Thursday, November 21, 2019

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marina Valles
Northwest Nazarene
G • 5-8 • Sr. • Barcelona, Spain

Valles led the Nighthawks to a 1-1 week at their own Fairfield Inn Tournament with 32 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 7 of 9 from the free throw line. She tallied 17 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals in NNU’s 87-64 win over Colorado Christian on Friday then followed with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in a 72-64 loss to Westminster on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Kylie Wallace (Alaska), Alexis Pana (Central Washington), Olivia Vezaldenos (Concordia), Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s), Tayler Drynan (Simon Fraser), Emma Duff (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska lost both of its games last week after starting the season 2-0. The Nanooks fell at Biola, 61-53, on Thursday then lost at Point Loma, 88-58, on Saturday.

• Kylie Wallace was the top performer in the loss at Biola. Wallace tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and an assist in the game. Wallace also led the Nanooks in the loss at Point Loma with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

• Jocelyn Gandara kept pace with Wallace in both games. Gandara recorded 16 points, three rebounds and an assist against Biola then followed with 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal against Point Loma.

• Wallace ranks third in the GNAC with 16.8 points per game while Gandara ranks sixth with 16.3 points per game.

• The Nanooks top the conference with a .351 field goal defense.

• Alaska is now 2-2 on the season. Up next, the Nanooks will play Westminster on Friday and Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday in the Seawolf Hoops Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage remained idle last week.

• The Seawolves top Division II with 13.7 three-point field goals and 21.0 steals per game while also ranking fourth with 100.0 points per game.

• Safiyyah Yasin ranks 45th in Division II with 19.7 points per game while also ranking 35th with 3.33 steals per game and 30th with a 56.3 three-point field goal percentage.

• The Seawolves are No. 11 in the latest WBCA Poll and No. 17 in the latest D2SIDA Poll.

• Alaska Anchorage remains 3-0 on the season. Up next, the Seawolves will host the Seawolf Hoops Classic as they play Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday and Westminster on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington went 1-1 at the Fairfield Inn Tournament in Nampa, Idaho. The Wildcats lost 70-60 to Westminster on Friday then dominated Colorado Christian, 72-45, on Saturday.

• Westminster scored 13 points off of 13 turnovers by the Wildcats.

• Alexis Pana led the Wildcats in the 70-60 loss, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block. Pana also recorded 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in the win over Colorado Christian.

• Samantha Bowman put up 25 points and 15 rebounds in the two games while Kaelie Flores registered 21 points and 17 rebounds.

• The Wildcats limited Colorado Christian to just four points in the second quarter and nine points in the fourth quarter in the 72-45 victory.

• Central Washington is now 2-2 on the season and will remain idle this week. Up next, the Wildcats will play at Division I Seattle on Nov. 26.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia dropped both of its games last week with a 65-61 loss to Chico State on Friday and a 59-48 loss at Sonoma State on Saturday.

• Olivia Vezaldenos led the Cavaliers with 37 points on the week. She put up 13 points against Chico State then followed with 24 points, three steals and an assist as she scored half of the Cavs’ points against Sonoma State.

• The Cavs rank 25th in Division II with 9.0 three-point attempts per game while also ranking 18th with a 40.9 three-point percentage. Vezaldenos is 11th in Division II with 15 three-point field goals made.

• Concordia is 0-4 on the season. Up next, the Cavs will head to Seattle to play Regis on Friday and Colorado Mines on Saturday in the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings lost 60-42 at Black Hills State on Wednesday but bounced back to edge out South Dakota Mines, 58-57, at home on Saturday.

• Taryn Shelley was the Yellowjackets’ top scorer against Black Hills State as she came off the bench to contribute eight points and two rebounds in 14 minutes.

• The Yellowjackets fought off a fourth-quarter comeback by South Dakota Mines to win 58-57. The Yellowjackets capitalized on mistakes, scoring 21 points off of turnovers. The bench also contributed to 23 points in the victory.

• Shelley led the Yellowjackets again in the win over South Dakota Mines with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

• The Yellowjackets already played a game this week, running away with a 75-49 win over Corban at home on Monday.

• Montana State Billings is now 2-4 on the season. Up next, the Yellowjackets will stay home to host Chadron State on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene went 1-1 at its own Fairfield Inn Tournament, defeating Colorado Christian, 87-64, on Friday and losing to Westminster, 72-64, on Saturday.

• Marina Valles was named the GNAC Player of the Week. She tallied 17 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals in the win over Colorado Christian then followed with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the loss to Westminster.

• Erin Jenkins also helped to carry the load in the win over Colorado Christian with 16 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jenkins finished with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss to Westminster.

• The Nighthawks rank 18th in Division II with 13 steals per game. Valles ranks 13th with 16 steals while also ranking 14th with four steals per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is now 2-2 on the season. Up next, the Nighthawks will head to St. George, Utah, to play in the Dixie State Tournament. The Nighthawks are scheduled to play Dixie State on Friday and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN'S
• Saint Martin’s opened its season 2-0, topping Pacific Lutheran, 73-64, on Tuesday then beating Warner Pacific, 72-61, on Sunday.

• Bria Thames shined in the win over the Lutes, scoring 21 points to add to nine rebounds. Claire Dingus also shined for the Saints as she tallied 15 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists.

• The Saints shot 44.8 percent from the field while shooting 46.2 percent from three-point range against the Lutes. The Saints made a living down low, scoring 38 points in the paint.

• Thames and Dingus led the Saints again against Warner Pacific. Thames tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals and an assist while Dingus put up 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

• After the two games, the Saints top the GNAC with 45 rebounds per game. The Saints recorded 39 rebounds against PLU and 51 against Warner Pacific.

• Saint Martin’s is 2-0 on the season. Up next, the Saints will head to St. George, Utah, to play in the Dixie State Tournament. The Saints will play Colorado Mesa on Friday and Dixie State on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific lost both of its games at the West Region Crossover Classic in Azusa, California. The Falcons lost 76-58 to host Azusa Pacific on Friday then lost to UC San Diego, 79-67, on Saturday.

• Kayla Brundidge came off the bench to lead the Falcons in the loss to Azusa Pacific. Brundidge shot 80 percent from the field to total 17 points, 10 rebounds and a block. Brundidge also recorded 14 points and two rebounds off the bench in the loss to UC San Diego.

• Hailee Bennett and Ashlynn Burgess both scored 18 points in the loss to the Tritons. Burgess is tied for fourth in the GNAC with 16.5 points per game while also ranking third with a 57.4 field goal percentage.

• Seattle Pacific is now 0-4 on the season. Up next, the Falcons will host the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic as they play Colorado Mines on Friday and Regis on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split a two-game series with Cal State LA at home last week. The Clan won the first meeting, 69-63, on Friday but the Golden Eagles bounced back to win 78-77 on Sunday as time was expiring.

• Tayler Drynan led the Clan in Friday’s win with 21 points, six rebounds, eight assists and a steal. She made just four field goals in the game but tacked on 11 free throws.

• Jessica Jones and Ozi Nwabuko carried the Clan in Sunday’s loss, scoring 18 and 17 points, respectively. Nwabuko ranks seventh in Division II with 56 rebounds while also ranking 10th with 38 field goals made.

• Simon Fraser is now 3-5 on the season. Up next, the Clan will continue its homestand as it hosts UC-Colorado Springs on Friday and Western Colorado on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon went 1-1 last week with a 60-52 victory at Sonoma State on Friday and a 50-46 loss to Chico State on Saturday.

• Cali McClave led the Wolves against the Seawolves as she finished with 11 points, four rebounds and a steal while shooting 75 percent from three-point range.

• Amber Winkler played 25 minutes off the bench and recorded 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in the win.

• Shariah Green was the top performer in the Wolves’ loss to Chico State, finishing with 13 points and three rebounds.

• Western Oregon is now 2-2 on the season. Up next, the Wolves will have to wait a week to host Texas A&M International on Nov. 29 and Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 30.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped both of its games at the West Region Crossover Classic in Azusa, California. The Vikings lost to UC San Diego, 76-68, on Friday then dropped a close 77-73 game to Azusa Pacific on Saturday.

• Maddison Coleman scored 19 points to add to five rebounds and two blocks off the bench in the Vikings’ loss to the Tritons.

• Emma Duff recorded 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block against the Cougars.

• Western Washington is now 2-2 on the season. Up next, the Vikings will return home to host Western Colorado on Friday and UC-Colorado Springs on Saturday.