturday, 100-93. The win at Western Washington was the first for MSUB against the Vikings in Bellingham.

• The efforts in the two games earned Montana State Billings the GNAC/Red Lion Team of the Week award. The Yellowjackets shot 54 percent from the field, 50.9 percent from three-point range and 86 percent from the free throw line in the two games.

• Senior guard Marc Matthews earned his second GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award of the season after he finished with 48 points and shot 60.7 percent from the field in the two games. Matthews scored 20 points in the win at Simon Fraser, which included his 1,000th career point. He followed that up with a 28-point performance at Western Washington. Matthews enters the week 10th in the GNAC in scoring with 15.8 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Preston Beverly was just short of a double-double against Simon Fraser, finishing with 22 points and eight rebounds. Beverly enters the week fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 18.8 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 8.3 per game.

• The Yellowjackets improved to 4-2 on the road, one win away from matching their road win total from 2015-16. Montana State Billings is 8-4 overall, three wins from matching their total wins from last season.

• Montana State Billings leads the GNAC and 25th in Division II with a .771 free throw percentage (202-262). The Yellowjackets are third in the GNAC in scoring at 84.8 points per game and average 38 rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings is home for its next four games. The Yellowjackets host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split a pair of games in Oregon last weekend. The Crusaders fell to Concordia, 70-55, on Thursday and rebounded from a 23-point deficit to beat Western Oregon on Saturday, 64-59.

• Junior forward Maurice Jones scored 16 points in both games. He scored 16 on 7 of 11 from the field with eight rebounds against Concordia and had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds against Western Oregon. Jones is ninth in the GNAC with 7.2 rebounds per game, is sixth in the league in field goal percentage (.542) and ninth in steals (1.40 per game).

• Senior guard Bouna N’Diaye accounted for nearly half of NNU’s points against Western Oregon, scoring 30 on 9 of 14 from the field and 6 of 8 from three-point range. N’Diaye enters the week ranked seventh in the GNAC in three-point percentage (.452, 19-42).

• In the comeback win over Western Oregon, NNU shot 52.9 percent from three-point range (9-17) and 56.5 percent from the field in the second half.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 73 points and 36 rebounds per game. The Crusaders are second in the GNAC in scoring defense (70.2 points allowed per game) and field goal percentage defense (.404) and are third in field goal percentage (.478).

• The Crusaders are on the road again this week, playing at Central Washington on Tuesday and at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split on the Alaska road trip as it returned to GNAC play. The Saints scored an 87-71 win over Alaska on Thursday and fell in a closely contested 55-49 game at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• The Saints were firing on all cylinders vs. Alaska, shooting 51.7 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the free throw line.

• Senior guard Tyler Copp led the way against Alaska with 25 points, connecting on 7 of 11 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line. Copp enters the week ranked fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 18.8 points per game. He is also fifth in free throw shooting (.879, 51-58) and sixth in minutes (32.40 per game).

• Senior guard Cole Preston led the Saints against Alaska Anchorage with 16 points, making 6 of 11 from the field.

• Junior guard Trey Ingram was in double digit scoring in both games, scoring 16 points on 4 of 6 from three-point range against Alaska and 10 points against Alaska Anchorage. Ingram enters the week fourth in the GNAC in three-point shooting (.483, 29-60), fifth in three-pointers made (2.64 per game) and eighth in field goal percentage (.524, 54-103).

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 82.8 points and 38.1 rebounds per game. The Saints are second in the GNAC in scoring margin (+11.8), field goal percentage (.483), three-point percentage (.321), rebounding defense (31.4 allowed per game), rebounding margin (+6.7) and blocked shots (4.09 per game).

• Saint Martin’s hosts the Oregon schools this week. The Saints will face Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific succeeded in a split on the Alaska road trip. The Falcons took an 88-66 loss at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday before holding on for a 79-77 win at Alaska on Saturday.

• After shooting just 30.9 percent from the field against UAA, Seattle Pacific shot 50 percent in the first half against UAF and outrebounded the Nanooks 42-31.

• Freshman forward Tony Miller notched his fifth 20-plus point performance of the season at Fairbanks, scoring a season-high 32 points on 11 of 16 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free throw line. It was also his fourth double-double of the season as he had 10 rebounds. Miller enters the week fifth in the GNAC in rebounding at 7.8 per game and eighth in scoring at 16.6 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Coleman Wooten notched his sixth double-double of the season against Alaska with 22 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 7 of 12 from both the field and the free throw line. Wooten enters the week 16th in Division II with his six double-doubles. He is also second in the GNAC with 9.2 rebounds per game and seventh with 16.7 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Hunter Eisenhower provided 12 points in 16 minutes off the bench against Alaska Anchorage, connecting on 4 of 5 from the field.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 79 points per game and is tied for second in the GNAC with 41 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC in three-point defense (.315) and are 26th in Division II with 314 free throw attempts.

• Seattle Pacific is home for its next two games, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped both home contests in its return to GNAC play. The Clan lost on Thursday to Montana State Billings 107-66 before taking a close 103-98 loss to Western Washington on Friday.

• The Clan saw five players score in double figures against Montana State Billings, led by 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench by junior guard Kedar Wright. He then exploded for 28 points against Western Washington on Friday. Wright enters the week as the Clan’s leading scorer, averaging 14.4 points per game.

• Simon Fraser had one of its best overall shooting performances of the season to keep it close against Western Washington, shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from three-point range.

• Junior guard JJ Pankratz added 13 points and four rebounds against Montana State Billings. Pankratz enters the week ranked third in the GNAC in three-point shooting (.488, 21-43) and sixth in blocked shots (1.50 per game).

• Junior guard Iziah Sherman-Newsome had his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Western Washington.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 69.9 points and 31.8 rebounds per game.

• Simon Fraser closes out a four-game home stand by hosting the Alaska schools. The Clan welcome Alaska Anchorage to Burnaby Mountain on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split in its return to GNAC play at home. The Wolves collected a 98-77 win over Central Washington on Thursday before taking a 64-59 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• The Wolves were dominant in the win over CWU, shooting 55.9 percent from the field in the first half anf 54.7 percent for the game. Western Oregon outrebounded the Wildcats 47-30.

• Junior guard Ali Faruq-Bey led the Wolves in the win with 22 points and eight rebounds, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field. He also had four steals and enters the week tied for sixth in the GNAC with 1.50 steals per game.

• Junior forward Tanner Omlid scored in double figures in both games and led the Wolves with 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in the loss to Northwest Nazarene. Omlid enters the week leading the GNAC and second in Division II with 3.36 steals per game. He is also 30th in Division II with five double-doubles.

• Junior guard Demetrius Trammell was a force off the bench against Central Washington, scoring 21 points in 20 minutes. He connected on 8 of 11 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 73 points and 35 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC and are 20th in Division II with 9.5 steals per game. Western Oregon is also 11th in Division II with a turnover margin of 5.0.

• Western Oregon begins the new year on the road, traveling to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington has lost three of its last four games. The Vikings returned to GNAC play with a 103-98 win at Simon Fraser on Friday before taking a 100-93 loss to Montana State Billings at home on Saturday.

• In the win over Simon Fraser, the Vikings finished shooting 56.1 percent from the field and shot 61 percent in the first half. Against Montana State Billings, WWU shot 85 percent from the free throw line and scored 52 of its 93 points in the paint.

• Forward Taylor Stafford led the Vikings in scoring in both games. He connected 31 points on 11 of 21 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free throw line against Simon Fraser and scored 27 points while shooting 8 of 8 from the field against Montana State Billings. Stafford enters the week third in the GNAC and 21st in Division II in scoring at 22.3 points per game. He is also second in the league and 20th in Division II in free throw percentage (.909, 60-66).

• Junior forward Deandre Dickson matched Stafford against Simon Fraser with 31 points in 27 minutes off the bench to go along with 10 rebounds. He shot 13 of 17 from the field.

• Freshman guard Daulton Hommes had his first collegiate double-double against Montana State Billings, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounfs while shooting 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. Hommes enters the week leading the GNAC in three-point percentage (.563, 27-48).

• Western Washington enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked 13th in Division II in scoring at 91.9 points per game. The Vikings also lead the GNAC in field goal percentage (.505) and three-point percentage (.422).

• Western Washington will host the Alaska schools this week. The Vikings take on Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.