Tuesday, November 28, 2017

SAINTS ALIVE AFTER BIG WIN OVER RANKED LANCERS: Saint Martin’s is off to a great start. The Saints improved to 5-1 on the season with three wins over Thanksgiving week, including a 93-88 win over then-No. 7 ranked Cal Baptist on its home floor in the CBU Thanksgiving Classic.

For their efforts, the Saints shared the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week award with Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball.

“Our guys really came together on this road trip. They’ve started to trust each other and that trust led to the result [agianst Cal Baptist]. Everyone that stepped on the court gave great minutes, found a way to contribute and make their teammates better. I’m so proud of these guys; it was really a team win tonight,” said Saint Martin’s head coach Alex Pribble on SMU’s win over Cal Baptist.

During their four-game win streak, the Saints have averaged 82.5 points per game while limiting opponents to 74.8 points per game. The team also shot 47.8 percent from the floor and pumped in 41 percent of their three-point field goals.

In its win at Cal Baptist, Saint Martin’s went 63.3 percent from the field in the second half and made 11 of 20 shots from beyond the arc.

FINISHING THE SHOOTOUT WITH A “W”: It was only appropriate that Alaska Anchorage picked up another Division I victory in the final edition of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout.

The Seawolves earned the victory on Thanksgiving night, scoring a 78-73 overtime win over Santa Clara. The Broncos led by as much as nine points with seven minutes left in regulation before the Seawolves charged back and forced overtime on Maleke Haynes’ three-pointer as time expired. Alaska Anchorage went on to outscore the Broncos 12-7 in the extra period. Haynes and Jacob Lampkin led the Seawolves with 22 points each.

The win was UAA’s 56th all-time against a Division I program and the 39th all-time win during the Shootout. It was also the second time that the Seawolves beat Santa Clara in the Shootout, the first coming in 1991.

CONFERENCE PLAY COMMENCES: All 11 teams will open GNAC play this week. The conference schedule begins in Anchorage on Tuesday with the Seawolves hosting in-state rival Alaska. After the opening weekend, GNAC teams will take part in six contests before the remainder of the conference ledger begins in earnest on Thurs., Dec. 28.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC Players have been recognized with all-tournament team honors during the 2017-18 season...

PacWest/GNAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Bellingham, Wash.): Iziah Sherman-Newsome (SFU), Kedar Salam (SFU), Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Logan Schilder (WWU)

Alaska/Hawaii Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Anchorage): Davis Kimble (UAF), LaDonovan Wilder (UAF), Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

GNAC/CCAA Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Portland): Jarrett Gray (CU, Most Valuable Player), Christopher Edward (CU), Jawan Stepney (CWU).

Sodexo Classic (Nov. 17-18 at Seattle): Coleman Wooten (SPU, Most Valuable Player), Sam Simpson (SPU), Fuquan Niles (CWU).

Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 24-25 at Bellingham, Wash.): Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Michael Kluting (UAF), Joe Lendway (UAF).

GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 22-25 at Anchorage): Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Luke Chavez
Saint Martin’s
G • 6-4 • Jr. • Woodacre, Calif.

Chavez led Saint Martin’s to a 3-0 week on the road by averaging 19 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game while connecting on 54.5 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three-point range. After leading the Saints with 14 points in a 73-70 win at Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday, Chavez led all scorers with 26 points on 7 of 14 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free throw line in a 77-67 win over Academy of Art. Chavez then added 17 points on 6 of 8 from the field and 3 of 3 from the arc in a 93-88 upset of No. 7 Cal Baptist.

Also Nominated: Jacob Lampkin (Alaska Anchorage), Christopher Edward (Concordia), Kendall Denham (Montana State Billings), Ali Faruq-Bey (Western Oregon), Deandre Dickson (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska went 1-3 over Thanksgiving week. The Nanooks dropped a pair of home games to Holy Names, losing 82-81 in double overtime on Monday and 77-67 on Tuesday. At the Chuck Randall Classic in Bellingham, Alaska beat Capilano on Friday, 108-60, before losing to UC San Diego on Saturday, 80-56.

• Sophomore forward Michael Kluting was named to the Chuck Randall Classic All-Tournament Team and finished the week averaging 14.8 points per game in the four contests. Kluting led the Nanooks with 19 points on 8 of 13 from the field against UCSD and also had 19 points in Tuesday’s contest against Holy Names. Kluting is averaging 12 points per game and leads UAF with 6.7 rebounds per game.

• Junior forward Joe Lendway was also selected to the All-Tournament Team. He led the Nanooks with 23 points on 10 of 11 from the field in the win over Capilano. Lendway finished the four games shooting 80 percent from the field (22-29) and is eighth in the GNAC with a .622 field goal percentage (28-45).

• Junior guard Davis Kimble added seven steals in the four games, three of which came in the win over Capilano. Kimble is tied for ninth in the GNAC with 1.33 steals per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 77.8 points and 32.3 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC with 19.67 assists and 11 three-pointers made per game.

• Alaska and Alaska Anchorage will open the 2017-18 GNAC schedule against each other in Anchorage on Tuesday before hosting Montana State Billings on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 1-2 in the final edition of its GCI Great Alaska Shootout, picking up the lone win with a 78-73 overtime victory over Santa Clara on Thursday.

• Senior forward Jacob Lampkin was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.7 points per game in the three games. He shared top scoring honors with 22 points against Santa Clara on 10 of 15 from the field to go with 11 rebounds, and led the Seawolves with 13 points in Saturday’s loss to College of Charleston. Lampkin is fifth in the GNAC with 9.4 rebounds per game and is eighth in Division II with 75 total rebounds. His five double-doubles on the year is tied for third in Division II.

• Senior guard DJ Ursery added 20 rebounds in the three contests. He finished with nine points and eight rebounds on Wednesday against Cal State Bakersfield and also had nine points and six rebounds against Santa Clara.

• The win over Santa Clara was the Seawolves’ 56th all-time against a Division I program and the 39th for UAA in the history of the Great Alaska Shootout. It was UAA’s second win over the Broncos in the Shootout.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week averaging 61.5 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Seawolves are second in the GNAC with a .574 free throw percentage and is second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II in scoring defense with 65.1 points allowed per game. Alaska Anchorage is 25th in Division II with 278 total rebounds.

• Alaska Anchorage opens conference play on Tuesday when they host in-state rival Alaska. The Seawolves will host Montana State Billings on Thursday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington saw five players score in double figures in its only game of the week, a 100-64 victory over in-state NAIA rival Walla Walla.

• Freshman guard Khalil Shabazz led the Wildcats with 16 points on 7 of 10 from the field to go along with four rebounds and six assists. Shabazz enters the week tied for fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 18.2 points per game. He is also second in the GNAC with 2.40 steals per game.

• Junior forward Drake Rademacher and senior forward Sage Woodruff each scored 14 points in the win, with Rademacher going 5 of 6 from the field.

• Senior forward Fuquan Niles finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with three assists and three blocks. Niles enters the week tied for third in the GNAC with 9.6 rebounds per game and is second with 7.4 defensive rebounds per game. He leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with 2.60 blocks per game.

• Central Washington enters GNAC play averaging 75.6 points and 41.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are third in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 30 defensive rebounds per game and are 27th in Division II in field goal defense at .394.

• The Wildcats open their GNAC schedule by hosting Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• After starting the season at 4-0, Concordia dropped all three games last week. The Cavaliers dropped a 90-79 decision to Corban on Tuesday before taking road losses to Cal State San Marcos, 73-65, on Friday and Cal State LA, 91-69, on Saturday.

• Senior forward Christopher Edward led Concordia with 54 points and 39 rebounds in the three games, connecting on 71.9 percent from the field. He had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds against Corban before going off for 19 points and 21 rebounds against Cal State San Marcos. The 21 boards are tied for fourth best in GNAC history. Edward enters the week leading the GNAC and ranked ninth in Division II with 12.3 rebounds per game and is ninth in the GNAC at 16.1 points per game. His five double-doubles ties him for third in Division II.

• Junior guard Jarrett Gray averaged 18.7 points per game and hit 42.9 percent from three-point range in the three games. He led all scorers with 26 points on 9 of 18 from the field and 7 of 7 from the free throw line against Corban and scored 15 points against Cal State LA. Gray is second in the GNAC with 19.9 points per game. He is seventh in Division II with 112 field goal attempts, 14th with 52 field goals made and 16th with 38 minutes played per game.

• Junior guard Cody Starr continues to lead the GNAC with 5.71 assists per game and is 20th in Division II with 40 total assists. He finished with eight assists against Corban and three each in the California contests.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 78 points and 36.7 rebounds per game.

• The Cavaliers open their GNAC schedule on the road at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings improved to 5-0 with their one game of the week, a 95-82 victory over Chadron State at home on Tuesday.

• Sophomore guard Tyler Green led the offense once again for the Yellowjackets with 21 points, including 4 of 7 from three-point range and 5 of 7 from the free throw line. Green is third in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 19 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II with 4.60 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior forward Sven Jeuschede added 17 points in the win to go along with six rebounds. He made 5 of 9 from three-point range. Junior guard Zack Rollins fell just short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

• Freshman guard Kobe Terashima had five assists in 11 minutes off the bench. He is second in the GNAC with 5.20 assists per game.

• The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC and are ranked 23rd in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.2 points per game. Montana State Billings is second in the GNAC with 41.8 rebounds per game and third with 84.6 points per game. Defensively, MSUB leads the GNAC in field goal defense (.376) and three-point defense (.218) and offensive rebounds (12.80 per game).

• Montana State Billings opens the GNAC season in Alaska, playing at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and at Alaska on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks split their contests at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Cherry Creek Classic, falling to Metro State 81-74 on Friday before beating Regis in overtime, 103-93, on Saturday. The week began with a 76-68 exhibition loss at College of Idaho on Tuesday.

• Junior guard Khalil Thompson averaged 21 points per game in the two contests. He came off the bench to score 13 points against Metro State before leading all scorers with 29 points on 10 of 15 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range against Regis. Thompson is averaging 13.8 points per game.

• Senior forward Maurice Jones had 30 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in the two contests. He had a weekend high of 18 points and nine rebounds in the win over Regis. Jones leads the GNAC with 21.2 points per game and is 21st in Division II with 10.5 rebounds per contest.

• Sophomore guard Jayden Bezzant also had 30 points in the two games. He had a game-high 20 points on 7 of 10 from the field to go along with seven rebounds against Metro State. Bezzant is averaging 14 points per game.

• The Nighthawks enter the week averaging 83.7 points and 40.2 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks are third in the GNAC with 11.67 offensive rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene will open the GNAC schedule at home. The Nighthawks host Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s improved to 5-1 overall with three wins in California. The Saints opened with a 73-70 win at Cal State Monterey Bay on Tuesday and then started the CBU Thanksgiving Classic with a 77-67 win over Academy of Art. The big win came on Saturday in a 93-88 defeat of No. 7 Cal Baptist.

• The three wins and the defeat of the Lancers earned the Saints selection as the GNAC/Red Lion Co-Team of the Week, sharing the honor with Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball. The wins also gave the Saints votes in both the D2SIDA and NABC polls.

• Junior guard Luke Chavez was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 19 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds in the three games, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three-point range. He led all scorers with 26 points against Academy of Art, making 7 of 14 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free throw line, and had 17 points against Cal Baptist. Chavez is sixth in the GNAC with 17.7 points per game, is seventh in three-point percentage (.536) and ninth in free throw percentage (.826).

• Junior forward Jared Mathews added 30 points in the three games. He led the Saints in the win over Cal Baptist with 19 points on 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 3 from behind the arc. Mathews is sixth in the GNAC with a .639 field goal percentage.

• Freshman guard/forward Tavian Henderson went 12 of 15 from the field in the three contests. He is fourth in the GNAC with a .692 field goal percentage.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 83.7 points and 34.2 rebounds per game. The Saints are second in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with a .429 three-point percentage.

• The Saints open conference play on the road at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific split its two contests at the Westminster Thanksgiving Classic, knocking off Dixie State 79-70 on Friday before falling to host Westminster (Utah) on Saturday, 83-77.

• Sophomore forward Tony Miller led the SPU offense with 39 points in the two games to go with 13 rebounds. He fell just short of a double-double against Dixie State with 22 points and nine rebounds. Against Westminster, Miller contributed 17 points on 7 of 14 from the field. Miller leads SPU in scoring at 15.3 points per game.

• Junior guard Nikhil Lizotte averaged 15.5 points per game in the two contests. He finished with 20 points in the win over Dixie State, which included 11 of 12 from the free throw line. Lizotte is second in the GNAC with a .941 free throw percentage (32-34).

• Junior guard Nathan Streufert added six blocks in the two games, three in each contest. Steufert leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 15 total blocks and is second in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with 2.50 blocked shots per game.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 81.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 41.5 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank 12th in Division II with 31.33 defensive rebounds per game. Seattle Pacific also ranks 26th in Division II with 164 free throw attempts.

• Seattle Pacific heads east to open the GNAC schedule, playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Central Washington on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser saw its four-game season-opening win streak end with two losses at the Point Loma Thanksgiving Classic. The Clan fell on Friday to Azusa Pacific, 66-56, and on Saturday to the host Sea Lions, 79-55.

• Senior guard Kedar Salam led the SFU offense with 32 points in the two games. He scored 16 points on 7 of 13 from the field against Azusa Pacific and added 16 points against Point Loma. Salam leads SFU in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Othniel Spence led the Clan with 20 points against Point Loma, connecting on 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. Sophomore guard Michael Provenzano led all scorers with 24 points against Azusa Pacific, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field.

• Senior guard/forward Iziah Sherman-Newcome currently leads the GNAC with a .615 three-point percentage while senior guard/forward JJ Pankratz is 10th in the GNAC in rebounding at 6.8 rebounds per game.

• The Clan enters the week averaging 79 points and 32.5 rebounds per game. The Clan is second in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with 10 steals per game. They lead the GNAC and rank 13th in turnover margin at +6.3.

• Simon Fraser opens the GNAC schedule at home, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon is off to a 6-0 start thanks to road wins at Holy Names on Friday, 76-65, and at Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday, 87-48.

• With the victories, Western Oregon improved to No. 10 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and No. 13 in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll. The Wolves are also ranked No. 1 in the D2SIDA West Region Rankings.

• Senior guard Ali Faruq-Bey led the Wolves offensively with 28 points in the two contests. He led all scorers with 19 points in the win at Notre Dame de Namur, connecting on 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Faruq-Bey is fourth in the GNAC in three-point percentage at .556 (10-18).

• Senior forward Tanner Omlid added 26 points, 14 rebounds and six steals on the road trip. He led the Wolves with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists, two steals and four blocks against Holy Names. Omlid leads the GNAC and is seventh in Division II with 3.33 steals per game and is sixth in the GNAC with 7.3 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Demetrius Trammell had 19 points in the two games, topped by a 10-point performance at Notre Dame de Namur. Trammell leads the GNAC with a perfect 1.000 free throw percentage (12-12). He is 10th in Division II with a .571 three-point percentage and 14th with 24 three-pointers made.

• Western Oregon leads the GNAC and is 15th in Division II in scoring, averaging 92 points per game. The Wolves lead the league and rank ninth in Division II in field goal percentage (.527) and is fifth in Division II in three-point percentage (.466). Western Oregon is second in Division II with 13.8 three-pointers per game and sixth with 11.7 steals per game.

• Western Oregon continues a four-game road trip this week, opening GNAC play at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• The Vikings split their contests at their own Chuck Randall Classic, falling to UC San Diego on Friday, 81-73, and beating Capilano on Saturday, 113-60.

• Senior forward Deandre Dickson was named to the All-Tournament Team after he averaged 19 points and 4.5 rebounds in the two games. He led all players with 23 points and eight rebounds against UCSD to go along with two assists, two steals and three blocks. He added 15 points on 6 of 7 from the field against Capilano. Dickson is seventh in the GNAC at 17.4 points per game and is third in the GNAC with a .909 free throw percentage (20-22).

• Sophomore forward Daulton Hommes also earned All-Tournament Team as he averaged 16.5 points and four rebounds per game.and went a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line. He scored 16 points against UCSD and led the Vikings with 17 points on 6 of 8 from the field against Capilano. Hommes is fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 18.2 points per game and is fourth in the league with a .900 free throw percentage (18-20).

• Junior center Logan Schilder was big on the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds in the two games. He had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds against Capilano to go with two assists, two steals and three blocks. Schilder is tied for third in the GNAC with 9.6 rebounds per game and is third with 1.80 blocks per game.

• Western Washington enters the week second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II in scoring at 91.4 points per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank 17th in Division II with a .786 free throw percentage while leading the league and ranking third in Division II with 6.8 blocked shots per game.

• The Vikings open the GNAC schedule at home, hosting Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.