Tuesday, February 4, 2020

ALASKA PROVIDES SHOCKER TO OPEN SECOND HALF: The second half of the GNAC season began with Alaska stunning Seattle Pacific to put an end to the Falcons’ near-record win streak.

Behind a 38-point performance by junior guard Shadeed Shabazz, the Nanooks collected an 83-77 win over the Falcons on Thursday in Fairbanks. The victory put an end to a 14-game win streak for SPU, which was one short of the school record and ties for the sixth-longest in conference history.

Alaska led 34-31 at halftime, but had to come back from a seven-point deficit early in the second to secure the victory. The Nanooks took the lead for good on Alex Sommerfield’s three-pointer with 11:36 left and would eventually build a nine-point lead with 3:39 left. Alaska finished with 32 points in the paint and 18 fastbreak points.

“This was a signature win for our club,” said UAF head coach Greg Sparling. “Our guys really stepped up when they needed to. We got down in the first half and our guys battled back and our guys answered at halftime. It was really a difference of two halves. We fell in love with the three in the first half but later I thought our guys did a nice job getting downhill towards the rim.”

NIGHTHAWKS EARN TEAM OF THE WEEK HONORS: The hottest team in the conference resides in Nampa.

Northwest Nazarene extended its winning streak to seven games last week with wins at home over Western Washington (87-64) on Thursday and Simon Fraser (81-77) on Saturday to earn GNAC Team of the Week honors.

The Nighthawks scored 28 points off of 17 forced turnovers to go with 30 points off the bench while limiting Western Washington to 37.7 percent from the field in the 23-point rout of the Vikings. Riding that momentum into Saturday, the Nighthawks sunk 51.8 percent from the field in the four-point shootout against the Clan as four players scored in double digits. It took some time, however, for them to take control of the game.

“Thursday was an emotional win for us and we felt a letdown coming,” head coach Paul Rush said about the Nighthawks’ early struggles against the Clan. “We talked about it and it still happened, but their ability to respond to that adversity is impressive.”

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
Olamilekan Adetunji
Northwest  Nazarene
F • 6-7 • Sr. • Lagos, Nigeria

Adetunji posted double-doubles in both NNU wins as the Nighthawks moved into a tie for second place in the GNAC standings, finishing with 39 points and 26 rebounds over the week while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Adetunji opened the week with 18 points and 14 rebounds in Thursday’s 87-64 win over Western Washington. He then posted totals of 21 points and 12 rebounds on 7 of 9 from the field and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line in Saturday’s 81-77 victory over Simon Fraser.

Also Nominated: Tobin Karlberg (Alaska Anchorage), Jeryn Lucas (Central Washington), Hunter Sweet (Concordia), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Logan Rooney (Saint Martin’s), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser), Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon), Jalen Green (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska opened the second half of GNAC play with a big upset, beating Seattle Pacific 83-77 on Thursday to snap the Falcons’ 14-game win streak. The Nanooks then lost to Saint Martin’s on Saturday, 81-75.

• Junior guard Shadeed Shabazz led the offense once again with 67 points in the two games to go along with 11 rebounds and 10 steals. Shabazz had his eighth 30-plus point game of the season against Seattle Pacific, scoring 38 to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Saint Martin’s slowed Shabazz to 29 points on 10 of 19 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to go with four rebounds and seven steals. Shabazz leads the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with 25.5 points per game and is 29th nationally with a .874 free-throw percentage. He also leads Division II with 3.85 steals per game and 77 total steals.

• Junior forward Alex Sommerfield came off the bench for 28 points and 17 rebounds last week. He scored 14 points in both games, which included a double-double of 14 and 10 rebounds against Saint Martin’s. Sommerfield is averaging 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Spencer Sweet scored 17 of his 20 points on the week against Seattle Pacific, making 4 of 9 from the field and 7of 8 from the free-throw line. Sweet enters the week averaging 13 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with 2.40 three-pointers made per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 75.9 points and 30.5 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with a .780 free-throw percentage. They are also third in the GNAC with 8.15 steals per game.

• The Nanooks take to the road this week for games at Western Washington on Thursday and at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage opened the second half with a 92-81  win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday before taking a 79-73 loss to league-leading Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Tobin Karlberg led the Seawolves with 39 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the two games, making 65 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from long range. Karlberg finished just short of a double-double against Saint Martin’s, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists.  He then added 17 points and three assists against Seattle Pacific. Karlberg is averaging 11.8 points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .520 three-point percentage.

• Junior guard Oggie Pantovic added 32 points and 16 rebounds over the week, which included 13 of 14 made at the free-throw line. After finishing with 11 points and four rebounds against Saint Martin’s, Pantovic notched a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds against Seattle Pacific. He was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the game. Pantovic is the Seawolves’ leading scorer at 13.1 points per game. He is fifth in the GNAC with a .579 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard Tyrus Hosley added 29 points in the two games, which was led by his 17 points in 32 minutes off the bench against Seattle Pacific. Hosley is averaging 10.8 points per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 78.1 points and 32.7 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank 20th in Division II with 18.3 assists per game. Individually, senior guard Niko Bevens is third in Division II with 80  three-pointers made and 14th with  3.48 three-pointers made per game while junior guard DeAndre Osuigwe leads the GNAC with 4.77 assists per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is on the road this week for games at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington earned the sweep to open the second half of conference play, scoring an 84-77 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday and an 82-60 win over Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior guard Jeryn Lucas led the way with 39 points and seven assists in the wins. Lucas had his big game against Simon Fraser, finishing with 27 points and five assists while shooting 8 of 17 from the field, 6 of 11 from three-point range and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. He then had 12 points and five rebounds against Western Washington. Lucas leads the Wildcats with 11.9 points per game in 20 games off the bench.

• Junior guard Xavier Smith added 29 points in the two games, shooting 60 percent from the field and a perfect 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. After opening with four points against Simon Fraser, Smith led the way with 25 points against Western Washington on 8 of 11 from the field. Smith is averaging 10.1 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Matt Poquette put together 20 points and 10 rebounds in the two games, led by his 13 points and five rebounds against Simon Fraser. He was a perfect 9 for 9 from the field and 2 for 2 from outside in the wins. Poquette is averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest.

• Central Washington is averaging 76 points and 35.4 rebounds per game. The Wildcats rank third in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.477) and are third and rebounding defense (31.8 per game).

• Central Washington finishes out a four-game homestand this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday and Montana State Billings on Thursday.

CONCORDIA
• The Cavaliers saw its losing streak extend to six games with a 111-78 loss to Western Oregon on Tuesday and an 80-70 loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Junior guard/forward Bryce Cheney finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers. Cheney opened the week with 16 points and three rebounds against Western Oregon before adding 10 points and seven rebounds at MSUB. For the week, Cheney shot  57.1 percent from the field. Cheney is averaging 5.3 points per game and has started five of 19 games played.

• Junior guard/forward Hunter Sweet added 25 points and 13 rebounds. After opening with nine points and four rebounds against Western Oregon, Sweet just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds against Montana State Billings. Sweet is 11th in the GNAC with 14.9 points per game and ranks fifth in the league with a .448 three-point percentage.

• Senior guard Dom Bradley connected for 23 points and 20 rebounds, just missing double-doubles in both games. Bradley finished with 14 points and eight rebounds against Western Oregon and then came up with nine points and 12 rebounds at Montana State Billings. Bradley is averaging 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 70.3 points and 33.2 rebounds per game.

• Concordia heads north to the Puget Sound region this week, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• The Yellowjackets split against the Oregon schools to open the second half of the season, beating Concordia 80-70 on Thursday before taking a 98-75 loss at Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Brendan Howard led MSUB with 47 points on the road trip to go with 11 rebounds. Howard finished with 26 points and seven rebounds against Concordia, which included a perfect 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. He then closed with 21 points against Western Oregon and was near perfect from the line at 5 for 6. Howard is second in the GNAC and 27th in Division II with 22 points per game. He also ranks third in the league with 7.7 rebounds per game.

• Junior forward Zharon Richmond came up with 38 points, 21 rebounds and five assists in the two games as he connected on 51.6 percent from the field. Richmond had a big double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds against Concordia, shooting 11 of 19 from the field. He added 12 points and seven rebounds against Western Oregon. Richmond is averaging 19 points per game in 12 contests for the Yellowjackets.

• Senior guard Tyler Green registered 31 points and made 47.1 percent from three-point range. Green finished with nine points and five rebounds against. Concordia before coming alive for 22 points against Western Oregon, including 5 for 10 from long range. Green is seventh in the GNAC with 15.8 points per game. He is 12th in Division II with 3.55 three-pointers made per game and ninth with 186 three-point attempts.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 77.1 points per game and leads the GNAC with 38.3 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets rank second in Division II in fewest fouls (296) and fourth in personal fouls per game (12.9).

• Montana State Billings hits the road this week for games at Central  Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene’s extended its win streak to seven games with an 87-64 win over Western Washington on Thursday and an 81-77 victory over Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• For the performances that moved the Nighthawks into a tie for second in the GNAC standings, NNU was named the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Senior guard Olamilekan “Spider” Adetunji was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after registering a double-double in both games. Adetunji opened with 18 points and 14 rebounds against Western Washington and then came up with 21 points and 12 rebounds against Simon Fraser on 7 of 9 from the field. For the week, Adetunji finished with 39 points and 26 rebounds and shot 66.7 percent from the field. Adetunji is averaging 8.1 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 8.1 rebounds per game.

• Senior forward Adalberto Diaz connected for 30 points and nine rebounds in the two wins, shooting 61.9 percent from the field. Diaz made his biggest impact against Simon Fraser as he scored 24 points on 10 of 14 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. Eight of those points came in the final four minutes. Diaz is averaging 12.5 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 75.1 points and is third in the GNAC with 37.2 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC in field goal defense (.418) and 25th in Division II in fewest turnovers (229) and 28th in fewest fouls (296).

• Northwest Nazarene hits the road for its next four games, beginning with contests at Central Washington on Tuesday and at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s dropped the first game of its Alaska road trip at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, 92-81, before snapping a 12-game losing streak with an 81-75 win at Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard CJ Jennings paced Saint Martin’s with 42 points and 11 rebounds on the road trip. Jennings led the way with 26 points and nine rebounds while playing all 40 minutes at  Alaska Anchorage, shooting 10 of 21 from the field. He then scored 16 points in 17 minutes and had three assists at Alaska. Jennings is averaging 13.5 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 2.52 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior guard/forward Logan Rooney had a strong line of 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the two games. Rooney connected for 15 points and seven rebounds at Alaska Anchorage on 6 of 12 from the field. He then added 12 points and six rebounds at Alaska. Rooney enters the week averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

• Freshman guards Marcus Lenker and Alex Clinton each scored 22 points last week. Lenker made 7 of 10 from the field and had a high of 19 points at Alaska. Clinton scored his high of 19 points on Thursday at Alaska Anchorage, which included 5 of 10 from three-point range.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 74.5 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 37.1 rebounds per game.

• The Saints return home for a pair of games this week, hosting Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific saw its 14-game win streak come to an end at Alaska on Thursday night as the Falcons fell to the  Nanooks 83-77. They rebounded on Saturday to win at Alaska Anchorage, 79-73.

• Sophomore guard Divant’e Moffitt led Seattle Pacific with 45 points in two games, which included an impressive 19 of 20 from the free-throw line. Moffitt had his second 30-plus point night of the season at Alaska, scoring 33 points on 8 of 18 from the field and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line. He finished the week with 12 points and five rebounds at Alaska Anchorage. Moffitt is fifth in the GNAC with 16.5 points per game, ranks seventh with 3.25 assists per game and 10th with a .814 free-throw percentage.

• Freshman forward Shaw Anderson connected for 32 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 57.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Anderson finished with 13 points and five rebounds at  Alaska and then notched totals of 19 points and five rebounds at Alaska Anchorage on 7 of 8 from the field and 3 of 3 from outside. Anderson is averaging 12.8 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with a .563 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard Harry Cavell added 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Cavell finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds at Alaska before posting totals of six points, five rebounds and seven assists at Alaska Anchorage. Cavell averages 12.4 points per game and is eighth in the GNAC with 6.8 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is third in the GNAC with 79.3 points per game and is averaging 33.9 rebounds per game. The Falcons are second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II with a .493 field goal percentage while also ranking second in the GNAC and 10th in Division II with a .797 free-throw percentage.

• The Falcons remained at No. 5 in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings for the third consecutive week.

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

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped both road games to open the second half of GNAC play, losing 84-77 at Central Washington on Thursday and 81-77 at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior forward Jasdeep Singh led SFU with totals of 37 points and eight rebounds in the two games. Singh led the Clan with 24 points and six rebounds at Central Washington, shooting 8 of 18 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range. He then scored 13 points at Northwest Nazarene, including 3 of 6 from outside. Singh is fourth in the GNAC with 16.9 points per game and third with 33.1 minutes played per game.

• Sophomore guard Wilfried Balata connected for 26 points on the road trip with eight rebounds and four steals. Balata’s best performance came at Northwest Nazarene when he scored 18 points with six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Balata is one of just two players in the GNAC top-10 in scoring and rebounding, ranking fourth with 7.3 boards per game and eighth with 15.1 points per game.

• Junior center Julian Roche came alive for 21 points and 22 rebounds last week, shooting 75 percent from the field. He just missed a double-double in both games, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds at Central Washington along with nine points and 14 rebounds at  Northwest Nazarene. He also had two blocks in each game. Roche averages 9.5 points per game, is fifth in the GNAC with one block per game and is sixth with 6.9 rebounds per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 79.3 points and 36.6 rebounds per game. The Clan leads the GNAC and ranks 23rd in Division II with 8.9 steals per game.

• Simon Fraser returns to Burnaby Mountain this week to host Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon swept the week and has now won four of their last five games. The Wolves scored a 111-78 win at  Concordia on Tuesday before winning at Montana State  Billings on Saturday, 98-75.

• Sophomore forward Cameron Cranston had a big week with 46 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. He made 56.7 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Cranston opened the week with 17 points and seven rebounds at Concordia before going off for 29 points at Montana State Billings on 11 of 17 from the field and 6 of 10 from beyond the arc. Cranston is averaging 14.2 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with a .437 three-point percentage.

• Junior guard/forward Emanuel Gant connected for 26 points to go along with 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. At Concordia, Gant finished with nine points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. He then came up with 17 points and five rebounds at Montana State Billings, making 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. Gant has played in nine games off the bench this season and is averaging 9.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Jaylyn Richardson also had 26 points on the road trip, scoring 13 points in each game. His ledger included five rebounds at Concordia and 3 of 5 from three-point range at Montana State Billings. Richardson is averaging 13.1 points per game.

• Western Oregon leads the GNAC and is 17th in Division II with 88.1 points per game. The Wolves also lead the GNAC in field goal, three-point and free-throw percentage, ranking second in Division II with a .802 free-throw percentage, 10th with a .408 three-point percentage and 15th with a .501 field goal percentage.

• Western Oregon continues a four-game road trip this week with games at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped a pair of road games to open the second half, taking an 87-64 defeat at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and an 82-60 loss at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Jalen Green led the Vikings with 25 points in the two games, shooting 64.3 percent from the field. Green finished with 13 points at Northwest Nazarene on 4 of 7 from the field to go along with three rebounds and three assists. He then connected for 12 points on 5 of 7 from the field at Central Washington. Green is averaging 13.8 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with 2.50 offensive rebounds per game.

• Senior forward Cameron Retherford added 20 points and 13 rebounds in the two games. Retherford opened with nine points and seven rebounds at Northwest Nazarene before posting 11 points and six rebounds at Central Washington, which included 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. Retherford is averaging 8.7 points and four rebounds per game.

• Senior center Logan Schilder added 17 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 58.3 percent from the field. He opened the week with seven points and eight rebounds with three blocks at Northwest Nazarene before adding 10 points and seven rebounds at Central Washington. Schilder averages nine points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .621 field goal percentage.

• The Vikings rank second in the GNAC with 80.2 points and 38.1 rebounds per game. Western also leads the GNAC and is seventh in Division II with 4.9 blocked shots per game. They also rank 12th nationally with 98 total blocks.

• Western Washington dropped into the No. 10 position in the latest D2SIDA West Region Rankings.

• The Vikings return home this week to host Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.