Monday, February 20, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of solid performances in the 49th State, one for a home team and one for a visiting squad, leads the GNAC Player of the Week honors.

Alaska Anchorage junior guard Vishe’ Rabb was selected as the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 27 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 56.3% from the field and 93.8% from the free-throw line in two wins. Rabb finished with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 76-63 win over Saint Martin’s. She added a 29-point performance in Saturday’s 80-58 win over Western Oregon to go with five rebounds and four assists.

Saint Martin’s junior center Shakeem Alcindor earned Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors after he averaged 21 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the Saints’ second-ever sweep of the Alaska road trip. Alcindor led all scorers with 25 points in Thursday’s 82-73 win at Alaska Anchorage. He then scored 17 points in 14 minutes in Saturday’s 83-61 win at Alaska. For the week, Alcindor shot 67.9% from the field and scored 42 points in just 38 minutes.

Simon Fraser sophomore Abby McGlynn earned Softball Player of the Week honors after she batted .529 in a 3-2 week for the Red Leafs at the Cactus Classic, going 9 for 17 with four doubles, a triple, eight runs, six RBIs and seven stolen bases. She had a hit in every game at the tournament, topped by a 2 for 4 effort on Friday against Georgian Court, a 3 for 6 performance against Minn.-Crookston on Saturday and a 2 for 3 effort against Franklin Pierce on Sunday. McGlynn had four stolen bases in Friday’s game against Mercyhurst, tying the GNAC single-game record.

Montana State Billings senior Alyssa Etheridge was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after earning two wins and a save in the Yellowjackets’ 3-1 week at the Minot State Bubble Invite. Etheridge went the distance in Saturday’s 6-2 win over Minot State, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and 11 strikeouts. She earned the save in Sunday’s 6-5 win over Providence (Mont.) in one inning of work before allowing one run on eight hits and seven strikeouts in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Bemidji State.

Western Oregon senior infielder Derek Maiben earned Baseball Player of the Week honors after he batted .421 in a 3-1 weekend for the Wolves over Eastern Oregon. He went 8 for 19 with four runs, a double, four RBIs and five stolen bases. Maiben went 2 for 6 in Saturday’s 5-4, 13-inning win. He went 3 for 5 with a double and three runs in Sunday’s 12-4 game one win before going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the 9-0 second game win.

Central Washington senior Brayde Hirai earned his second straight Baseball Pitcher of the Week award. He went 8.1 innings in Friday’s 6-0 win at Stanislaus State, allowing nine hits and two walks while striking out two,

Western Washington senior Jordan Lee earned the first Men’s Golf Player of the Week award of the spring after leading the Vikings with an 11th-place finish at the Cal State San Marcos Fujikura Invitational. Lee carded a 1-over-par 217, which included an even-par 72 in the second round and a 3-under-par 69 in the final round. Lee led the Vikings to a third-place team finish.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 26
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Shakeem Alcindor (Saint Martin’s, C, 6-8, Jr., Frederik, St. Croix – Odessa Coll.): Alcindor led the Saints to a sweep of the Alaska road trip by averaging 21 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, shooting 67.9% from the field. He scored 42 total points in 38 minutes of work. Alcindor led all scorers with 25 points in Thursday’s 82-73 win at Alaska Anchorage, connecting on 11 of 19 from the field to go with eight rebounds and a block. Alcindor then scored 17 points in 14 minutes in Saturday’s 83-61 win at Alaska, shooting 8 of 9 from the field with three rebounds and a block. Also Nominated: Nick Hopkins (Alaska), Tyson Gilbert (Alaska Anchorage), Matt Poquette (Central Washington), Gabriel Murphy (Northwest Nazarene), Shaw Anderson (Seattle Pacific), Jahmal Wright (Simon Fraser), Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon), Kai Johnson (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Vishe’ Rabb (Alaska Anchorage, G, 5-9, Jr., Springfield, Minn. – Augustana (S.D.) Univ.): Rabb averaged 27 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 56.3% from the field and 93.8% from the free-throw line, to lift the Seawolves to a pair of wins. Rabb led all scorers with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 76-63 win over Saint Martin’s. She shot 9 of 18 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line to go with four assists. Rabb went four points better in Saturday’s 80-58 win over Western Oregon, finishing with 29 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. She connected on 9 of 14 from the and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line in the win. Also Nominated: Kayla Johnson (Alaska), Samantha Bowman (Central Washington), Aspen Giese (Montana State Billings), Anjel Galbraith (Saint Martin’s), Ashley Alter (Seattle Pacific), Jessica Wisotzki (Simon Fraser), Cali McClave (Western Oregon), Truitt Reilly (Western Washington).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Derek Maiben (Western Oregon, IF, 5-10, Sr., Newberg, Ore. – Newberg): Maiben batted .421 in a 3-1 week for the Wolves against Eastern Oregon, going 8 for 19 with four runs, a double, four RBIs and five stolen bases. Maiben went 2 for 6 in Saturday’s 5-4, 13-inning game one win, opening scoring with an RBI single in the second and batting in one of WOU’s four ninth-inning runs. Maiben went 3 for 5 with a double and scored three runs in Sunday’s 12-4 game one win before going 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the 9-0 second game win. Also Nominated: Sam Lauderdale (Central Washington).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Brayde Hirai (Central Washington, P, 5-11, Sr., Pasco, Wash. – Walla Walla CC): Hirai threw 8.1 innings solid innings and earned his second win of the season in the Wildcats’ 6-0 shutout of Stanislaus State on Friday. He allowed nine hits and two walks and struck out two while throwing 117 pitches in the victory. Also Nominated: Henry Clark (Northwest Nazarene), Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s), Chris Hardin (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Abby McGlynn (Simon Fraser, OF, 5-8, So., Langley, B.C. – Walnut Grove): McGlynn batted .529 as Simon Fraser went 3-2 at the Cactus Classic, going 9 for 17 with four doubles, a triple, eight runs, six RBIs and seven stolen bases. McGlynn had a hit in all five games. She went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in Friday’s 11-6 loss to Georgian Court. She went 3 for 6 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs in Saturday’s 23-13 win over Minn.-Crookston and went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple in Sunday’s 8-7 win over Franklin Pierce. McGlynn also tied the GNAC single-game record with four stolen bases in Friday’s game against Mercyhurst. Also Nominated: Lauren Blaschak (Montana State Billings), Hailey Rath (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings, P, 5-6, Sr., Grants Pass, Ore. – Grants Pass): Etheridge picked up two wins and a save in three appearances as MSUB went 3-1 at the Minot State Bubble Invite. She compiled a 1.40 ERA and allowed three runs over the weekend. Etheridge went the distance to bear Minot State 6-2 on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts. On Sunday, Etheridge earned the save in the 6-5 win over Providence (Mont.), walking one and striking out two in one inning. She then earned the complete-game win over Bemidji State, 4-1, allowing one run on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Also Nominated: Navada Johnson (Simon Fraser), Mareena Ramirez (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Jordan Lee (Western Washington, Sr., Tacoma, Wash. – Bellarmine Prep): Lee led Western Washington to a third-place team finish at the Cal State San Marcos Fujikura Invitational, placing 11th with a three-round score of 1-over-par 217. Lee shot even-par 72 in the second round and carded a 3-under-par 69 in the final round. Also Nominated: Kevin Kolb (Montana State Billings).