Tuesday, January 11, 2022

THREE CONFERENCE TEAMS PUT ON COMPETITIVE DISPLAYS: Health & safety protocols limited the conference to just three men’s basketball games last week, but those contests provided plenty of action with all three decided by seven points or less.

The biggest margin of victory came in Billings on Thursday as Montana State Billings put together a big second half to score a 77-71 win over Western Oregon. The Yellowjackets trailed 37-35 at halftime before shooting 29 of 57 from the field and 14 of 17 from the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes. The team finished the night shooting 50.9 percent from the field behind a 25-point effort from junior guard Carrington Wiggins.

Montana State Billings also trailed Saint Martin’s by two at halftime on Saturday. This time, however, the Yellowjackets could only match the Saints’ second-half output as SMU took home the 70-68 win. The difference was at the three-point line where the Saints connected for 56.5 percent on the night (13-23). Sophomore guard Alex Schumacher led the way in the victory with 20 points.

Western Washington hosted the week’s other game, welcoming an Alaska team that had not played since December 4. The Nanooks showed little signs of rust, bouncing back from a 10-point halftime deficit to take a five-point lead with just under seven minutes to go. The Vikings bounced back to outscore UAF 16-8 in the final six minutes en route to the 94-92 victory.

Junior Daniel Hornbuckle led the way against his former squad with 22 points on 6 of 11 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. He led five WWU players to score in double figures.

Two of the games yielded 30-plus point-scoring efforts. Western Oregon junior guard Cameron Cranston was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he went off for a career-high 35 points at Montana State Billings. In the process, Cranston tied the WOU single-game record with nine three-pointers made, which was set by Dalven Brushier in 2020. The performance is also tied for the eighth-best in GNAC history.

Alaska senior guard Shadeed Shabazz notched his GNAC career-record 16th 30-plus point scoring performance, connecting for 30 points at Western Washington. Shabazz went 9 of 19 from the field and 9 of 9 from the free-throw line in the contest with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Teams are crossing their fingers for close to a full week of games. Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene will test their road mettle with contests at Alaska and Alaska Anchorage. Saint Martin’s is gearing up for a run of three games in five days. The Saints will host Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday before traveling to Monmouth for a makeup game against Western Oregon on Monday.

ALL-TOURNAMENT PERFORMERS: The following GNAC players have earned all-tournament team honors during the 2021-22 season...

PacWest/GNAC Challenge (Nov. 12-13 at Honolulu): Quin Barnard (UAF), David Rowlands (UAA), Tobin Karlberg (UAA).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 19-20 at Bellingham): Jalen Green (WWU, Most Valuable Player), Daniel Hornbuckle (WWU), D’Angelo Minnis (WWU), Luke Lovelady (WWU), Divant’e Moffit (SPU), Harry Cavell (SPU), Zack Paulsen (SPU).
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 27 & 28, Anchorage): Oggie Pantovic (UAA, Most Outstanding Player), Tobin Karlberg (UAA), Shadeed Shabazz (UAF), Coleman Sparling (UAF), Hunter Sweet (UAA).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cameron Cranston
Western Oregon
G • 6-6 • Jr. • Vancouver, Wash.

Cranston went off for 35 points in the Wolves’ 77-71 loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday. He connected on 12 of 20 from the field and tied the WOU single-game record with nine three-pointers, going 9 of 14 from beyond the arc. The effort is now tied for the eighth-best single-game three-point performance in GNAC history. He also added two rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Emmanuel Ajanaku (Montana State Billings), Alex Schumacher (Saint Martin’s), Daniel Hornbuckle (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska played its first game in over a month on Saturday, seeing a second-half rally come up just short in a 94-92 loss at Western Washington. A scheduled game at Simon Fraser on Thursday was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

• The Nanooks led by as much as five points with 6:44 remaining to play, but were outscored by the Vikings 16-8 over the final six minutes.

• Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz posted his GNAC career-record 16th 30-plus point performance, leading all scorers with 30 points on 9 of 19 from the field, 3 of 9 from three-point range and 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. He also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Shabazz leads the GNAC in scoring with 20.2 points per game. He ranks ninth in Division II with 2.78 steals per game.

• Senior guard Quin Barnard added 19 points in the loss on 5 of 9 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He added two rebounds and four assists. Barnard is averaging 12.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 3.44 three-pointers made per game.

• Senior forward Coleman Sparling added 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds and six assists. He finished the night shooting 6 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. Sparling is averaging 10.4 points per game and ranks fifth in the GNAC with 6.9 rebounds per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 78.1 points and 33.1 rebounds per game. The Nanooks rank third in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.763), three-point percentage (.394) and offensive rebounds (12 per game) and rank 23rd in Division II in three-point percentage.

• The Nanooks return home for a three-game homestand, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• After earning GNAC Team of the Week honors with its 88-83 win over Seattle Pacific on December 30, Alaska Anchorage has seen its last three games postponed due to health & safety protocols. The Seawolves return home this week to host Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior guard David Rowlands finished just short of a double-double in the December 30 win with 19 points, eight assists and three rebounds. He made 4 of 6 from three-point range and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Rowlands is averaging 13 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 20th in Division II with 5.7 assists per game. He is also second in the GNAC with a .857 free-throw percentage (24-28).

• Junior guard Tobin Karlberg led the Seawolves in scoring with 20 points, connecting on 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range. He also had four assists and two rebounds. Karlberg is tied for fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 17 points per game.

• Senior forward Oggie Pantovic finished with a big double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds to go along with two assists. Pantovic is 11th in the GNAC in scoring at 14.9 points per game. He is also second in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with 9.7 rebounds per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 78.6 points per game and 36.5 rebounds per game. The Seawolves rank fourth in Division II with a 1.75 assist/turnover ratio, ninth with 11.3 three-pointers made per game and in fewest fouls with 139, and 10th in fewest turnovers with 110.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• After opening 2022 with an 89-76 win at Northwest Nazarene on New Year’s Day, the scheduled Saturday rematch was postponed due to health & safety protocols. The Wildcats take to the road this week, playing Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior guard David Thompson led four CWU players to score in double figures in the January 1 victory with 21 points on 9 of 14 from the field. He also finished with four rebounds, five assists and a steal. Thompson ranks ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 15.4 points per game.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith connected for 19 points and nine rebounds, making 6 of 14 from the field and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. He also finished with three assists. Smith is fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.3 points per game.

• Senior forward Marqus Gilson connected for 13 points and nine rebounds on 6 of 10 from the field while freshman guard Colby Gennett finished with 11 points on 4 of 5 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. The Wildcats finished the night shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line.

• Central Washington is third in the GNAC in scoring with 81.7 points per game and fourth with 37 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC and 23rd in Division II with a .759 free-throw percentage. The team ranks eighth in Division in fewest turnovers with 109 and 29th in three-point percentage defense (.298).

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• The only GNAC team to play two games last week, Montana State Billings went 1-1 to open a three-game homestand. The Yellowjackets scored a 77-71 win over Western Oregon on Thursday before taking a 70-68 loss to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior guard Carrington Wiggins led the way for the Yellowjackets, averaging 19 points per game for the week while shooting 50 percent from the field. Wiggins finished with 25 points and six rebounds in the win over WOU, connecting on 10 of 18 from the field and 3 of 9 from three-point range. Wiggins added 13 points against Saint Martin’s with two rebounds and two assists. Wiggins is seventh in the GNAC in scoring with 16 points per game and tied for ninth with a .800 free-throw percentage (44-55).

• Freshman center Emmanuel Ajanaku averaged a double-double of 12.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. Ajanaku posted a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds off the bench against Western Oregon. He was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. Ajanaku finished the week with eight points and seven rebounds against Saint Martin’s. Ajanaku is averaging 5.8 points per game and is eighth in the GNAC with 6.2 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Damen Thacker averaged 14.5 points per game last week, finishing with 15 points against Western Oregon and 14 points against Saint Martin’s. Thacker is averaging 14.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks 24th in Division II with a .881 free-throw percentage (52-59).

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 65.1 points and 36.5 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the conference and rank 28th in Division II in scoring defense (64.9 points allowed per game) and also lead the GNAC in field goal defense (.405).

• The Yellowjackets have just one game on the schedule this week, hosting Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• After taking an 89-76 loss at home to Central Washington on New Year’s Day, Northwest Nazarene’s scheduled rematch on Saturday was postponed due to health and safety protocols. The Nighthawks will travel north this week to Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Sophomore forward Gabriel Murphy posted a big double-double to lead the Nighthawks on New Year’s Day with 15 points and 15 rebounds to go with two assists and a block. He went 6 of 12 from the field while seven of his 15 boards were on the offensive glass. Murphy is averaging 12.5 points per game. He leads the conference and is sixth in Division II with 11.4 rebounds per game. Murphy is third in Division II with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game and 16th with six double-doubles.

• Sophomore guard George Reidy led NNU in scoring with 20 points, making 8 of 19 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line. He also had five rebounds and two steals. Reidy is averaging 12.1 points and four rebounds per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with 1.38 steals per game.

• Freshman guard Tru Allen added 18 points in the loss, making 6 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line. Allen is averaging 10.1 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 1.75 steals per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 72.1 points per game. The Nighthawks lead the conference and rank 28th in Division II with 40.6 rebounds per game. They also rank 16th in Division II with 13.88 offensive rebounds per game and are fourth in fewest fouls with 127.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s was a winner in its first game in three weeks Saturday, holding off a second-half rally for a 70-68 win at Montana State Billings. The Saints’ scheduled Thursday game at Seattle Pacific was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard Alex Schumacher led the Saints in the victory with 20 points, connecting on 8 of 17 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range. He also had three rebounds, six assists and a steal. Schumacher is averaging 12.5 points per game and ranks third in the GNAC with 1.92 steals per game.

• Sophomore guard Tyke Thompson fell just short of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, making 5 of 9 from the field, 4 of 8 from three-point range and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Thompson enters the week averaging 8.4 points per game. He is tied for seventh in the GNAC with a .429 three-point percentage and is eighth with 2.18 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard Christian Haffner added 14 points and four rebounds, connecting on 5 of 8 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range. Haffner is averaging 11.7 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with a .461 three-point percentage.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week ranked second in the GNAC in scoring with 82 points per game while also averaging 36.7 rebounds per game. The Saints lead Division II in fewest personal fouls per game (11.2), rank second in fewest turnovers per game (9.4), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.73) and eighth in fewest fouls (135).

• The Saints will play three games in the span of five games, welcoming Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday before playing at Seattle Pacific on Monday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• After its 88-83 road loss at Alaska Anchorage on December 30, Seattle Pacific has seen its last three games postponed due to health & safety protocols. The Falcons will travel to Montana State Billings on Saturday before hosting Saint Martin’s on Monday.

• Senior guard Harry Cavell led the Falcons in the December 30 game with 24 points, connecting on 7 of 14 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line to go along with three rebounds and three steals. Cavell is averaging 13.4 points per game and is 10th in the GNAC with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is also tied for fifth in the conference with 1.57 steals per game.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt added 15 points and five assists in the contest, going 6 of 13 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line. Moffitt is third in the GNAC with 18.4 points per game and sixth with four assists per game. He is 14th in Division II in free throws made (65) and 15th in free throws attempted (85).

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson added 14 points in the loss to go with five assists and three rebounds. He connected on 6 of 13 from the field and 2 of 7 from three-point range. Anderson is averaging 13 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 76.1 points and 35.2 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II with a .793 free throw percentage and rank second in the conference in three-point defense (.312).

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser has not played since December 7 after its scheduled games against Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday were postponed due to health & safety protocols. Likewise, SFU’s scheduled game this Thursday at Western Oregon has been postponed. They will return to the court with games at Saint Martin’s on Saturday and at Western Oregon on Monday.

• Simon Fraser’s last game was on December 7, which resulted in a 96-44 win over British Columbia rival Douglas.

• Senior guard/forward Jordan Lyons led five SFU players in double figures against Douglas with 20 points on 9 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. He also had four rebounds and six assists. Lyons is averaging 12.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC and seventh in Division II with a .676 field goal percentage.

• Senior forward Julian Roche added 16 points and eight rebounds in the win, making 7 of 10 from the field. Roche is 10th in the GNAC with 15.1 points per game and third with 9.3 rebounds per game. He ranks sixth in Division II with 4.11 offensive rebounds per game.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 79.4 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with 38.9 rebounds per game. The team is second in the conference and 25th in Division II with 17.1 assists per game while ranking seventh in Division II with 18.22 turnovers forced per game and 21st with a +4.2 assist/turnover ratio.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon dropped a 77-71 decision at Montana State Billings on Thursday in the Wolves’ first action since December 11. A scheduled Saturday game at Seattle Pacific was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season after he blistered the nets for a career-high 35 points. In the process, Cranston tied the WOU single-game record with nine three-pointers, equaling the mark set by Dalven Brushier in 2020. Cranston finished the night shooting 12 of 20 from the field, 9 of 14 from three-point range and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. He also had two rebounds, two steals and an assist. Cranston is second in the GNAC with 18.8 points per game. He is third in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with a .480 three-point percentage while also ranking 29th in Division II with 36:06 minutes per game.

• Junior guard Yosani Clay scored 11 points in the loss, making 3 of 7 from three-point range with four rebounds and an assist. Clay is averaging 9.4 points per game and is shooting 40 percent from three-point range this season.

• Junior forward John Morrill-Keeler added 10 points and seven rebounds, making 4 of 8 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. Morrill-Keeler enters the week averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

• Western Oregon is averaging 73.3 points and 32.9 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank second in the GNAC and 26th in Division II with 10.18 three-pointers made per game.

• The Wolves will host Western Washington on Saturday before welcoming Simon Fraser on Monday. The SFU game was originally scheduled for Thursday but was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington returned to the win column in its first game since December 18, scoring a 94-92 victory over Alaska. A scheduled Thursday game against Alaska Anchorage was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

• Junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle led five WWU players scoring in double figures with 22 points, connecting on 6 of 11 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. He also added three rebounds, four assists and a steal. Hornbuckle is eighth in the GNAC in scoring at 15.7 points per game. He leads the conference and ranks sixth in Division II with a .494 three-point percentage. He also ranks 15th in Division II with 3.5 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard D’Angelo Minnis connected for 19 points in the victory, making 8 of 20 from the field to go with six assists, two rebounds and two steals. Minnis is averaging 9.9 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 4.6 assists per game.

• Senior forward Luke Lovelady added 14 points in the win while junior forward Jalen Green scored 13 points and senior guard RJ Secrest connected for 12. For the game, Western Washington shot 58.7 percent from the field and 8 of 16 from three-point range.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC in scoring with 84.2 points per game and is third with 38.6 rebounds per game. Western Washington ranks fifth in Division II with a .524 field goal percentage, 12th with a +8.6 rebound margin and 21st with a .395 three-point percentage.

• The Vikings return to the road this week, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.