Tuesday, March 3, 2020

SEATTLE, Wash. – There is no place like Brougham.

A year after capturing the conference title two hours away in Bellingham, Seattle Pacific has the chance to repeat after earning the top seed in the 2020 GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships. The Falcons will host this year’s tournament at Royal Brougham Pavilion beginning on Thursday.

After opening the season with a 0-4 record, the Falcons were nearly unstoppable the rest of the way by winning 22 of their next 24 games. The run included a near-record 14-game win streak that ran from November 16 to January 25. Seattle Pacific clinched the regular-season championship with an 18-2 conference mark.

The Falcons present a balanced attack that keeps opponents on their toes. Averaging 79.3 points per game, SPU leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with a .497 field goal percentage and is sixth nationally with a .802 free-throw percentage. Conversely, the Falcons’ 69.8 points allowed per game and .328 opponent three-point percentage lead the league.

Sophomore Divant’e Moffitt has paced the Falcons offensively, ranking fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 16.8 points per game while also ranking sixth with 3.46 assists per contest. Junior guard Harry Cavell is a threat on both ends of the floor, averaging 13.6 points per game while ranking eighth in the GNAC with 6.7 rebounds per contest. Forward Shaw Anderson has emerged as one of the most dynamic freshmen in the league, averaging 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while ranking seventh in the GNAC with a .554 field goal percentage.

After missing the GNAC Championships in Bellingham last year, Western Washington returns to the tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Vikings capitalized on a strong January to solidify its spot, going 7-2 on the month and, at one point, amassing an eight-game win streak.

One of two teams in the tournament field to have beaten Seattle Pacific this season, the Vikings are second in the GNAC with both 79.6 points and 37.4 rebounds per game. The defense is averaging 5.25 blocked shots per game, which ranks third in Division II.

Senior forward Trevor Jasinsky, the GNAC Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Vikings with averages of 14.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Jalen Green is averaging 13 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while his 1.52 blocks per game are third in the GNAC. Senior forward Logan Schilder is just ahead of Green and is 17th in Division II with 2.08 blocks per game. Freshman guard D’Angelo Minnis has been an immediate contributor, averaging 12.2 points per game.

Picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll after the loss of its head coach and several key contributors, Western Oregon returns as the No. 3 seed. First-year head coach Wes Pifer succeeding in keeping the Wolves in place as one of the top offensive teams in Division II. The Wolves enter the GNAC Championships having made the final in each of the last four years.

Leading the GNAC and ranking 21st in Division II with an average of 86.6 points per game, WOU leads Division II with a .824 free-throw percentage. The Wolves are second in the league and 23rd nationally with a .492 field goal percentage and also rank 12th in Division II with a .407 three-point percentage. One of the best teams in the nation in taking care of the ball, WOU is 25th nationally in fewest turnovers with 316.

Senior guard Dalven Brushier is third in the GNAC in scoring at 18 points per game, ranks second with a .862 free-throw percentage and is fourth with 2.69 three-pointers made per game. Senior guard Jaylyn Richardson is averaging 13.2 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with a .458 three-point percentage. Sophomore guard John Morrill-Keeler is among the most accurate shooters in the league, ranking third with a .589 field goal percentage.

Northwest Nazarene bounced back from losing the conference’s top two scorers to claim the No. 4 seed in the tournament. With the loss in scoring power, the Nighthawks have made defense their hallmark. They lead the conference with 37.9 rebounds per game and are third with 73.6 points allowed per game. The team’s league-leading .420 opponent field goal percentage ranks 30th in Division II.

Junior guard Ezekiel Alley has played the sixth-man role like no one else. In 24 games off the bench, Alley ranks fifth in the GNAC with 16.5 points per game and is third with 1.54 steals per contest. Senior forward Olamilekan “Spider” Adetunji leads the conference with 8.4 rebounds per game while also ranking sixth with a .561 field-goal percentage. Senior guard Jayden Bezzant provides additional scoring muscle at 14.3 points per game.

Entering as the No. 5 seed, Alaska Anchorage is in the GNAC Championships for the first time since 2018. After a strong start in the non-conference season where they won eight of their first 10 games, the Seawolves surged into the postseason by winning four of their final six contests. Averaging 79.1 points per game, Alaska Anchorage leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with a .411 three-point percentage.

One of two players to rank in the GNAC’s top-10 in both scoring and rebounding, junior forward Oggie Pantovic is 10th in the conference at 15.1 points per game and third with 7.8 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Niko Bevens is averaging 13.1 points per game and ranks third in Division II with 106 made three-pointers. His .455 three-point percentage is 20th nationally. Sophomore guard Tobin Karlberg adds 12.9 points per game while his .520 three-point percentage is second in Division II.

Alaska returns to the GNAC Championships for the first time since 2016 while head coach Greg Sparling is in for his eighth time after leading Central Washington to seven tournament berths. The Nanooks played their way into the tournament thanks to a strong first half that saw UAF go 5-3 over the opening stretch of conference play. Alaska is averaging 76.1 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 8.04 steals per game.

The Nanooks are led by dynamic junior guard Shadeed Shabazz, who enters the tournament ranked sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 26 points per game. Shabazz has scored 20 or more points in 20 of his 28 games and 30 or more points 11 times. He has two 43-point performances on the year, which ties for sixth-best in GNAC history. He is also ranked No. 1 in Division II with 3.93 steals per game. Senior guard Spencer Sweet averages 13.2 points per game.

Action begins on Thursday at noon with No. 6 Alaska facing No. 3 Western Oregon. The winner of that game advances to play No. 2 Western Washington on Friday at noon. No. 5 Alaska Anchorage will face No. 4 Northwest Nazarene on Thursday at 2:15 p.m., with the winner facing top-seeded Seattle Pacific on Friday at 2:15 p.m. The championship final will be played on Saturday at 5 p.m.