Tuesday, December 28, 2021

TAKING THE BEST TO THE BRINK: Both Western Washington and Montana State Billings hope that the momentum they built in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

Both the Vikings and Yellowjackets proved that they can run with the top teams in the country at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, each turning in a 1-1 record and solid performances against top-five teams.

On December 20, Western Washington put a scare into No. 1 ranked Lubbock Christian before the Chaps pulled away late for the 84-74 victory. The Vikings led by as much as seven points in the first half before ending up in a 42-42 tie. They led by as much as six points in the second half before the Chaps pulled away late, outscoring the Vikings 42-32 over the final 20 minutes.

Western Washington opened its Vegas run with a 68-58 win over Lindenwood on December 19. Vikings junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in the tournament to lead the team and earn GNAC Player of the Week honors.

Montana State Billings opened in Billings with a battle with No. 4 West Texas A&M. Like the Vikings, the Yellowjackets surged to as much as a 15-point lead midway through the first half before the Buffaloes closed back to 32-29 at halftime. Neither team led by more than five points over the final 10 minutes and the score was tied at 57-57 before Zach Toussaint hit a bucket at the horn as the Buffaloes escaped with the win.

The Yellowjackets came out winners the next day with a 59-40 win over Rollins.

Senior guard Damen Thacker averaged 12 points per game to lead the Yellowjackets, which included 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists against West Texas A&M.

The rest of the conference’s competing teams in the week before the holiday break were on the winning side of some non-conference blowouts. Saint Martin’s limited Douglas to just 14 made field goals in a 98-34 win on December 18. Seattle Pacific had little problem with Puget Sound, winning 86-50 on December 20 while Central Washington rolled to a 107-88 win over Bushnell.

The new year will bring with it the conference schedule as the road to Lacey truly gets traveled. The highlights of the slate include Seattle Pacific playing at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday along with Western Oregon playing at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

GNAC.TV: It is easy and free to access live streams and live stats for all 10 GNAC institutions. Visit GNAC.tv on your computer or device to access all that the conference’s digital network has to offer.

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).

GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week of Dec. 13-19
Daniel Hornbuckle
Western Washington
G • 6-0 • Jr. • Fairbanks, Alaska

Hornbuckle averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists per game as the Vikings went 1-1 at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic. Hornbuckle opened the tournament by scoring 12 points in the Dec. 17 60-58 victory over Lindenwood, shooting 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. He also had eight rebounds and two assists. In the Dec. 18 hard-fought 84-74 loss to No. 1 Lubbock Christian, Hornbuckle led WWU with 22 points and six rebounds, connecting on 7 of 13 from the field, 5 of 8 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. In the two games, Hornbuckle made 57.9 percent of his shots and 66.7 percent from outside the arc.

Also Nominated: Damen Thacker (Montana State Billings), Brett Reed (Saint Martin’s).

Week of Dec. 20-26
Xavier Smith
Central Washington
G • 6-4 • Sr. • Seattle, Wash.

Smith led the Wildcats in the team’s Dec. 20 win over Bushnell, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. He made 9 of 17 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line as Central Washington ended December with an 8-3 overall record.

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska’s scheduled game on Dec, 18 with Portland Bible was canceled and this week’s scheduled games against Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific have been postponed. The Nanooks do not play again until January 6 at Simon Fraser.

• Alaska last played at the beginning of the month. The Nanooks took two road losses to open GNAC play, falling 99-74 at Western Oregon on December 2 and 87-74 at Saint Martin’s on December 4.

• Senior guard Koby Huerta averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game and shot 50 percent from three-point range to lead the Nanooks. Huerta finished with a game-high 22 points at Western Oregon with six rebounds and three assists. He made 5 of 10 from outside and 6 of 14 from the field. At Saint Martin’s, Huerta added 10 points and four rebounds. Huerta is averaging 12.4 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with a .472 three-point percentage.

• Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz also averaged 16 points per game. After finishing with just two points at Western Oregon, Shabazz carried the Nanooks with 30 points, three steals and two rebounds at Saint Martin’s. It was his third 30-plus point performance of the season. Shabazz leads the GNAC with 19 points per game. He leads the conference and is eighth in Division II with 2.88 steals per game.

• Junior forward Willie Thomas averaged 14.5 points and six rebounds per game, which was paced by his 16 points and six rebounds at Western Oregon. Thomas is averaging 7.8 points and five rebounds per game.

• Alaska is averaging 76.4 points and 33.2 rebounds per game while ranking third in the GNAC with eight steals per game and a .749 free throw percentage.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• With the cancellation of two scheduled games with Portland Bible on December 15 and 16, Alaska Anchorage has not played since December 4. The Seawolves host Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Alaska Anchorage achieved a split in its first week of GNAC play, scoring a 76-67 win at Saint Martin’s on December 2 before taking an 80-71 loss at Western Oregon on December 4.

• Senior forward Oggie Pantovic averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game to lead the Seawolves. He opened the week with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds at Saint Martin’s, making 6 of 10 from the field. He led all scorers with 26 points at Western Oregon to go with 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. He made 12 of 19 from the field and finished the road trip shooting 62 percent from the field. Pantovic is 10th in the GNAC with 14.9 points per game.

• Junior guard Tobin Karlberg averaged 15.5 points per game. Karlberg led all scorers with 22 points at Saint Martin’s, making 7 of 13 from the field and 6 of 12 from three-point range. He added a nine-point performance at Western Oregon to go with four rebounds and six assists. Karlberg is sixth in the GNAC with 16.7 points per game. He is tied for third in the GNAC with a .850 free throw percentage.

• Senior guard David Rowlands averaged 14.5 points per game with eight assists. Rowlands had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists at Saint Martin’s before adding 14 points, three rebounds and four assists at Western Oregon. Rowlands is averaging 12.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 26th in Division II with 5.4 assists per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 77.6 points per game and 36.7 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank sixth in Division II in assist/turnover ratio (1.7) and ninth in assists per game (18.7).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington closed out its non-conference schedule with a big win, collecting a 107-88 win over Bushnell on December 20.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith led four CWU players to score in double figures with 26 points along with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He made 9 of 17 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. The effort earned Smith selection as the GNAC Player of the Week for December 20-26. Smith is fifth in the GNAC with 16.8 points per game and is tied for 10th with a .800 free-throw percentage.

• Senior guard David Thompson added 23 points, seven assists and two steals. He connected on 9 of 19 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line on a night that saw the Wildcats make 24 of 28. Thompson is averaging 14.8 points per game and is tied for ninth in the GNAC with 1.33 steals per game.

• Junior forward Matt Poquette added 19 points and six rebounds in the win. Senior guard Amari Stafford scored 14 points on 5 of 6 from the field and senior forward Marqus Gilson added totals of 11 points and five rebounds.

• Central Washington is third in the GNAC in scoring with 80.9 points per game while averaging 36.4 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC with a .759 free-throw percentage and rank 11th in Division II in fewest turnovers with 98. They also are tied for 24th in Division II with a +4.2 turnover margin.

• Central Washington returns to play on Saturday, hosting Simon Fraser. Thursday’s scheduled game against Western Washington was postponed.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split its two games at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic. The Yellowjackets took a close 59-57 loss to No. 4 West Texas A&M on December 17 before scoring a 59-40 win over Rollins on December 18.

• Senior guard Damen Thacker led the Yellowjackets as he averaged 12 points per game at the tournament. Thacker finished with 13 points against West Texas A&M to go with seven rebounds and four assists, connecting on 3 of 9 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. He then led all scorers with 13 points against Rollins on a 4 for 8 performance from the field to go with four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Thacker is averaging 14.3 points per game. He leads the conference and is 22nd in Division II with a .896 free throw percentage (43-48) and is eighth in the GNAC with 3.7 assists per game.

• Junior forward Malik Brikat averaged 9.5 points and six rebounds per game in Vegas, shooting 60 percent from the field. After finishing with seven points and five rebounds against West Texas A&M, Brikat finished with 12 points and seven rebounds against Rollins as he made 6 of 9 from the floor. Brikat has played in all 12 games this season, starting six, and is averaging 4.6 points per game.

• Freshman center Emmanuel Ajanaku averaged nine points and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds per game. Ajanaku finished with eight points and seven rebounds against West Texas A&M, making 6 of 7 from the field. He just missed a double-double against Rollins with nine points and 10 rebounds. Ajanaku is averaging 4.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 11 games this season.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 63.8 points and 36.5 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the conference in scoring defense (63.9 points allowed per game) and are second in field goal defense (.402).

• Montana State Billings heads north for the return to conference play, playing at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Thursday’s scheduled game at Alaska has been postponed.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene saw its scheduled games on December 18 and 20 against Western New Mexico canceled. The Nighthawks return to conference play this week, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday. Saturday’s scheduled game against Western Washington was postponed.

• Northwest Nazarene last played on December 7, securing a sweep of the Mayor’s Cup in its only game of the week, scoring a 71-64 win over the College of Idaho. It was the Nighthawks’ first sweep of the series since 2012.

• Sophomore guard George Reidy led the Nighthawks with 19 points, connecting on 6 of 17 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line to go with four rebounds and four assists. Reidy is averaging 11 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Gabriel Murphy finished with his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. He made 4 of 6 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line and also had three blocks. Murphy is averaging 12.1 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 10th in Division II with 10.9 rebounds per game. Murphy is also ninth nationally with his five double-doubles.

• Freshman guard Julian Agosto scored 11 points in 14 minutes off the bench, which included 2 of 3 from the three-point line. Agosto is averaging 4.7 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 71.6 points per game and rank second in the GNAC with 40.9 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and rank 15th in Division II with 14 offensive rebounds per game and rank 14th in field goal percentage defense (.393).

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s closed non-conference play with the second-largest margin of victory in the conference this season, scoring a 98-34 win over Douglas on December 18.

• Senior forward Brett Reed led the Saints with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals in just 15 minutes of action. He made 7 of 10 from the field in the victory. Reed is averaging 14.2 points per game. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with 8.4 rebounds per game and fifth with a .615 field goal percentage.

• Freshman forward Champ Spencer added 15 points off the bench as five SMU players finished the game scoring in double figures. Spencer connected on 5 of 10 from the field, all from three-point range, to go with four rebounds. Spencer has played in 10 games off the bench this season and averages four points per game.

• Adding to the double-digit scoring parade was sophomore guard Kyle Greeley with 13 points, sophomore guard Christian Haffner with 11 points and sophomore forward Valjko Ilic with 10 points. As a team, Saint Martin’s made 55.4 percent of its shots from the field.

• Saint Martin’s is second in the GNAC in scoring with 83.1 points per game while averaging 36.8 rebounds per game. The Saints are second in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.490). They lead the GNAC and rank fifth in Division II with a 1.72 assist/turnover ratio. The Saints lead Division II in fewest personal fouls per game at 11.5.

• The Saints return to conference play with one game this week, hosting Western Oregon on New Year’s Day.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific went 2-1 in the close to non-conference play. The Falcons scored a 70-61 win as Texas A&M-Commerce on December 13 and took an 81-69 loss at Southeastern Oklahoma State on December 15 before coming home for an 86-50 win over Puget Sound on December 20.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt led the way in the three-game stretch, averaging 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 54.2 percent from the field. Moffitt led the Falcons with 26 points at Southeastern Oklahoma State, making 10 of 15 from the field, to go with four rebounds and six assists. He added a 15-point performance against Puget Sound with five rebounds and five assists. Moffitt is second in the GNAC in scoring with 18.6 points per game. He ranks seventh in Division II in free throw attempts (80) and ninth in free throws made (62).

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson averaged 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the three games. Anderson finished with 12 points and seven rebounds at Texas A&M-Commerce and added 17 points and seven rebounds at Southeastern Oklahoma State. He then shared top scoring honors with 15 points and nine rebounds against Puget Sound. Anderson is averaging 12.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 75.6 points and 35.9 rebounds per game.  The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II with a .792 free throw percentage while also ranking 17th in Division II with 183 free throws made.

• The Falcons return to conference play with a pair of road games, traveling to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday. Saturday’s scheduled game at Alaska has been postponed.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser has not played since posting a 90-44 victory over Douglas on December 7. The team travels east for the restart of the conference schedule, playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

• 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 eighth in the GNAC with 15.1 points per game and second with 9.3 rebounds per game. He ranks seventh in Division II with 4.11 offensive rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Drew Bryson connected for 15 points on 5 of 7 from the floor and 2 of 3 from the three-point line. As a team, SFU finished shooting 58.5 percent from the field.

• Simon Fraser is third in the GNAC with averages of 79.4 points and 38.9 rebounds per game. The team leads the conference and is tied for 24th in Division II in turnover margin (+4.22). Simon Fraser is also ninth in Division II in turnovers forced (18.22 per game) and 17th in steals per game (10.0).

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon has not played since taking an 80-77 loss to Corban on December 11. The Wolves play just once this week, traveling to Saint Martin’s on New Year’s Day in the restart to conference play.

• The closely-contested game against Corban featured 13 lead changes and six ties and ended with Corban’s Jordan Newt hitting a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to seal the win.

• Junior forward John Morrill-Keeler led four Wolves scoring in double figures with 17 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 7 of 10 from the field in 29 minutes. Morrill-Keller is averaging 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston finished with 13 points and five rebounds, making 6 of 7 from the field and 1 of 2 from three-point range to go with three assists and two blocks. Cranston is fourth in the GNAC with 17.2 points per game and tied for sixth with 1.50 steals per game. Cranston is also second in the GNAC with 359 minutes played.

• Western Oregon is averaging 73.5 points and 33.6 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank second in the GNAC and with 9.60 three-pointers made per game.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington played well in its two games at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, scoring a 60-58 win over Lindenwood on December 17 before a hard-fought 84-74 loss to No. 1 Lubbock Christian on December 18.

• The Vikings held their own against Lubbock Christian, holding as much as a seven-point lead in the first half and six early in the second half before the Chaps surged in the final 10 minutes for the victory.

• Junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 13-19 after averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in Vegas. Against Lindenwood, Hornbuckle finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists. He led the Vikings with 22 points against Lubbock Christian with six rebounds, connecting on 7 of 13 from the field and 5 of 8 from three-point range. For the week, Hornbuckle shot 57.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Hornbuckle is ninth in GNAC in scoring with 15.1 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II with 3.45 three-pointers made per game. He is also 11th in Division II with a .487 three-point percentage.

• Junior forward Jalen Green averaged 10.5 points and five rebounds per game in the classic. Green finished with nine points, four rebounds and four assists against Lindenwood. He then finished with 12 points and six rebounds against Lubbock Christian on 5 of 11 from the field. Green is averaging 14.4 points per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC in scoring with 83.4 points per game and is second with 39.5 rebounds per game. Western Washington ranks sixth in Division II with a .518 field goal percentage and is seventh with a +9.7 rebound margin.

• The Vikings’ scheduled games at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday have been postponed. The team’s next scheduled game is on Thursday, January 6 at home against Alaska Anchorage.