Monday, December 30, 2019

WOLVES END NON-CONFERENCE PLAY WITH STATEMENT WIN: Western Oregon was picked to finish eighth in the GNAC this season, but the Wolves are playing like they plan to win it all.

The Wolves closed out the month of December with a statement non-conference victory, shocking No. 5/6 ranked Dixie State 91-75 on Dec. 20. The performance, which moved WOU to 6-2 overall on the season, earned the team selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

Western Oregon got off to a hot start and carried a 13-point lead into halftime. The Wolves never looked back as they traded punches with Dixie in the second half to preserve their first win since Nov. 30 while also snapping the Trailblazers’ 10-game winning streak.

“We had a great week of practice and preparation leading up to this,” first-year head coach Wes Pifer said. “For the most part, we did our best with taking away Dixie’s ability to do what they needed to do.”

The Wolves shot 45.3 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three-point range and 95 percent from the free throw line. The Wolves erupted in the second half, making 15 of 28 from the field and 6 of 13 from outside.

SIMON FRASER ALSO KNOCKS DOWN A TOP-25: Western Oregon was not the only GNAC team to knock off a top-25 as Simon Fraser opened its three-game run at the D2 Power Invitational with an 86-83 overtime win over No. 21/22 SE Oklahoma State on Dec. 19 in Honolulu.

The Clan came back from a 19-point first-half deficit to force overtime and then proceeded to outscore the Savage Storm 18-15 in the final five minutes. The difference came in turnovers, with Simon Fraser forcing 15 Savage Storm turnovers for 22 points.

Junior forward Jasdeep Singh led the Simon Fraser in the win, connecting for 32 points on 12 of 21 from the field and 6 of 12 from three-point range. The performance helped earn Singh selection as the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

CONFERENCE FOCUS: With the non-conference schedules wrapped up, the GNAC’s 11 teams turn their focus to the fight for the six spots in the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships.

Concordia and Western Oregon open the week’s slate, facing off on Tuesday afternoon in Monmouth before a full five-game schedule on both Thursday and Saturday. Among the week’s most intriguing matchups includes Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings at Western Oregon, both on Thursday.

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).
Otter Classic (Nov. 15-16, Seaside, Calif.): Shadeed Shabazz (UAF).
SF State Gator Invitational (Nov. 29-30, San Francisco): Darius Lubom (WOU, Most Valuable Player), Dalven Brushier (WOU).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 29-30, Bellingham): D’Angelo Minnis (WWU, Most Valuable Player), Luke Lovelady (WWU), Jasdeep Singh (SFU), Wilfried Balata (SFU).
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 29-30, Anchorage): Niko Bevens (UAA), Tyler Brimhall (UAA), Oggie Pantovic (UAA).
D2 Power Invitational (Dec. 19-21, Honolulu): First Team - Jasdeep Singh (SFU). Second Team - Oggie Pantovic (UAA), Wilfried Balata (SFU), Demonte Malloy (SMU).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 16-22)
Jasdeep Singh
Simon Fraser
F • 6-8 • Jr. • Delta, B.C.

Singh led Simon Fraser to a 2-1 week at the D2 Power Invitational with 54 points and 17 rebounds and was named to the All-Tournament First Team. He opened with an effort of 32 points and six rebounds in Thursday’s 86-83 overtime win over No. 21/22 Southeastern Oklahoma State on Thursday, shooting 12 of 21 from the field and 6 of 10 from three-point range. He just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds in Friday’s 58-53 loss to Colorado Mines before closing with 10 points in Saturday’s 74-67 win over Hawaii Pacific. For the week, Singh shot 44.7 percent from the field.

Also Nominated: Oggie Pantovic (Alaska Anchorage), Jeryn Lucas (Central Washington), Demonte Malloy (Saint Martin’s), Gavin Long (Seattle Pacific), Jaylyn Richardson (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Having not played for nearly a month, Alaska returns to conference play this weekend with games at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• After opening the season 1-7, Alaska stunned its first two GNAC opponents of the season. The Nanooks handed Western Oregon its first loss of the season, 72-66, on Dec. 5 before winning a 116-111 double-overtime thriller over Concordia on Dec. 7.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz averaged 35 points per game in the two contests, shooting 63 percent from the field. Shabazz opened with a 27-point performance against WOU to go along with two rebounds, three assists and four steals. He played all but three minutes against Concordia and finished with 43 points, two rebounds, two assists and four steals. He is just the 15th player in GNAC history to score 43 or more points in a game. Shabazz is second in the GNAC with 21.5 points per game. He leads the league and is sixth in Division II with 2.90 steals per game.

• Junior guard Markel Banks had his own 30-plus point performance against Concordia, coming off the bench to score 33 points on 11 of 14 from the field and 11 of 12 from the free throw line to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Banks is averaging 9.5 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with a .630 field goal percentage.

• Alaska is averaging 72.6 points and 30.9 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC with 6.5 steals per game.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 1-2 at the D2 Power Invitational in Hawaii. The Seawolves took an 83-74 loss to Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 19 and an 88-68 loss to SE Oklahoma State on Dec. 20 before closing with a 66-64 win over Hawaii Hilo on Dec. 21.

• Sophomore guard Tobin Karlberg led the Seawolves in the three games with 48 points, averaging 16 per game, on 52.9 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range. Karlberg scored 21 against Arkansas-Monticello, shooting 8 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from the arc. He then added a 13-point performance against SE Oklahoma State and 14 points against Hawaii Hilo. Karlberg is averaging 11.5 points per game.

• Junior forward Oggie Pantovic was named to the D2 Power Invitational All-Tournament Second Team after he finished with 38 points and 17 rebounds in the three games, connecting on 65.2 percent from the field. After quiet scoring outputs of six points against Arkansas-Monticello and 10 points against SE Oklahoma State, Pantovic finished just short of a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds against Hawaii Hilo. He connected on 8 of 10 from the field in the game. Pantovic is averaging 11.4 points per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with a .583 field goal percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is fifth in the GNAC with 77.2 points per game while also averaging 33.8 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank 14th in Division II with 21.1 assists per game while also ranking sixth nationally with 396 total three-point attempts. Individually, senior guard Niko Bevens is fifth in Division II with 46 three-pointers made, 14th with 103 three-point attempts and 26th with 3.54 three-pointers made per game.

• The Seawolves moved up two spots to No. 4 the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings (Dec. 16) and was among teams receiving votes in the NABC Division II Coaches Rankings.

• Alaska Anchorage is on the road for its return to conference play, taking on Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington closed out non-conference play back on Dec. 17 with a 78-68 win over Division III Linfield.

• Senior guard Jeryn Lucas had a career night, coming off the bench to finish with 30 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. He connected on 9 of 17 from the field, 6 of 10 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Lucas enters the week averaging 13.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

• Senior Davon Bolton connected for 13 points as he made 5 of 9 from the field. Bolton is averaging 9.2 points per game. In addition, both senior guard Gamaun Boykin and junior forward Kevin Baker finished with 10 points. Baker leads the Wildcats in scoring at 14.8 points per game.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 79 points and 35.9 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.497) and third in scoring defense (72.5 points allowed per game) while ranking 14th in Division II with 13.8 personal fouls per game.

• Central Washington returns to conference play at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia has not played since picking up an 87-68 exhibition win over George Fox on Dec. 16. The Cavaliers will play their first counting games in a month at Western Oregon on Tuesday and at home against Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior forward Dakota Ayala led the Cavaliers in the win with a huge double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds on 7 of 13 from the field. Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet added 15 points as five Concordia players scored in double figures.

• Concordia lost a pair of close ones on its GNAC season-opening road trip, losing 81-74 to Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 5 and 116-111 in double overtime to Alaska on Dec. 7.

• Sweet led the Cavaliers with 44 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the two games, shooting 60 percent from the field and 4 of 6 from three-point range. Sweet opened with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists at Alaska Anchorage as he made 8 of 16 from the field. He then scored 26 points in 47 minutes at Alaska on 9 of 12 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Sweet is eighth in the GNAC with 16.4 points per game and a .486 three-point percentage.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 72.8 points and 32.8 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are sixth in the GNAC with 8.60 three-pointers made per game.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split its games at the DII South Point Holiday Classic in Las Vegas prior to the holiday break. The Yellowjackets scored an 85-76 win over Pittsburg State on Dec. 21 before taking a 58-54 loss to Rollins on Dec. 22.

• Junior forward Zharon Richmond led MSUB in Vegas with 47 points and 18 rebounds in the two contests, shooting 48.3 percent from the field. He just missed a double-double both days. Richmond opened the tourney with 30 points and nine rebounds against Pittsburg State, shooting 10 of 16 from the field and 5 of 8 from three-point range. He then finished with 17 points and nine rebounds against Rollins. The games were Richmond’s first two of the season.

• Senior guard Tyler Green connected for 36 points to go with 14 assists in Vegas. He had a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists against Pittsburg State to go with four rebounds. Green finished with 14 points against Rollins with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Green is sixth in the GNAC with 16.9 points per game. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with 4.10 assists per game and is 21st in Division II with 99 three-pointers attempted.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard scored 34 and had 13 rebounds in the two games, paced by his 19 points and eight rebounds against Rollins. Howard leads the GNAC and ranks 26th in Division II with 21.8 points per game. He also leads the conference with 8.9 rebounds per contest.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 73.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 36.6 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are second in the GNAC with 3.30 blocked shots per game and rank fourth in Division II with 12.6 personal fouls per game.

• Montana State Billings heads to Oregon this week to return to conference play, taking on Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene will play its first games in nearly a month when it hits the road to face Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

• Northwest Nazarene took a pair of home losses to start conference play, falling 84-63 to Saint Martin’s on Dec. 5 and 77-68 to Seattle Pacific on Dec. 7.

• Freshman guard George Reidy led the Nighthawks with 35 points in the two games, making 57 percent from the field. He opened his week with 24 points against Saint Martin’s, making 11 of 16 from the field, to go with six rebounds and four assists. Reidy then scored 11 points against Seattle Pacific along with three assists. Reidy leads NNU with his 14.4 points per game and is eighth in the GNAC with a .582 field goal percentage.

• Senior forward Adalberto Diaz finished with 31 points and nine rebounds in the two contests, making 50 percent from both the field and three-point range. Diaz finished with 15 points against Saint Martin’s with four rebounds. He then scored 16 points against Seattle Pacific on 6 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from outside. Diaz is averaging 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 70.7 points per game and ranks third in the GNAC with 39 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC in field goal percentage defense (.421).

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped all three of its games at the D2 Power Invitational in Hawaii prior to the holiday break. The Saints took an 80-60 loss to Colorado Mines on Dec. 19, a 77-70 loss to Hawaii Hilo on Dec. 20 and a 93-68 loss to Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 21.

• Junior guard Demonte Malloy was named to the All-Tournament Second Team after he led the Saints in the three games with 49 points and 18 rebounds, shooting 55.3 percent from the field. Malloy had six rebounds in each contest while scoring 10 points against Colorado Mines, 23 against Hawaii Hilo and 16 against Arkansas-Monticello. Malloy is ninth in the GNAC with 16.2 points per game and ranks seventh in the conference with 7.4 rebounds per game.

• Freshman guard Alex Schumacher finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds in the three games to go along with a team-high eight assists. After single-digit scoring performances against Colorado Mines and Hawaii Hilo, Schumacher connected for 18 points against Arkansas-Monticello to go along with six rebounds. Schumacher is averaging 13.8 points per game.

• Junior center Marky Adams pulled down 22 rebounds in the tournament to go along with 20 points. His week was topped by a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds against Hawaii Hilo. Adams is second in the GNAC with 8.7 rebounds per game. He shares the GNAC lead and ranks 27th in Division II with 1.90 blocked shots per game.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 75.8 points per game and leads the GNAC with 39.4 rebounds per contest. The Saints rank third in the GNAC with 2.91 blocks per game and are 25th in Division II with 14.5 personal fouls per game.

• The Saints are home as they return to conference play, hosting Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific closed out the month of December with a 103-74 non-conference victory over Division III Puget Sound on Dec. 20.

• The Falcons shot a blistering 70 percent from the field in the contest (42-60) and connected on 21 of 29 in the second half. It was one if just four 70-plus percent shooting performances in conference history and the first since Western Oregon shot a conference record 73 percent against Northwest Nazarene on Feb. 21, 2008.

• Senior guard Gavin Long led six SPU players in double figures with 23 points. connecting on 10 of 12 from the field. Long enters the week averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Freshman forward Shaw Anderson added 15 points and had eight rebounds in the win while sophomore guard Divant’e Moffitt finished with 15 points on 6 of 9 from the field. Moffitt is the Falcons’ leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game.

• Adding to the scoring parade was freshman forward Filip Fullerton with 11 points, junior guard Harry Cavell with a near double-double of 10 points and eight rebounds and junior forward Medhi Ed Mardi with 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 74.6 points and 32 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 70.4 points per game, and rank third in three-point defense (.344).

• The Falcons open January at home, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser improved to 9-2 on the season by winning two of three games at the D2 Power Invitational in Hawaii. The Clan took an 88-83 overtime win from No. 21/22 SE Oklahoma State on Dec. 19 before a 58-53 loss to Colorado Mines on Dec. 20. They closed the tourney with a 74-67 win over Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 21.

• Junior forward Jasdeep Singh was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week and was named to the All-Tournament First Team after finishing with 54 points and 17 rebounds in the three games. He opened with an effort of 32 points and six rebounds against SE Oklahoma State and just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds against Colorado Mines. Singh closed the tourney with 10 points against Hawaii Pacific. For the week, Singh shot 44.7 percent from the field. Singh is third in the GNAC with 19 points per game and is second with 34.09 minutes played per game.

• Sophomore guard Wilfried Balata earned All-Tournament Second Team honors after he finished with 43 points and 25 rebounds in the three games. Balata just missed a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds against SE Oklahoma State. He finished with eight points and nine rebounds against Colorado Mines before connecting for 16 points and seven rebounds against Hawaii Pacific. Balata is seventh in the GNAC with 16.7 points per game and 10th with 3.09 assists per game.

• Simon Fraser is second in the GNAC in scoring with 84.1 points per game and is fifth in rebounding at 35.9 per game. The Clan is second in Division II in fewest turnovers with 95, fourth in both turnovers per game (9.5) and turnover margin (8.2) and eighth in steals per game (10.9).

• The Clan remained at No. 5 in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings, released on Dec. 16.

• Simon Fraser returns home to re-start conference play, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon had perhaps the biggest win in the GNAC prior to the holiday break, holding No. 5/6 Dixie State to 38.8 percent shooting from the field in a 91-75 upset of the Trailblazers on Dec. 20.

• For the big home win over a top-10 opponent, the Wolves were named the GNAC Team of the Week of Dec. 23.

• Senior guard Jaylyn Richardson led the Wolves with 27 points and nine rebounds in the win, connecting on 11 of 17 from the field to go along with three steals and a block. Richardson is averaging 14.5 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with a .597 field goal percentage (43-72).

• Senior guard Dalven Brushier connected for 22 points in the win while sophomore forward Cameron Cranston added 20 points. Brushier is fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 18.9 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 28th in Division II with 36.25 minutes played per game.

• Western Oregon is third in the GNAC in scoring with 82.6 points per game and is averaging 30.9 rebounds per contest. The Wolves lead the GNAC and rank fourth in Division II with a .433 three-point percentage and are 12th nationally in fewest fouls with 135.

• The Wolves continue a six-game homestand this week, hosting Concordia on New Year’s Eve and Montana State Billings on Thursday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington has not played since serving up a 126-72 win over Capilano on Dec. 15 for the program’s 1,500th victory. The Vikings are home this week to host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Green led eight WWU players to score in double figures with 20 points and eight rebounds on 8 of 13 from the field to go with five assists, four steals and two blocks against Capilano. Green is averaging 13.6 points per game and is tied for first in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with 1.90 blocks per game.

• Senior forward Trevor Jasinsky and senior guard/forward Siaan Rojas each finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Jasinsky also had eight assists and three steals. Jasinsky is fifth in the GNAC with 17 points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .873 free throw percentage. Rojas is averaging 8.3 points per game.

• Also adding to the double-digit party was senior center Logan Schilder with 14 points, junior guard Bryce Knox with 13 points, freshman guard D’Angelo Minnis and senior guard Leif Anderson with 11 points and sophomore guard RJ Secrest with 10 points.

• The Vikings enter the week ranked leading the GNAC with 85.2 points per game and second with 39.1 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank 12th in Division II with 4.9 blocked shots per game while ranking 21st with 13.80 offensive rebounds per game.