Tuesday, January 17, 2023

One week after Montana State Billings downed Saint Martin’s for sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings, it will have to go on the road to defend its spot as the first half of conference play concludes.

The Yellowjackets secured their spot in the conference’s driver’s seat last Thursday with a 72-61 win over the Saints in Billings. It was a tale of two games as Saint Martin’s opened up a 36-28 halftime lead thanks to eight three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. The Yellowjackets took over in the second, outscoring SMU 44-25 while shooting 50% from the field.

Montana State Billings improved to 8-0 in conference play on Saturday with a 68-59 win over Western Oregon. The two wins earned the Yellowjackets selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

While the Yellowjackets surged into first, Seattle Pacific bolted into second place with an 87-79 victory over the Wolves on Thursday and a 92-87 win over the Saints on Saturday.

The game between the Falcons and Saints was a top-flight battle with 13 ties and 21 lead changes through the 40 minutes. The Saints held the 44-40 lead at the half and were ahead 87-86 with two minutes to go when Shaw Anderson took matters into his own hands. The junior forward scored the final six points of the game to turn the one-point deficit into a five-point win.

For the week, Anderson averaged 25.5 points and six rebounds per game to earn his third GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award for the season.

The Yellowjackets and Falcons square off on Saturday in the only game of the week for both teams. Both teams are on six-game win streaks but have come to those wins in different ways.

Montana State Billings is ninth in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 69.3 points per game. It is the defense that makes it happen with MSUB ranked second in the conference with 65.8 points allowed per game and a .415 field goal percentage defense.

Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II with 85.2 points per game. The Falcons rank second in Division II with a .533 field-goal percentage and third with a .424 three-point percentage.

Saint Martin’s will look to keep pace with two home games, hosting Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

Other games to watch include in-state rivals Central Washington and Western Washington squaring off in Bellingham on Thursday. The Vikings will then host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shaw Anderson
Seattle Pacific
F • 6-6 • Jr. • Kelso, Wash.

Anderson averaged 25.5 points and six rebounds per game, shooting 54.8% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range, to lead the Falcons to two wins that moved SPU into second place in the GNAC standings. Anderson opened the week with his third 30-plus point performance of the season, scoring 30 in Thursday’s 87-79 win over Western Oregon. He made 10 of 14 from the field, 3 of 3 from three-point range and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line to go with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Anderson then scored 21 points in Saturday’s 92-87 win over Saint Martin’s. He went 7 of 17 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. He singled-handedly closed out the win, scoring the final six points of the game.

Also Nominated: Abdullahi Mohamed (Alaska), Tyson Gilbert (Alaska Anchorage), Mitch Brisee (Central Washington), Bilal Shabazz (Montana State Billings), Elliot Dimaculangan (Simon Fraser), Kai Johnson (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska achieved a split at home last week. After dropping a 78-69 decision to Simon Fraser on Thursday, the Nanooks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 75-73 win over Western Washington on Saturday.

• Junior forward Abdullahi Mohamed paced Alaska offensively, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 70.5% from the field. Mohamed finished with 21 points and six rebounds against Simon Fraser, making 7 of 9 from both the field and free-throw line. He added a 12-point, three-rebound performance against Western Washington on 5 of 8 from the field. Mohamed leads UAF in scoring at 12.6 points per game.

• Junior forward Jaycson Bereal, Jr. also averaged 16.5 points per game while averaging seven rebounds per game. Bereal matched Mohamed with 21 points against Simon Fraser with seven rebounds, making 9 of 15 from the field. He added 12 points and seven rebounds against Western Washington, Bereal averages 10.4 points per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with 5.6 rebounds per contest.

• Freshman forward Tyler Mrus averaged 10.5 points and six rebounds per game. After an eight-point, six-rebound effort against Simon Fraser, Mrus led UAF with 13 points to go with six rebounds against Western Washington. Mrus is averaging 12.1 points per game, is tied for second in the GNAC with a .889 free-throw percentage and is ninth with a .444 three-point percentage.

• Alaska is averaging 71.4 points and 36 rebounds per game. The Nanooks lead the GNAC and rank 19th in Division II with a .776 free-throw percentage. They also are second in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with a .495 field goal percentage.

• The Nanooks wrap the first half of the GNAC season on the road, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage split against the border schools last week, dropping a 79-74 game to Western Washington on Thursday before taking a 68-59 win from Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior guard Tyson Gilbert led UAA offensively with an average of 15 points per game. Gilbert led all scorers with 18 points against Western Washington to go with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He added a 12-point performance against Simon Fraser with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Gilbert is averaging 9.3 points per game.

• Senior guard AJ Garrity averaged 10 points per game, making 60% from the field, 50% from three-point range and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Garrity finished with 10 points against Western Washington on 4 of 7 from the field and 2 of 4 from long range. He added another 10 points with seven rebounds against Simon Fraser, making 2 of 3 from the field and all five of his free throws. Garrity is averaging 7.3 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with a .571 three-point percentage.

• Junior guard Jaron Williams also averaged 10 points per game last week. Williams finished with 11 points, three assists, five steals and two blocks against Western Washington and finished with nine points on 3 of 5 from the field against Simon Fraser. Williams enters the week averaging 7.3 points per game and is tied for ninth in the GNAC with a 2.00 assist/turnover ratio.

• Alaska Anchorage is fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 79.4 points per game and also averages 30.7 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank third in Division II with 11.7 steals per game and are seventh in Division II with a 1.60 assist/turnover ratio.

• The Seawolves hit the road this week for games at Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington was a winner in its only game of the week, scoring a 74-65 win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior guard Camron McNeil led five CWU players to score in double figures with 14 points, connecting on 6 of 10 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. He also had four rebounds, four assists and a steal. McNeil is fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 15.4 points per game and is fourth with 2.13 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard Colby Gannett finished with 13 points off the bench on 4 of 8 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range. He enters the week averaging 7.6 points per game.

• Junior forward Samaad Hector finished with 11 points and five rebounds, making a perfect 4 of 4 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Senior forward Matt Poquette and sophomore forward Mitch Brizee also added 11 points apiece. Hector currently ranks sixth in the GNAC with 6.1 rebounds per game.

• Central Washington is averaging 74.9 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 36.4 rebounds per game. The Wildcats rank third in the GNAC with a .487 field goal percentage and 16.25 assists per game.

• Central Washington continues a three-game road trip with games at Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings improved to 8-0 in conference play and moved into sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings with a 72-61 win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday and a 68-59 win over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Thanks to handing Saint Martin’s its first conference loss of the season and charging into first place, the Yellowjackets were selected as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Senior forward Bilal Shabazz averaged a double-double in the wins with 13 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Against Saint Martin’s, Shabazz finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds on 7 of 14 from the field and 3 of 8 from three-point range. He added a nine-point, nine-rebound effort against Western Oregon. Shabazz averages 11.1 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with 8.8 rebounds per game. He is eighth in Division II with 7.82 offensive rebounds per game, 12th with 150 total rebounds and 16th with six double-doubles.

• Senior guard Carrington Wiggins averaged 15.5 points per game in the victories. Wiggins led all scorers with 22 points against Saint Martin’s to go with six rebounds, five assists and two steals. He then added nine points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals against Western Oregon. Wiggins is second in the GNAC in scoring with 17.4 points per game. He ranks seventh in Division II with a .928 free-throw percentage and 17th with 77 free throws made.

• Senior guard Abdul Bah led the Yellowjackets in scoring against Western Oregon with 18 points in 26 minutes off the bench. He is averaging 10.6 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with a .484 three-point percentage.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 69.3 points and 34.7 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets rank second in the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 65.8 points per game, and is second with a .415 opponent field goal percentage.

• Montana State Billings ends the first half of the conference season with a showdown at second-place Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene ended a three-game homestand with a 74-65 loss to Central Washington on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Tru Allen led the Nighthawks with 16 points, connecting on 5 of 11 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. He also added four assists. Allen is eighth in the GNAC in scoring with 13.5 points per game and ranks second with 2.2 steals per game.

• Sophomore guard Timothy TenKley finished with 13 points and six rebounds in the loss. Most of his production came from the free-throw line, making 7 of 8. TenKley is averaging 5.6 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Yaru Harvey came off the bench to finish with 10 points in 20 minutes with three assists and two steals. He is averaging eight points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 66 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with 38.3 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks rank 13th in Division II with 13.93 offensive rebounds per game and are second in the GNAC with 7.93 steals per game.

• The road awaits Northwest Nazarene to finish the first half of the conference season with games at Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s took its first two conference losses of the season last week, dropping a 72-61 decision at Montana State Billings on Thursday and a 92-87 game at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior guard Tyke Thompson averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Saints. Thompson came off the bench to lead SMU with 17 points and eight rebounds at Montana State Billings, making 7 of 14 from the field. He added 14 points at Seattle Pacific to go with seven rebounds. Thompson is averaging 11.4 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 6.3 rebounds per contest.

• Sophomore guard Champ Spencer averaged 11.5 points per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 54.5% from three-point range. Spencer finished nine points and three rebounds at Montana State Billings. He was one of three SMU players to finish with 14 points at Seattle Pacific, making 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. Spencer is averaging 8.1 points per game.

• Junior center Shakeem Alcindor was perfect against Seattle Pacific, finishing with a team-high 16 points on 7 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. Alcindor enters the week averaging 8.2 points per game and is shooting 54.5% from the field.

• Saint Martin’s ranks third in the GNAC with 81.7 points per game and leads the conference with 39.1 rebounds per contest. The Saints rank seventh in Division II with 11 three-pointers made per game and 29.6 three-point attempts per game.

• The Saints will host Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific moved into second place in the GNAC standings with its fifth and sixth straight wins, scoring an 87-79 win over Western Oregon on Thursday and a 92-87 come-from-behind victory over Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 25.5 points and six rebounds per game in the two wins. Anderson had his third 30-plus point performance of the season against Western Oregon, scoring 30 points on 10 of 14 from the field, 3 of 3 from three-point range and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Anderson finished with 21 points against Saint Martin’s, which included scoring the final six points of the game to secure the victory. For the week, Anderson made 54.8% from the field, 57.1% from three-point range and 81.3% from the free-throw line. Anderson leads the GNAC and ranks 25th in Division II in scoring with 20.5 points per game. He ranks 17th in Division II with 328 points and 23rd with 111 field goals made.

• Sophomore guard Zack Paulsen averaged 16.5 points and seven rebounds per game, shooting 62.5% from the field and three-point range. Paulsen finished with 19 points against Western Oregon to go with five rebounds and two steals. He added a 14-point, nine-rebound performance against Saint Martin’s, making 4 of 4 from the field, 3 of 3 from long range and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Paulsen is ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 13.4 points per game and ranks second with a .889 free-throw percentage.

• Seattle Pacific ranks second in the GNAC and 20th in Division II in scoring at 85.2 points per game. The Falcons rank second in Division II with a .533 field goal percentage and third with a .424 three-point percentage.

• Another big game awaits the Falcons as they close the first half of the GNAC schedule by hosting Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser picked up its first conference win of the season with a 78-69 victory at Alaska on Thursday before taking a 68-59 loss to Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Eliot Dimaculangan averaged 19 points per game and shot 59.1% from the field and 53.3% from three-point range in the two games. Dimaculangan led all scorers with 26 points at Alaska, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field, 6 of 9 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He also had four rebounds and six steals. Dimaculangan added 12 points on 5 of 9 from the field against UAA. Dimaculangan is averaging 9.1 points per game and ranks sixth in the GNAC with 1.65 steals per game.

• Junior guard David Penney averaged 10.5 points per game. He posted a 13-point performance at Alaska on 5 of 9 from the field with five assists and three rebounds. Penney added eight points, three rebounds and two assists at Alaska Anchorage. Penney enters the week averaging 9.9 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with 3.18 assists per game.

• Freshman guard/forward Immanuel Oludele also averaged 10.5 points per game. His week included 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists at Alaska along with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals at Alaska Anchorage. Oludele is averaging 9.7 points per game.

• The Red Leafs enter the week averaging 70.1 points and 36 rebounds per game. They lead the GNAC and rank fifth in Division II with 5.2 blocked shots per game.

• Simon Fraser opens a four-game homestand this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene in Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon has lost three games in a row after dropping an 87-79 decision at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a 68-59 game at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior guard Jahville Collins averaged 18 points per game to lead the Wolves, shooting 59% from the field and 70% from three-point range. Collins finished with 19 points at Seattle Pacific on 7 of 9 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range. He added a 17-point performance with eight rebounds at Montana State Billings. Collins is averaging 9.1 points per game. He ranks third in the GNAC with a .529 three-point percentage and ranks fifth with a .598 field-goal percentage.

• Sophomore guard Carson Frincke averaged 14 points per game and shot 76.9% from the field and 72.7% from three-point range. Frincke came off the bench for 17 points at Seattle Pacific, making 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range. He then connected for 11 points at MSUB on 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 5 from outside. Frincke averages 5.5 points per game.

• Junior forward Cameron Benzel had averages of 13.5 points and six rebounds per game. Benzel finished with 14 points and seven rebounds at Seattle Pacific on 7 of 9 from the field. He added 13 points and five rebounds at MSUB on 5 of 9 from the field. Benzel is averaging 12.3 points per game and ranks seventh in the GNAC with 6.1 rebounds per game.

• Western Oregon is averaging 73.8 points and 34.6 rebounds per game. The Wolves are third in the GNAC with 3.79 blocks and 7.86 steals per game.

• The Wolves are home to close the first half of the GNAC schedule, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington split on the Alaska road trip, scoring a 79-74 win at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday before taking a 75-73 loss at Alaska on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Kai Johnson averaged 13.5 points and six rebounds per game to lead the Vikings. Johnson finished with nine points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four blocks and two steals at Alaska Anchorage. He led WWU with 18 points at Alaska to go with five steals, four rebounds and three assists. Johnson is averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard D’Angelo Minnis also averaged 13.5 points per game and connected on 55.6% from three-point range. Minnis scored 13 points at Alaska Anchorage on 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from outside. He added a 14-point performance at Alaska. Minnis is seventh in the GNAC in scoring at 13.8 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with a .466 three-point percentage.

• Freshman forward BJ Kolly averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game, shot 64.7% from the field and had nine blocks on the road trip. Kolly finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four blocks at Alaska Anchorage on 7 of 8 from the field. He then added totals of 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocks against Alaska. Kolly is averaging 10.9 points per game. He is 17th in Division II with 30 blocks and 22nd with 1.88 blocks per game.

• Western Washington leads the conference and ranks ninth in Division II with 87.4 points per game. The Vikings are second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II with 4.6 blocked shots per game and rank 11th with 10.6 three-pointers made per game.

• The Vikings open a four-game homestand this week, hosting Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.