Wednesday, January 19, 2022

ALASKA SHOWS RESILIENCY IN CLOSE CONTESTS: All the uncertainty of COVID-19 postponements is tough enough on GNAC teams. But it has been especially tough on Alaska, which is back to action with a limited roster.

The Nanooks have suited up just seven players for their last two contests. In both games, those seven players have stepped up to stay in the game right up until the bitter end.

On Saturday at home, those seven rose to the occasion in a 97-95 overtime win over a hot Central Washington team. The Nanooks led by as much as 12 points midway through the first half and nine points early in the second half, but saw the Wildcats pull even late with fresher legs in the lineup.

Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz sent the game to overtime with two free throws with 22 seconds left in regulation before taking over in the next period, scoring 10 of the Nanooks’ 19 overtime points. That included a jumper with just a second left to seal the win.

Alaska ended the game with just five available players after junior forward Willie Thomas III fouled out with 1:54 left in overtime. By the time the final horn sounded, Thomas and sophomore forward Abdullahi Mohamed had fouled out and Shabazz and Koby Huerta each had four fouls.

Shabazz finished the game with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Quin Barnard also scored 23 points off the bench, which included seven three-pointers. Huerta played all 45 minutes of the contest, finishing with 17 points.

Alaska took a seven-player squad to Simon Fraser on Tuesday and proceeded to make a valiant comeback late to contend for the win. Simon Fraser led by nine points with 6:12 remaining before the Nanooks roared back to outscore the home team 14-4 over the next four minutes, taking a 74-73 lead on Barnard’s three-pointer with 2:38 left.

This time, however, Alaska would not be able to complete the comeback. Simon Fraser went back up by three on senior forward Julian Roche’s rebound and tip-in with 1:40 left and the lead held for the 79-76 win. Shabazz was a difference-maker once again, finishing with 28 points on 8 of 20 from the field and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line.

Seattle Pacific also came out ahead in a close contest with Saint Martin’s on Monday in Seattle. The Falcons bounced back from an eight-point halftime deficit to tie the game at 63-63 with 1:12 left. The game was tied again at 65-65 when junior forward Shaw Anderson buried a three-pointer from the corner with 0.2 seconds left for the 68-65 win, ending the Saints’ seven-game win streak.

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.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.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jayden Nielsen-Skinner
Saint Martin’s
G • 5-10 • So. • Salem, Ore.

Nielsen-Skinner averaged a double-double (points and assists) to help lead Saint Martin’s to a 2-0 week. He finished just short of a triple-double in Thursday’s 82-71 win over Western Washington with 14 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals. Nielsen-Skinner then finished with 10 points and 12 assists with four steals and two rebounds in Saturday’s 88-50 victory over Simon Fraser. For the week, Nielsen-Skinner averaged 12 points, 11 assists, 4.5 rebounds and four steals per game.

Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Carrington Wiggins (Montana State Billings), George Reidy (Northwest Nazarene), Jordan Lyons (Simon Fraser), D’Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska went 1-2 in a span of three games in five days. The Nanooks took a 77-69 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before taking a thrilling 97-95 overtime win from Central Washington on Saturday. Alaska played again on Tuesday at Simon Fraser, falling 79-76.

• Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz averaged 22.3 points per game over the three contests. Shabazz came off the bench to score 16 points against NNU before notching a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds to go with six assists and three steals against CWU. On Tuesday at SFU, Shabazz led all scorers with 28 points to go with five steals. Shabazz leads the conference in scoring at 20.8 points per game. He leads the GNAC with three steals per game, ranking sixth in Division II, and is fifth in the GNAC with a .836 free-throw percentage.

• Senior guard Quin Barnard averaged 15 points per game and made 61.9 percent of his shots from three-point range. Barnard led the Nanooks against CWU with 23 points off the bench, going 7 of 12 from three-point range. He added a 16-point performance at SFU, connecting on 5 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 from beyond the arc. Barnard is averaging 13.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC with 3.67 three-pointers made per game, ranking seventh in Division II.

• Junior forward Willie Thomas III averaged 14.3 points and six rebounds per game. Thomas just missed a double-double against NNU with 18 points and nine rebounds. He went on to score 15 against CWU on 6 of 9 from the field and scored 10 points at SFU. Thomas enters the week averaging 10.2 points per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 78.8 points and 33.4 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC in steals (7.92 per game). They are also third in the GNAC and 30th in Division II with a .773 free-throw percentage.

• The Nanooks will play just one more game this week, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage did not play either of its scheduled home games last week, against Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, due to health and safety protocols. The Seawolves play just once this week, traveling to Alaska on Saturday.

• The Seawolves last played on December 30, collecting an 88-83 win over Seattle Pacific.

• 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 is second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II with 5.7 assists per game.

• 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 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 10th 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 third in Division II with a 1.75 assist/turnover ratio and in fewest fouls with 139, fourth in fewest turnovers with 110 and eighth with 11.3 three-pointers made per game.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington was on the losing end of a thrilling 97-95 overtime loss at Alaska on Saturday. The Wildcats’ scheduled Thursday game at Alaska Anchorage was postponed due to health & safety protocols.

• The Wildcats had a pair of 29-point scorers in the contest. Senior guard David Thompson made 9 of 22 from the field, including two three-pointers, and went 9 of 9 from the free-throw line to go with three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Thompson is seventh in the GNAC in scoring with 16.6 points per game. He ranks second in the GNAC and 29th in Division II with a .879 free-throw percentage.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith also had 29 points, making 11 of 19 from the field, including two three-pointers, and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to go with five rebounds. Smith is third in the GNAC in scoring with 18.4 points per game and is fourth with a .842 free-throw percentage.

• Senior forward Marqus Gilson added 16 points and eight rebounds in the loss, making 6 of 12 from the field. Gilson enters the week averaging 13.5 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with a .581 field goal percentage.

• Central Washington ranks second in the GNAC in scoring at 82.9 points per game while averaging 37.1 rebounds per contest. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank 15th in Division II with a .784 free-throw percentage. They also rank eighth in Division II in fewest turnovers with 122.

• Central Washington will host Western Oregon on Saturday. Thursday’s scheduled game against Saint Martin’s has been postponed due to health & safety protocols.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings scored a stunner in its only game last week, taking a 67-54 home win from Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior guard Carrington Wiggins led all scorers with 28 points in the victory, connecting on 10 of 19 from the field, 5 of 8 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. He also finished with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Wiggins is sixth in the GNAC in scoring with 16.8 points per game. He also ranks eighth with a .810 free-throw percentage.

• Junior forward Malik Brikat just missed a double-double with totals of 10 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes, making 5 of 5 from the field. Brikat enters the week averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Brett Finn came off the bench to score 11 points with four rebounds in 32 minutes of work. Finn enters the week averaging 5.4 points per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 65.2 points and 37.2 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC and rank 19th in Division II in field goal percentage defense (.402). They also lead the GNAC and rank 20th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.1 points per game.

• The Yellowjackets’ two games this week, at Simon Fraser on Thursday and at Western Washington on Saturday, have been postponed due to health and safety protocols. Their next game is scheduled for Thursday, January 27 against Alaska Anchorage.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks were winners in their only game of the week, a 77-69 victory at Alaska. Saturday’s scheduled game at Alaska Anchorage was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard George Reidy led the Nighthawks with 21 points and six rebounds. He connected on 9 of 17 from the field and had 16 of his points in the first half. Reidy enters the week averaging 13.1 points per game

• Freshman forward Christian Rose just missed a double-double, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. He made 5 of 6 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range to go with two steals and three blocks. Rose is averaging 11 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on the season. He is tied for seventh in the GNAC with one blocked shot per game.

• Freshman guard Tru Allen came off the bench to finish with 10 points, four steals, three assists and two rebounds. He enters the week averaging 10.1 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 72.7 points per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC with 40.4 rebounds per game and rank second in blocked shots (four per game) and field goal percentage defense (.404). The team is fifth in Division II for fewest fouls with 143 and 13th in fewest turnovers with 129.

• The Nighthawks return home this week to host Western Oregon on Thursday. Saturday’s scheduled game against Saint Martin’s has been postponed due to health and safety protocols.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s went 2-1 in a span of three games in five days. The Saints scored home wins over Western Washington on Thursday, 82-71, and Simon Fraser on Saturday, 80-55. The Saints’ seven-game win streak came to an end on Monday with a 68-65 road loss at Seattle Pacific.

• Sophomore guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner was named the GNAC Player of the Week after he averaged a double-double of 12 points and 11 assists per game in the two wins last week. Nielsen-Skinner was just short of a triple-double against WWU with 14 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He then contributed 12 points and 12 assists against SFU. On Monday, he connected for 12 points and six assists at SPU. Nielsen-Skinner is averaging 9.9 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks 18th in Division II with 5.71 assists per game. He also ranks 30th in Division II with a 2.86 assist/turnover ratio.

• Senior forward Brett Reed averaged 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game over the three games. Reed finished with 16 points and eight rebounds against WWU and led all players with 20 points and 10 rebounds against SFU. On Monday at SPU, Reed finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. For the week, Reed shot 54 percent from the field. Reed leads SMU in scoring with 14 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 8.5 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Kyle Greeley also averaged 15.3 points per game, making 55.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. Greeley led the Saints against WWU with 20 points and scored 15 against SFU. He has a season average of 11.7 points per game.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC in scoring with 80.7 points per game while averaging 35.9 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC and rank 10th in Division II in three-point percentage (.410) and also rank second in Division II in fewest personal fouls per game (12.2).

• Due to health and safety protocols, the Saints scheduled games at Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday have been postponed.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific took a loss in its first game of January, falling 67-54 at Montana State Billings on Saturday. The Falcons returned home on Monday to stop Saint Martin’s seven-game win streak with a 68-65 victory.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt averaged 15 points and five assists in the two games. Moffitt was the leading scorer at MSUB with 16 points and six assists, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field. Moffitt added a 15-point performance against SMU with four rebounds and four assists. Moffitt is fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 18 points per game. He ranks 16th in Division II in free throw attempts (93) and 19th in free throws made (69).

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson averaged 15 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the field and 46.1 percent from three-point range. Anderson finished with 11 points at MSUB, making 4 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from outside. Anderson led the Falcons with 19 points against SMU, including the game-winning three-pointer with less than a second remaining. Anderson is averaging 13.3 points per game.

• Senior guard Harry Cavell averaged 10 points per game with a weekly high of 12 points against Montana State Billings, which included 7 of 10 from the free-throw line. Cavell is averaging 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 1.50 steals per game.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 74.2 points and 34.5 rebounds per game. The Falcons are second in the GNAC and 19th in Division II with a .779 free-throw percentage.

• The Falcons play two road games this week, traveling to Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser played its first games since December 7 last week. The team returned to the court by taking an 80-55 loss at Saint Martin’s on Saturday before returning home for a 79-76 win over Alaska on Tuesday. Monday’s scheduled game at Western Oregon was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Junior guard Wilfried Balata averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game to lead SFU. Balata finished with 12 points and five rebounds at SMU. He led the way in the win over Alaska with a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds to go with five assists. Balata enters the week averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in six of SFU’s 11 contests.

• Senior forward Julian Roche only played in Monday’s win and finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also had five blocks and four assists. Roche is averaging 14.8 points per game and ranks third in the GNAC with 9.4 rebounds per game. Roche is fifth in Division II with 4.11 offensive rebounds per game.

• Freshman guard Elliot Dimaculangan averaged 12 points per game and shot 53.3 percent from the field in the two games. He scored 15 points in 26 bench minutes at SMU, making 5 of 10 from the field and 3 of 8 from three-point range. He then added nine points against UAF, making 3 of 3 from outside. Dimaculangan is averaging 6.3 points per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 77.2 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 37.9 rebounds per game. The team leads the GNAC and ranks 22nd in Division II with 9.36 steals per game.

• Thursday’s scheduled game against Montana State Billings has been postponed due to health & safety protocols. Simon Fraser plays next on Saturday, hosting Seattle Pacific.

WESTERN OREGON
• Both of Western Oregon’s scheduled games last week, against Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday, were postponed due to health and safety protocols. The Wolves are scheduled to travel to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

• The Wolves last played on January 6, taking a 77-71 loss at Montana State Billings.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston 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. Cranston is second in the GNAC with 18.8 points per game. He is second in the GNAC and is ninth in Division II with a .480 three-point percentage.

• 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 22nd in Division II with 10.18 three-pointers made per game. The Wolves also rank 11th in Division II in fewest fouls with 162.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington took a loss in its only game of the week, an 82-71 defeat at Saint Martin’s on Thursday. Saturday’s scheduled game at Western Oregon was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard D’Angelo Minnis led five WWU players to score in double figures with 17 points, connecting on five three-pointers and going 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. He also finished with three rebounds and five assists. Minnis is averaging 10.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 4.64 assists per game.

• The Vikings’ other four starters — Junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle, senior guard RJ Secrest, junior forward Jalen Green and senior forward Luke Lovelady — all finished with 11 points each. Secrest made 5 of 9 from the field and also had seven rebounds. Hornbuckle connected on 5 of 10 from the field and added six rebounds, two assists and three steals.

• Hornbuckle is ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 15.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks ninth in Division II with a .489 three-point percentage. He also ranks 20th in Division II with 3.31 three-pointers made per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC in scoring with 83.2 points per game and is second with 38.6 rebounds per game. Western Washington ranks eighth in Division II with a .515 field goal percentage, 13th with a +7.7 rebound margin and 16th with a .384 three-point percentage.

• The Vikings play once this week, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday. Saturday’s scheduled game against Montana State Billings has been postponed due to health and safety protocols.