Thursday, November 14, 2019

SEAWOLVES EXCEL ON NATIONAL STAGE: It was quite the week for Alaska Anchorage as it was given the opportunity to showcase itself on a national stage as part of the ESPN Armed Forces Classic.

After an opening contest between Washington and Baylor inside the Alaska Airlines Center on Friday, the Seawolves cruised to an 88-78 victory over Division III Coast Guard in a game that was televised nationally on ESPNU. Junior guard Niko Bevens led UAA individually with 24 points on 8 of 12 from the floor. He connected on 8 of 9 from three-point range, which tied the GNAC single-game record for three-pointers made with just one miss.

As a team, Alaska Anchorage shot an impressive 58.1 percent from long range (18-31) while shooting 43.5 percent from the field.
The ESPN Armed Forces Classic moves annually to different cities in the United States with a significant military presence. As part of the event, Alaska Anchorage and the other three participating teams took part in a number of experiences and events with military personnel at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The game was one of three over the weekend for Alaska Anchorage, which has started the season with a 3-1 record. The Seawolves hosted the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge on Saturday and Sunday. They beat Hawaii Pacific on Saturday, 77-48, and lost to Chaminade on Sunday, 85-56.

TOUGH START FOR PRESEASON FAVORITES: The first full week of the season provided a rocky start for the preseason favorites in the conference in tournament play.

Western Washington, picked to win the conference by coaches, enters the weekend with a 1-2 record. Hosting the GNAC/CCAA Conference Challenge, the Vikings beat Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday, 92-88, and dropped a 76-69 decision to No. 5 UC San Diego on Saturday. The Vikings dropped to 1-2 on the year with an 86-65 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday.

Seattle Pacific, the runner-up in the preseason poll, is 0-3 over the opening week. In their own Sodexo Classic, SPU dropped a 75-53 decision to Chico State on Friday and a 64-58 game to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday. Hosting Stanislaus State on Monday, the Falcons took a tight 75-71 defeat.

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).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Logan Schilder
Western Washington
C • 7-0 • Sr. • Bellingham, Wash.

Playing in his first games following his redshirt season, Schilder averaged 16 points per game, shot 61.9 percent from the field and 67 percent from three-point range in the Vikings’ openers in their own GNAC/CCAA Conference Challenge. In Friday’s 92-88 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills, Schilder finished with 17 points on 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 45 from outside to go with four rebounds and two assists. He just missed a double-double in Saturday’s 76-69 loss to UC San Diego, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds on 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from the three-point line. Schilder was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Also Nominated: Hunter Sweet (Concordia), Wilfried Balata (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska opened the season with a split at the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge in Anchorage. The Nanooks lost to Chaminade on Saturday, 90-64, and beat Hawaii Pacific 75-73 thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by junior Koby Huerta.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz was named to the All-Tournament Team after he scored 42 points and had 14 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Shabazz scored 19 points against Chaminade to go with five rebounds. Against Hawaii Pacific, he poured in 23 points with nine rebounds and five assists. Shabazz shares the GNAC lead early on with 21 points per game.

• Senior guard Spencer Sweet scored 20 points in the two games, capped by his 15-point performance against Hawaii Pacific. He connected on 6 of 11 from the floor in the game.

• Junior guard Markel Banks also had 20 points to go with 10 rebounds in the tournament as he shot 80 percent from the field. His best came against Chaminade with 12 points on 4 of 5 from the field along with four rebounds and three steals. Banks shares the GNAC lead with his .800 field goal percentage.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 75.2 points and 33 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are fourth in the GNAC with 12.50 offensive rebounds per game.

• The Nanooks will play this weekend at the Cal State Monterey Bay Tournament in Seaside, Calif, facing the host Otters on Friday and Cal State San Marcos on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 2-1 in a trio of home games. The Seawolves opened with the Armed Forces Classic on Friday, beating Division II Coast Guard 88-78. In the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge, UAA scored a 77-48 win over Hawaii Pacific on Saturday and took an 85-56 loss to Chaminade on Sunday.

• Senior guard Niko Bevens led the Seawolves with an average of 14.7 points per game over the three games. He connected on 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Bevens led UAA against Coast Guard with 24 points, connecting on 8 of 9 from three-point range. That tied the GNAC single-game record for three-pointers made with one miss. Bevens then connected for 15 points against Hawaii Pacific. Bevens is averaging 11.8 points per game and is fourth in Division II with 15 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard Tobin Karlberg was named to the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge All-Tournament Team. He finished with 27 points in the tournament and 42 points for the week. Karlberg scored 15 points against Coast Guard before adding 13 points against Hawaii Pacific and 14 points against Chaminade. On the week, Karlberg shot 55 percent from the field and 56 percent from outside.

• Junior forward Oggie Pantovic also earned All-Tournament Team honors, contributing 25 points off the bench with 14 rebounds. He finished with 15 points and seven rebounds against Hawaii Pacific on 7 of 9 from the field and added 10 points against Chaminade. Pantovic enters the week averaging 9.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 75.2 points and 32.5 rebounds per game, The Seawolves is fourth in Division II with 125 three-point attempts and leads the nation with 49 three-pointers made. The Seawolves are also ninth in Division II with 31 steals.

• The Seawolves take their first road trip of the season, participating in the Ron Logston Classic in Rohnert Park, Calif. They play host Sonoma State on Friday and face San Francisco State on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its games in its own CWU West Region Crossover. The Wildcats beat Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday, 93-73, and lost to Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, 80-71.

• Senior guard Jeryn Lucas led the Wildcats with 42 points in the two games, shooting 65 percent from the field and 63 percent from three-point range. Lucas opened the season with 24 points against Cal State Monterey Bay on 9 of 10 from the field and 3 of 3 from outside. He added 18 points against Cal State San Bernardino as he hit 4 of 8 from three-point range. Lucas is tied for first in the GNAC with 21 points per game and is fifth with a .652 free throw percentage.

• Junior guard Xavier Smith had 24 points in his first games for the Wildcats to go with a team-leading 11 rebounds. Smith had 14 points against Cal State Monterey Bay on 6 of 10 from the field. He then scored 10 points and had six rebounds against Cal State San Bernardino.

• Senior guard Davon Bolton tallied 22 points in the two games, topped by an 18-point performance against Cal State San Bernardino on 5 of 11 from the field.

• Central Washington is second in the GNAC with 82 points per game and averaging 31.5 rebounds per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank 29th in Division II with a .518 field goal percentage. They are also second in the GNAC with a .791 free throw percentage.

• Central Washington plays in the Fairfield Inn Tournament in Nampa, Idaho, this weekend, facing Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia opened the Rodrick Rhodes era with two losses at the CWU West Region Crossover, taking an 86-76 loss to Can State San Bernardino on Friday and a 97-92 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday.

• Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet led the Cavaliers with 35 points and 13 rebounds in the tournament, shooting 63 percent from the field. He opened the season with 14 points and six rebounds against Cal State San Bernardino. Sweet then had 21 points and seven points against Cal State Monterey Bay on 6 of 6 from the field, 2 of 2 from three-point range and 7 of 9 from the free throw line. Sweet is tied for fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.5 points per game.

• Senior forward Dakota Ayala added 25 points in the two games, topped by an 18-point performance against Cal State Monterey Bay on 8 of 14 from the field. Ayala is averaging 12.5 points per game.

• Freshman guard Caleb Larsen had 20 points in the West Region Crossover, topped by his 16 points against Cal State San Bernardino. He shot 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range. Larsen also had nine assists in the two games and is tied for first in the GNAC with 4.50 assists per game.

• Concordia enters the week leading the GNAC with 84 points per game and is tied for fifth with 33 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are second in the conference with 16.50 assists per game and rank third with a .466 field goal percentage.

• The Cavaliers will play a pair of games in Monmouth, Oregon this weekend, facing Hawaii Hilo on Friday and Warner Pacific on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split its games at the West Region Crossover in San Diego to open the season, beating Fresno Pacific in overtime, 77-73, on Friday and lost to defending national runner-up Point Loma on Saturday, 78-43.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard led the Yellowjackets in the opening weekend with 35 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 51.7 percent from the floor. He opened the week with 22 points and five rebounds against Fresno Pacific on 9 of 16 from the floor. Howard added 13 points and eight rebounds against Point Loma. Howard is tied for fourth in GNAC with 17.5 points per game.

• Senior guard Tyler Green scored 21 points in the two games. He opened with a 16-point performance against Fresno Pacific, connecting 5 of 15 from the field to go with six assists before scoring five against Point Loma. Green enters the week averaging 10.5 points per game.

• Junior guard Psalm Maduakor had 18 rebounds and four blocks in his MSUB debut weekend, which included a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds with three blocks against Fresno Pacific.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 60 points per game and leads the conference with 43 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC and are 23rd in Division II with five blocks per game.

• Montana State Billings returns to action on Saturday, traveling to Minot State.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks opened the season with a solid victory over Canyon County rival College of Idaho in the first leg of the United Heritage Insurance Mayor’s Cup, winning at home on Monday 66-57.

• Freshman guard Jaylen Fox led the Nighthawks with 15 points on 4 for 5 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 4 of 6 from the free throw line. He also had two rounds and four assists in his debut.

• Junior guard Sam Roth added 14 points in the victory on 6 of 10 from the field. He also had eight rebounds and three steals. Senior forward Adalberto Diaz added nine points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

• Northwest Nazarene will host the Fairfield Inn Tournament this weekend. The Nighthawks will play against Colorado Christian on Friday and Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opened the season and the Aaron Landon era at home on Monday, taking an 88-55 loss to No. 5 ranked UC San Diego.

• Junior center Marky Adams led the Saints with 11 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 5 of 7 from the field. Freshman guard Cole Alton came off the bench for 11 points as he connected on 4 of 7 from the field.

• Junior guard Demonte Malloy paced the SMU defense with seven rebounds. He also finished with seven points, which included 5 of 10 from the free throw line.

• The Saints will travel to St. George, Utah for the Dixie State Classic, playing against Westminster (Utah) on Friday and host Dixie State on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific is off to an 0-3 start to the season. The Falcons dropped both games in their own Sodexo Classic, falling 75-53 to Chico State on Friday and 64-58 to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday. Seattle Pacific also lost 75-71 to Stanislaus State at home on Monday.

• Senior guard Gavin Long led the Falcons in the three games with 37 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists. Long opened with nine points and four rebounds against Chico State and then scored 16 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists against Cal Poly Pomona. Long then scored 12 points and had eight rebounds against Stanislaus State. Long is averaging 12.3 points per game and is 18th in Division II with 18 free throws made.

• Junior guard Harry Cavell connected for 27 points and 15 rebounds in the three games, shooting 50 percent from the field. His high-water mark came against Cal Poly Pomona where he finished with 18 points and six rebounds, shooting 53 percent from the field. Cavell is averaging nine points per game.

• Picked second in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Falcons were ranked No. 25 in the preseason D2SIDA Media Poll and No. 3 in the D2SIDA West Region Rankings. Seattle Pacific is also fifth among teams receiving votes in the NABC Division II Rankings.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 60.7 points and 30.3 rebounds per game. The Falcons are third in the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 71.3 points per game.

• The Falcons hit the road for the Aramark GNAC/PacWest Challenge this weekend in Irvine, Calif. They will face Azusa Pacific on Friday and Concordia-Irvine on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split its games at the GNAC/CCAA Conference Challenge in Bellingham, Wash. The Clan lost their Friday opener to No. 5 UC San Diego, 95-70, before beating Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday, 82-60.

• Sophomore guard Wilfried Balata was named to the All-Tournament Team after he led Simon Fraser with 35 points, 17 rebounds and seven steals in the two games, shooting 52 percent from the field. Balata opened with 20 points against UC San Diego on 8 of 15 from the field. He then led SFU with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds against Cal State Dominguez Hills on 5 of 10 from the field. Balata was also 9 of 9 from the free throw line, which leads the GNAC. Balata is averaging 17.5 points per game. He also leads the league and is ninth in Division II with 3.50 steals per game.

• Junior forward Jasdeep Singh scored 30 points and had nine assists in the two games. He scored 15 points in each game but had his best performance against Cal State Dominguez Hills as he also had five rebounds and six assists. Singh is averaging 15 points per game and is tied for first in the GNAC with 4.50 assists per game.

• Picked third in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Clan is ranked ninth in the preseason D2SIDA West Region Rankings.

• Simon Fraser enters the week third in the GNAC in scoring ar 76 points per game and fourth with 33.5 rebounds per game. The Clan leads the conference and is 23rd in Division II with 10.5 steals per game while also ranking eighth nationally with nine turnovers per game.

• The Clan will open its home schedule on Saturday, hosting Trinity Western.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon will make its official start to the Wes Pifer era this weekend, hosting Warner Pacific for an exhibition on Friday before playing its official opener against Hawaii Hilo on Saturday.

• After advancing to the finals of the GNAC Championships last year, Western Oregon is picked eighth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll with 56 points.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• The GNAC preseason favorites are 1-2 after opening the season with three home games. In their own GNAC/CCAA Conference Challenge, the Vikings scored a 92-88 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday and took a 76-69 loss to No. 5 UC San Diego on Saturday. On Tuesday, WWU took an 86-65 loss to Cal Poly Pomona.

• Senior center Logan Schilder was named the GNAC Player of the Week and was also named to the All-Tournament Team after he finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds in the two games, shooting 61.9 percent from the field. Schilder connected for 17 points and four rebounds against Cal State Dominguez Hills on 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. He then had 15 points and nine rebounds on 6 of 9 from the field with three three-pointers against UC San Diego. Schilder then pulled down 10 rebounds against Cal Poly Pomona. Schilder is averaging 11.3 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 7.7 rebounds per contest.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Green also earned All-Tournament Team honors for his 31 points and 15 rebounds. He finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists against Cal State Dominguez Hills and then notched 11 points and seven rebounds against UC San Diego. Green opened this week with 10 points and nine rebounds against Cal Poly Pomona. Green is averaging 13.7 points per game and is 19th in Division II with 4.67 offensive rebounds per game.

• Western Washington entered the season receiving two votes in the NABC Division II Rankings and is sixth in the D2SIDA West Region Rankings.

• The Vikings enter the week averaging 75.3 points and 36.7 rebounds per game. The Vikings are 22nd in Division II in free throws made (49) and 25th in free throw attempts (66) and are 17th with 15.67 offensive rebounds per game.

• Western Washington plays this weekend at the Aramark GNAC/PacWest Challenge in Irvine, Calif., facing host Concordia-Irvine on Friday and Azusa Pacific on Saturday.