Tuesday, February 11, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – Another Tuesday, another episode of GNAC Insider. The weekly podcast returned Tuesday at 7 p.m. (PT) to feature the latest news around the GNAC. Among the episode’s guests were two basketball standouts and a track and field sophomore poised to top a stellar freshman campaign.

Fresh off his team earning selection as the GNAC Team of the Week, Central Washington senior guard Jeryn Lucas joined the show. The Wildcats earned the weekly award after closing out their four-game homestand last week with a pair of wins over Northwest Nazarene (64-59) on Tuesday and Montana State Billings (67-56) on Thursday. The Wildcats improved to 14-8 overall and are tied for sixth place with Alaska Anchorage with a 7-7 conference mark.

Lucas led the Wildcats with 55 points in the two games, making 64.3 percent from the field, 68.8 percent from three-point range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line. He opened the week with 28 points and five rebounds against the Nighthawks then followed with 27 points against the Yellowjackets. Lucas ranks eighth in the conference with a .433 three-point percentage and 17th with 13.3 points per game.

The GNAC’s leader in double-doubles in women’s basketball, Saint Martin’s senior forward Bria Thames joined the show. Thames is 20th in Division II with 11 double-doubles while also ranking ninth with 11.6 rebounds per game and 12th with 244 total rebounds.

A three-time GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week in 2019-20, Thames is averaging 14.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference. She has scored in double digits in eight straight games, including a career-high 32 points against Alaska on Feb. 1. Thames’ double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday helped to lead the Saints to an eight-point upset of then second-place Western Washington.

The reigning GNAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week, Seattle Pacific sophomore Peace Igbonagwam wrapped up the show. Igbonagwam won the 60 meters at the Nike Indoor Invite in Nampa, Idaho with a time of 7.78 seconds. Her 7.70 seconds in the prelims is the third-fastest time in the GNAC this season. She also placed seventh in the 200 meters in 25.34 seconds, second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.

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