Tuesday, December 5, 2017

VIKINGS PICK UP NATIONAL TEAM OF WEEK HONORS: Thanks to its upset win over then No. 13 ranked Western Oregon on Saturday, Western Washington’s men’s basketball team has been named as the first honorees in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) new National Team of the Week program.

The Vikings rolled to a 2-0 record last week, winning a pair of games by a combined 54 points. The impressive week started on Thursday with a 99-72 victory over Concordia in the Vikings’ GNAC opener. They followed that performance on Saturday by handing the Wolves their first loss of the season by a score of 85-58. In the two contests, Western Washington shot a combined 58.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from long distance.

The wins come in the midst of a nine-game season-opening homestand for Western Washington, which enters its Dec. 12 matchup with Cal State East Bay with a 5-2 overall record. The Vikings lead the GNAC and are ranked 12th in Division II in scoring at 91.6 points per game. Western Washington leads Division II in rebound margin (16.0), are fourth in field goal percentage (.531) and eighth in free throw percentage (.794), leading the GNAC in each category.

NIGHTHAWKS SNARE GNAC TEAM OF WEEK AWARD: Earning its first 2-0 GNAC start in program history behind a couple of dominating performances last week, Northwest Nazarene men’s basketball has been selected as the GNAC/Red Lion Team of the Week.

Northwest Nazarene proved last week that it will be a legitimate threat in the GNAC this season. The Nighthawks began the week downing Seattle Pacific 103-91 on Thursday before snapping Saint Martin’s five-game win streak two days later by a 92-67 margin. Northwest Nazarene is 6-2 overall and is one of three conference teams to start GNAC play undefeated. The Johnson Sports Center has proved a tough place to play at this season, as the pair of victories improved the Nighthawks’ home record to 5-1.

NATIONAL PLAYER OF WEEK HONORS FOR DRECHSEL: Hours after his team was honored as the NABC Division II National Team of the Week, Western Washington junior guard Trey Drechsel has been named by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as its Division II National Player of the Week.

Drechsel averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game to lead Western Washington to a pair of home victories to open the conference season. The Vikings beat Concordia 99-72 on Thursday and handed Western Oregon its first loss of the season, 85-58, on Saturday.
Drechsel, who was also named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two victories. He finished shooting 64.5 percent from the field. Drechsel opened the week by scoring a season-high 32 points and 17 rebounds on Thursday. He shot 12 of 17 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. Drechsel then led WWU with 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolves, connecting on 8 of 14 from the field. In the two contests, Drechsel played all but two minutes.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC Players have been recognized with all-tournament team honors during the 2017-18 season...

PacWest/GNAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Bellingham, Wash.): Iziah Sherman-Newsome (SFU), Kedar Salam (SFU), Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Logan Schilder (WWU)

Alaska/Hawaii Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Anchorage): Davis Kimble (UAF), LaDonovan Wilder (UAF), Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

GNAC/CCAA Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Portland): Jarrett Gray (CU, Most Valuable Player), Christopher Edward (CU), Jawan Stepney (CWU).

Sodexo Classic (Nov. 17-18 at Seattle): Coleman Wooten (SPU, Most Valuable Player), Sam Simpson (SPU), Fuquan Niles (CWU).

Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 24-25 at Bellingham, Wash.): Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Michael Kluting (UAF), Joe Lendway (UAF).

GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 22-25 at Anchorage): Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Trey Drechsel
Western Washington
G • 6-6 • Jr. • Woodinville, Wash.

Drechsel averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds and shot 64.5 percent from the field to lead the Vikings to a pair of wins to open the GNAC season. He opened the week by scoring a season-high 32 points on 12 of 17 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range to go along with 17 rebounds in the Vikings’ 99-72 win over Concordia. Drechsel then led WWU with 21 points and 10 rebounds, connecting on 8 of 14 from the field to go with three rebounds and three steals in the Vikings’ 85-58 win over No. 13 and previously undefeated Western Oregon. Drechsel played in all but two minutes of the two contests.

Also Nominated: Davis Kimble (Alaska), Jacob Lampkin (Alaska Anchorage), Christopher Edward (Concordia), Obi Megwa (Northwest Nazarene), Luke Chavez (Saint Martin’s), JJ Pankratz (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• The Nanooks opened the GNAC season with a split. Alaska lost on Tuesday at Alaska Anchorage, 65-39, before beating Montana State Billings on Saturday, 88-80.

• Junior guard Alex Baham scored 33 points in the two games and shot 60 percent from the field to lead the Alaska offense. He finished with 10 points at Alaska Anchorage and finished with 23 points on 6 of 11 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line against Montana State Billings. Baham is second for the Nanooks in scoring at 11.3 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Michael Kluting led UAF with 17 rebounds in the two games, led by a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds against Montana State Billings. Kluting is seventh in the GNAC with 7.1 rebounds per game and is fourth in the league with 2.63 offensive rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Davis Kimble led Alaska in the win over the Yellowjackets with 24 points, connecting on 11 of 16 from the field. Kimble leads UAF in scoring, averaging 12.9 points per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 74.2 points and 33.1 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are tied for first in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 18.3 assists per game. The Nanooks are 27th in Division II with 146 total assists and 29th with 83 three-pointers made.
• Alaska’s only game this week is on Saturday, hosting Cal Miramar in an exhibition matchup.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage was one of three GNAC teams to open conference play with a 2-0 record. The Seawolves beat Alaska on Tuesday, 65-39, before beating Montana State Billings on Thursday, 74-62.

• Senior forward Jacob Lampkin once again led the Seawolves with averages of 19 points and 11 rebounds per game in the two contests. He notched a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds against Alaska and did it again with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Montana State Billings. Lampkin leads the Seawolves with 15.1 points per game and is third in the GNAC and 28th in Division II with 9.7 rebounds per game. He also leads Division II with seven double-doubles on the season.

• Senior guard DJ Ursery contributed 20 points in the two games, led by his 14-point performance against Montana State Billings. Ursery is the Seawolves’ second-leading scorer at 11 points per game.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week averaging 63.1 points and 34.2 rebounds per game. The Seawolves are second in the GNAC with a .758 free throw percentage and leads the GNAC and ninth in Division II in scoring defense with 62.2 points allowed per game. Alaska Anchorage is 10th in Division II with 165 total assists.

• Alaska Anchorage’s only two games this week are exhibitions. The Seawolves will host Cal Miramar for games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington lost both games on the opening weekend of GNAC play, falling 80-75 to Saint Martin’s on Thursday and 84-83 to Seattle Pacific in overtime on Saturday.

• Freshman guard Khalil Shabazz led CWU offensively for the second straight week, averaging 14.5 points per game while dishing eight assists. He led the Wildcats with 21 points on 8 of 16 from the field and five rebounds, three assists and three steals against Saint Martin’s and added eight points against Seattle Pacific. Shabazz is sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.1 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with 2.86 steals per game.

• Junior forward Drake Rademacher had a big week, averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the two games while making 57.9 percent of his shots from the field. After scoring nine points against Saint Martin’s, Rademacher led the Wildcats with 18 points and nine rebounds against Seattle Pacific. Rademacher is averaging 7.3 points per game.

• Senior forward Fuquan Niles had another 10 blocked shots in the two games, nine of which came against Seattle Pacific. Niles leads the GNAC and is third in Division II with 3.29 blocked shots per game. He is also fifth in Division II with 23 total blocks.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 76.6 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 41 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 4.7 blocks per game. Central is also second in the GNAC with 11.71 offensive rebounds per game and third with 7.71 steals per game.

• The Wildcats play just one game this week, hosting Langara on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia saw its losing streak extend to five games after dropping both games last weekend. The Cavaliers lost 99-72 at Western Washington on Thursday and 68-60 to Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Senior forward Christopher Edward continues to be a force, averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the two games. He led the Cavaliers with 21 points on 7 of 14 from the field against Western Washington and added a double-double of 20 points and 19 rebounds against Simon Fraser. Edward leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II at 12.1 rebounds per game. Edward also leads the GNAC and is fourth in Division II with 9.11 defensive rebounds per game and is 26th with a .629 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard Jarrett Gray averaged 12.5 points per game and had nine assists and four steals in the two games. He finished with 11 points and had four assists against Western Washington and had 14 points and five assists against Simon Fraser. Gray is fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 18.2 points per game.

• Junior guard Cody Starr added 10 assists in the contests, six of which came against Western Washington. Starr leads the GNAC with 5.56 assists per game and is 22nd in Division II with 50 total blocks.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 75.3 points and 35.1 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are shooting 45.1 percent from the field.

• The Cavaliers will not play this week, returning to the court on Tues., Dec. 12, against NAIA rival Warner Pacific.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings saw its season-opening five-game win streak end in Alaska with the Yellowjackets dropping a 74-62 decision at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and 88-80 game at Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard Zack Rollins led the Yellowjackets with 31 points and 14 rebounds in the two games. He finished with 12 points and eight rebounds against Alaska Anchorage and then led MSUB with 19 points and six rebounds at Alaska. Rollins is sixth in the GNAC with 7.1 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Kendall Denham finished with 30 points in the two contests. He led all scorers with 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range and six assists against UAA and had 10 points as all five starters scored in double figures at Alaska. Denham is averaging 11.1 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Tyler Green scored 22 points on the Alaska trip, led by his 18 points against the Nanooks. Green is tied for ninth in the GNAC with 16.7 points per game and leads the GNAC and is ranked 11th in Division II with 3.86 three-pointers made per game.

• The Yellowjackets enter the week averaging 80.7 points and 39.6 rebounds per game. Montana State Billings is second in the GNAC and 21st in Division II in field goal defense (.396). They lead the GNAC and rank sixth in Division II in three-point defense (.269).

• Montana State Billings will play three non-conference games this week, hosting Montana Tech on Wednesday, Providence (Mont.) on Friday and Rocky Mountain on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene swept its opening GNAC games last week, scoring a 103-91 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a 102-67 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. The performances earned the Nighthawks selection as the Red Lion/GNAC Team of the Week.

• Junior guard Obi Megwa had a big week as he led NNU with 24.5 points per game in the two contests while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Megwa finished with 18 points on Thursday against Seattle Pacific and led all scorers with 31 points on 12 of 20 from the field against Saint Martin’s. Megwa is third in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game.

• Senior forward Maurice Jones added 47 points in the two games, averaging 23.5 points per game while making 81 percent of his shots from the field. He led all scorers with 34 points against Seattle Pacific, making 13 of 16 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range to go with seven rebounds. Jones then had 13 points on 4 of 5 from the field and had nine rebounds against Saint Martin’s. Jones leads the GNAC in scoring with 21.8 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 9.9 rebounds per game. He has four double-doubles on the season, ranking 15th in Division II.

• The Nighthawks enter the week third in the GNAC in scoring at 87.1 points per game and are averaging 39.4 rebounds per game. Northwest Nazarene is third in the GNAC in three-point defense (.328).

• Northwest Nazarene plays just one exhibition game this week on Saturday at Idaho State.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s finished with a split in its opening GNAC weekend. The Saints ran its win streak to five games with an 80-75 win at Central Washington before ending the weekend with a 92-67 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior guard Luke Chavez had another big week for the Saints, finishing with 46 points and 10 rebounds while connecting on 51.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range. Chavez went off for 30 points against Central Washington, connecting on 11 of 18 from the field, 4 of 8 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. He then led SMU with 16 points against Northwest Nazarene. Chavez is second in the GNAC with 19 points per game. He is seventh in the GNAC in free throw shooting at 86.2 percent (25-29).

• Freshman guard/forward Tavian Henderson continued to be an efficient shooter, making 77.8 percent of his shots (7-9) in the two games. He went a perfect 4 for 4 against Central Washington and 3 for 5 against Northwest Nazarene. Henderson leads the GNAC in field goal shooting at 71.4 percent (25-35).

• Junior guard EJ Boyce added 19 points over the two games, scoring 10 against Central Washington on Saturday. Boyce is fifth in the GNAC with 2.75 three-pointers made per game.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week 81.1 points and 33.8 rebounds per game. The Saints are fourth in the GNAC in field goal shooting (.477).

• The Saints return to conference play Saturday when they host Quest.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific split on the road to open the GNAC schedule. After a 103-91 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, the Falcons scored an 84-83 overtime win at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Tony Miller got things done for the Falcons offensively with 45 points in the two games while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. Miller led SPU with 22 points and five rebounds at Northwest Nazarene and he led all scorers with 23 points on 7 of 9 from the field and 6 of 7 from the arc in the win at CWU. Miller is seventh in the GNAC in scoring at 17.1 points per game.

• Junior forward Coleman Wooten led the Falcons on the boards with 16 in the two games to go along with 11 assists. Eleven of those rebounds and six assists came in Saturday’s win at Central Washington. Wooten is currently tied for eighth in the GNAC with seven rebounds per game and is fifth at 4.13 assists per game.

• Sophomore guard Gavin Long also had a pair of solid performances, scoring 15 points at Northwest Nazarene and 17 points at Central Washington.

• The Falcons enter the week fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 82.9 points per game and third in the GNAC in rebounding at 40.6 boards per game. Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with 30.38 defensive rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is off this week. The Falcons play again on Dec. 18, closing the non-conference schedule at Stanislaus State.

SIMON FRASER
• The winning ways continue for Simon Fraser as they split the opening weekend of GNAC play. The Clan opened with a 96-71 loss to Western Oregon on Thursday before beating Concordia on Saturday, 68-60.

• Senior guard/forward JJ Pankratz led the Clan with averages of 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the two contests, shooting 53.1 percent from the field. He finished with 14 points and four rebounds in the loss to Western Oregon and then led all scorers with 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the win over Concordia. Pankratz is tied for ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 16.7 points per game and is tied for eighth with seven rebounds per game. Pankratz is also fourth in the league with 1.57 blocks per game.

• Senior guard Kedar Salam added 26 points in the two games, which included a team-high 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field against Western Oregon. Salam is averaging 14.9 points per game and fourth in the GNAC with 1.63 steals per game.

• The five wins surpass the Clan’s total of four wins from the 2016-17 season. One more win will equal Simon Fraser’s win total from the last two seasons. Simon Fraser has never had a winning season in its seven years in the GNAC.

• The Clan enters the week averaging 76.6 points and 33.2 rebounds per game. Simon Fraser is third in the GNAC with a .483 field goal percentage and is 25th in Division II with 9.1 steals per game.

• Simon Fraser does not play again until Dec. 15 when it plays at Division I Idaho in an exhibition game.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split on its opening GNAC weekend, beating Simon Fraser on Thursday, 96-71, before taking an 85-58 loss at Western Washington on Saturday to end the seven-game win streak.

• With the loss, Western Oregon dropped to No. 19 n the NABC Division II Rankings and to No. 25 in the D2SIDA Media Poll.

• Senior guard Ali Faruq-Bey paced the Western Oregon offense with 24 points in the two games. He scored eight points in the win at Simon Fraser and led the Wolves with 16 points on 6 of 11 from the field to go with six rebounds at Western Washington.

• Senior forward JJ Chirnside was right behind with 23 points in the two games.  He came off the bench to score 16 points with five rebounds in the win over Simon Fraser.

• Senior guard Demetrius Trammell came off the bench for 16 points at Simon Fraser. Trammell is the Wolves leading scorer at 14.5 points per game. He leads the GNAC in free throw shooting at 94.7 percent (18-19) and is third in the GNAC and 19th in Division II in three-point shooting at 54.9 percent (28-51).

• Senior forward Tanner Omlid continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 13th in Division II with 2.88 steals per game.

• Western Oregon is second in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II in scoring at 88.2 points per game. The Wolves are second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II in scoring margin at 16.0. The Wolves also lead the GNAC and rank eighth in Division II with a .463 three-point percentage.

• The Wolves will host Portland Bible on Thursday in the first of two non-conference games WOU will play this month.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington had an impressive start to GNAC play. The Vikings beat Concordia on Thursday, 99-72, before handing Western Oregon its first loss of the season with an 85-58 victory on Saturday.

• Thanks to the win over Western Oregon, Western Washington was named by the NABC as its first Division II National Team of the Week of the season.

• Junior guard Trey Drechsel was named both the GNAC Player of the Week and the USBWA Division II Player of the Week after he averaged 26.5 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two games while shooting 64.5 percent from the field. Drechsel went off for 32 points and 17 rebounds in the win over Concordia and added 21 points and 10 rebounds against Western Oregon. Drechsel enters the week averaging 12.7 points per game and is 11th in the GNAC with 6.6 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore forward Daulton Hommes scored 33 points in the two contests. Hommes finished with 19 points against Concordia on 7 of 15 from the field with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Hommes is fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.1 points per game and third in the GNAC with a .920 free throw percentage (23-25).

• Sophomore forward Deandre Dickson added 29 points and 14 rebounds in the two games. He came up with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds with four assists in the win over Western Oregon. Dickson enters the week averaging 16.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and is eighth in the GNAC with a .592 field goal percentage.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and ranked 12th in Division II in scoring, averaging 91.6 points per game. The Vikings also lead the GNAC in free throw percentage (.794), field goal percentage (.531), rebounding (43.6) and blocks (6.71 per game). In the national stats, WWU is second in blocks per game, fourth in field goal percentage and eighth in free throw percentage

• Western Washington is off until Dec. 12 when it closes an eight-game season-opening homestand against Cal State East Bay.