Saturday, February 28, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. - The pairings and game times for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Basketball Championships have been set. 

The women's tournament begins Wednesday at Alterowitz Gymnasium in Billings.  The men's tournament starts Thursday.

Seattle Pacific's men's and women's team each secured No. 2 seeds and first-round byes in the tournaments with victories Saturday.

The SPU men defeated Northwest Nazarene 60-49 at Brougham Pavilion to earn second place in the GNAC outright with a 13-5 conference record.  Western Oregon was the regular-season champion with a 15-3 record.

The Falcon women earned a second-place tie with Western Washington.  SPU defeated Alaska 79-66 in Fairbanks, while the Vikings defeated Simon Fraser 72-65 at Bellingham in a ROOT SPORTS game.

Both teams ended up with 13-5 records.  The Falcons earn the No. 2 seed based on their season series sweep of the Vikings.

Alaska Anchorage finished its regular-season with a 17-1 record and a 15-game win streak and is the No. 1 seed.  The Seawolves will play the winner of Wednesday's opening round game between fourth-seed Simon Fraser and fifth-seed Saint Martin's in Friday's second semifinal. 

The first semifinal will match Seattle Pacific against the winner of the first-round game between third-seed Western Washington and sixth-seed Central Washington.

The men's opening round game on Thursday will pair third-seed Central Washington and sixth-seed Northwest Nazarene.  The winner advances to play Seattle Pacific  in Friday's first semifinal.

Thursday's second game will feature fourth-seed Alaska Anchorage against fifth-seed Western Washington. The winner advances to play Western Oregon in Friday's second semifinal.

The championship games will be played Saturday beginning with the women's game at 5:15 p.m.  The men's game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. 

Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships
March 4-7 at Billings, Mont. (Alterowitz Gymnasium)

All times listed are Mountain Standard Time.

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

Wednesday: 5:15 p.m. - #3 Western Washington vs. #6 Central Washington.  7:30 p.m. - #4 Simon Fraser vs. #5 Saint Martin’s. 

Friday: Noon – 3/6 winner vs. #2 Seattle Pacific.  2:15 p.m. – 4/5 winner vs. #1 Alaska Anchorage. 

Saturday: 5:15 p.m. – Championship game.

MEN’S SCHEDULE

Thursday: 5:15 p.m. - #3 Central Washington vs. #6 Northwest Nazarene.  7:30 p.m. - #4 Alaska Anchorage vs. #5 Western Washington. 

Friday: 5:15 p.m. – 3/6 winner vs. #2 Seattle Pacific.  7:30 p.m. – 4/5 winner vs. #1 Western Oregon. 

Saturday: 7:30 p.m. – Championship game.