Tuesday, January 2, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – Thanks to their efforts in the final games of 2017, Western Washington forward Daulton Hommes and Concordia forward Bailey Cartwright have earned the first GNAC Player of the Week awards for 2018.

Hommes was selected as the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second time in a three-week stretch after he led the Vikings to a pair of road wins to keep WWU perfect in conference play at 4-0. He averaged 23 points and eight rebounds in the two games, shooting 46.9 percent from the field and a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Hommes finished with 17 points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 86-80 win at Seattle Pacific and then led all scorers with 29 points in Saturday’s 90-86 victory at Saint Martin’s. Against the Saints, Hommes shot 7 of 15 from the field and a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line.

With the wins, Western Washington remains the only undefeated team in GNAC men’s play. The Vikings enter the week at 9-3 overall.

Cartwright, meanwhile, earned Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors after notching a pair of double-doubles in the Cavaliers’ victories over Division III Pacific (Ore.) and Central Washington. In the 85-51 win over the Boxers on Thursday, Cartwright finished with 12 points and a GNAC season-high 18 rebounds in just 18 minutes of action. She then returned to conference play with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds to help lead the Cavaliers to a 93-89 road win as Concordia improved to 8-4 overall, 2-2 GNAC.

Cartwright is the first Concordia women's basketball player to be selected as a GNAC Player of the Week.

Conference play shifts into high gear for both the men and women this week. The WWU men will defend its undefeated conference mark at home, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday. The Concordia women are also home, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 18
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Daulton Hommes (Western Washington, F, 6-7, So., Lynden, Wash. – Lynden Christian): Hommes led Western Washington to a pair of key GNAC road wins by averaging 23 points and eight rebounds in the two games. In Thursday’s 86-80 win at Seattle Pacific, Hommes finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field to go with three assists and two steals. Hommes led all scorers with 29 points in Saturday’s 90-86 victory at Saint Martin’s. He went 8 of 17 from the field and 9 of 9 from the free throw line to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Also Nominated: Daniel Shedden (Montana State Billings), Luke Chavez (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Bailey Cartwright (Concordia, F, 6-1, Jr., Pasco, Wash. – Chiawana): Cartwright led the Cavaliers to two wins as she averaged 12.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. She had a double-double of 12 points and 18 rebounds in 18 minutes to lead Concordia in Thursday’s 85-51 non-conference win over Pacific (Ore.). Cartwright then notched another double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds to help lift the Cavaliers to a 93-89 road victory over Central Washington. She finished the week shooting 46.7 percent from the field Also Nominated: Shelby Cloninger (Alaska Anchorage), Alisha Breen (Montana State Billings), Jordan McPhee (Seattle Pacific), Elin Johansson (Saint Martin’s), Sophie Swant (Simon Fraser), Kelsey Rogers (Western Washington).