Tuesday, February 12, 2019

TRUE NORTH RISING: If you head north to face Simon Fraser, you will need to bring your “A” game.

Fresh off a victory over the conference’s first-place team last week, the Clan faced another test against second-place Northwest Nazarene on Thursday. The Clan ultimately doubled down, picking up another upset victory en route to a perfect 2-0 week.

The team tipped off that week with a one-point victory at home against the Nighthawks before blowing out Central Washington for an 82-66 win to earn the selection as GNAC Team of the Week.

“We are starting to gel as a team and play for each other on both ends of the court,” said head coach Steve Hanson. “It has been fun to watch our guys figure it out and gain confidence with some tough wins. Because Julian (Roche) and Jasdeep (Singh) have been so efficient inside, our guards are benefiting from the double-teaming we are seeing each night.”

CLOSING IN ON TOURNAMENT TIME: With three weeks left in the regular season, the top-tier of conference teams are closing in on locking their berths for the upcoming GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships, March 7-9 in Bellingham, Washington.

League-leading Saint Martin’s could lock up its spot in the tournament this week. The Saints lead the conference with a 12-2 record and will host Concordia and Western Oregon this week.

The next three teams will likely need a week before their spot in the tournament is locked in. Northwest Nazarene enters the week with an 11-3 conference record while Western Oregon and Seattle Pacific are tied for third at 10-4.

Quite the battle is shaping up for the final two spots. Alaska Anchorage enters the week in fifth place in the GNAC at 7-7 while Simon Fraser, Montana State Billings and Western Washington are tied for sixth at 6-8.

SIMON FRASER/WESTERN WASHINGTON POSTPONED: Tuesday’s scheduled game between Simon Fraser and Western Washington, in Burnaby, B.C., has been postponed due to the inclement weather in the Northwest. Both campuses were closed on Tuesday as snow continues to pile up in both communities. The game has been rescheduled for Tues., Feb. 26, in Burnaby.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC Players have been recognized with all-tournament team honors during the 2018-19 season...

PacWest/GNAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 9 & 10 at Honolulu): Spencer Sweet (UAF), Tyler Brimhall (UAA).

CCAA/GNAC Challenge (Nov. 9 & 10 at La Jolla, Calif.): Trevor Jasinsky (WWU), Othniel Spence (SFU).

Concordia Oxford Suites Classic (Nov. 16 & 17 at Portland): Obi Megwa (NNU, Most Valuable Player), Adonis Arms (NNU), Hunter Sweet (CU).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Jarrett Gray
Concordia
G • 6-3 • Sr. • Beaverton, Ore.

Gray led Concordia to a home sweep of Western Oregon and Montana State Billings by scoring 42 points with 12 rebounds, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point range. Gray led all scorers with 23 points in Tuesday’s 77-72 win over the Wolves, connecting on 7 of 12 from the field, 4 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to go with five rebounds. Gray added 19 points in Thursday’s 73-66 win over the Yellowjackets to go with seven rebounds and four assists.

Coleman Wooten
Seattle Pacific
F • 6-5 • Sr. • Maple Valley, Wash.

Wooten finished with 34 points and 22 rebounds to lead the Falcons to a sweep of their games in Alaska. He shot 75 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. Wooten opened with 14 points and eight rebounds with two assists in Thursday’s 65-64 win at Alaska Anchorage. He then notched a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds and shot 9 of 12 from the field in Saturday’s 89-52 win at Alaska.

Also Nominated: Gamaun Boykin (Central Washington), Brendan Howard (Montana State Billings), Obi Megwa (Northwest Nazarene), BJ Standley (Saint Martin’s), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser), Kaleb Warner (Western Oregon), Trevor Jasinsky (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska dropped both games to the Puget Sound schools last week, falling 86-68 to Saint Martin’s on Thursday and 89-52 to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior guard Spencer Sweet led the Nanooks with 32 points and six rebounds in the two games, shooting 41 percent from the field. Sweet led UAF with 25 points on 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range against Saint Martin’s and then added seven points against Seattle Pacific. Sweet is averaging 12.8 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with a .870 free throw percentage.

• Junior guard Tymoryae Glover added 33 points in the two games. He opened the week with 17 points and three rebounds against Saint Martin’s and then added 16 points against Seattle Pacific. Glover is the Nanooks’ leading scorer at 13.9 points per game.

• Junior forward Michael Kluting pulled down 14 rebounds last week and finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Martin’s. Kluting is second in the GNAC with 8.1 rebounds per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 70.2 points and 31.4 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.736).

• The Nanooks hit the road this week, playing at Central Washington on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage dropped both contests at home last week, falling 65-64 to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and 69-53 to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior guard/forward Tyler Brimhall paced the Seawolves with 33 points and 13 rebounds in the two games, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from three-point range. Brimhall led all scorers against Seattle Pacific with 26 points and five rebounds, making 10 of 17 from the field and 6 of 8 from outside before scoring seven points with eight rebounds against Saint Martin’s. Brimhall is fourth in the GNAC with 17.9 points per game and sixth with 6.7 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Niko Bevens led the Seawolves with 16 points against Saint Martin’s, making 6 of 16 from the field with four three-pointers. Bevens enters the week averaging is averaging 12.5 points per game and is second in the GNAC with three three-pointers made per game.

• Junior guard Jack Macdonald finished with 11 points against Seattle Pacific, making 4 of 7 from the field. Senior forward Brian Pearson added ann 11-point performance with five rebounds against Saint Martin’s, making 4 of 8 from the field.

• Alaska Anchorage enters the week averaging 72.1 points and 32.4 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank 30th in Division II with 16.6 assists per game. Alaska Anchorage is also second in the GNAC with a .383 three-point percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage flies to the Lower 48 this week to take on Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington dropped two games along the border last week, taking a 91-86 loss to Western Washington on Thursday and an 82-66 defeat to Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior guard Gamaun Boykin led the Wildcats with 28 points and 11 rebounds in the two contests. After finishing with six points and six rebounds against Western Washington, Boykin led the Wildcats with 22 points against Simon Fraser as he connected on 7 of 14 from the field to go with five rebounds and four steals. Boykin leads Central Washington with 13 points per game.

• Junior guard Jeryn Lucas contributed 26 points last week and shot 50 percent from the field. Lucas led the Wildcats with 20 points against Western Washington, making 8 of 13 from the field with a pair of three-pointers. Lucas enters the week averaging 11.5 points per game.

• Freshman forward Zellie Hudson scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds in the two contests, headlined by his 19 points and seven rebounds against Western Washington. Hudson is averaging seven points per game while working his way into a starting role.

• Central Washington is tied for second in the GNAC in scoring at 81.8 points per game and is averaging 33.8 rebounds per contest. The Wildcats are third in the GNAC with a .380 three-point percentage and 15.82 assists per game.

• Central Washington will host the Alaska schools this week, welcoming Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia put together its first back-to-back wins of the conference season last week, scoring a 77-72 victory over Western Oregon on Tuesday and a 73-66 win over Montana State Billings on Thursday.

• Senior guard Jarrett Gray was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week after he led the Cavaliers with 42 points and 12 rebounds in the two games, shooting 57.6 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from three-point range. Gray led all scorers with 23 points against Western Oregon as he made 7 of 12 from the field, 4 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line. He then added 19 points and seven rebounds against MSUB on 8 of 14 from the field. Gray is sixth in the GNAC with 15.8 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 14th in Division II with a .894 free throw percentage.

• Sophomore guard/forward Hunter Sweet finished with 31 points in the two games and made 55.5 percent of his shots from the field. Sweet finished with 18 points on 5 of 8 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line against Western Oregon and then added 13 points against Montana State Billings. Sweet is averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Senior guard Tyler Wells added 27 points in the two games, paced by his 22 points on 9 of 15 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range against Montana State Billings. Wells is averaging 5.8 points per game.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 75.1 points per game and 36 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers are second in the GNAC with a .741 free throw percentage.

• Concordia hits the road for its next two games, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings dropped both games on its Oregon swing last week, falling 73-56 to Concordia on Thursday and 97-65 to Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Freshman forward Brendan Howard led the Yellowjackets with 45 points and 11 rebounds on the road trip, shooting 68.9 percent from the field. Howard led MSUB with 18 points at Concordia, shooting 8 of 16 from the field. He then led all scorers with 27 points at Western Oregon, connecting on 12 of 15 from the field to go with seven rebounds. Howard is seventh in the GNAC with 15 points per game.

• Junior guard Tyler Green came through with 25 points in the two games. His week was led by a 17-point effort at Concordia, shooting 6 of 14 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range, while adding three rebounds and five assists. Green is fifth in the GNAC with 16.7 points per game and is 27th in Division II with a .448 three-point percentage. Green is also sixth in Division II with 82 three-pointers made and seventh with 3.73 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore forward Zharon Richmond had 17 rebounds last week, which included a near double-double of nine points and 10 boards at Western Oregon. Senior guard/forward Zack Rollins added 14 rebounds, seven in each game to go along with a 13-point performance at Concordia.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 80.3 points and 36.2 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are fourth in the GNAC with a .373 three-point percentage.

• Montana State Billings is home for its next two games, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks split a pair of road games last week, dropping a 78-77 contest to red-hot Simon Fraser on Thursday before beating Western Washington 90-79 on Saturday. The win in Bellingham was NNU’s first in six years.

• Junior guard Adonis Arms led Northwest Nazarene with 41 points and 12 rebounds in the two games, shooting 60 percent from the field and 15 of 17 from the free throw line. Arms led all scorers with 24 points at Simon Fraser, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line, to go with five rebounds and four assists. He then scored 17 points at Western Washington to go with seven rebounds. Arms leads the GNAC with 21.1 points per game and is second with 2.05 steals per game.

• Senior guard Obi Megwa finished with 33 points and 15 rebounds last week. His week was punctuated by a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds at Western Washington, connecting on 8 of 18 from the field to go with five assists. Megwa is third in the GNAC in scoring at 18.1 points per game and is eighth with 3.15 assists per game.

• Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC in scoring and is 29th in Division II with 85.2 points per game. The Nighthawks also lead the league and are eighth in Division II with a .510 field goal percentage. The Nighthawks are also second int he GNAC and 24th in Division II with 4.4 blocked shots per game.

• Northwest Nazarene dropped out of both the NABC and D2SIDA national polls, but are near the top of the list of teams receiving votes in both rankings.

• The Nighthawks welcomes the Alaska schools to the Johnson Sports Center this week, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• The Saints made it a sweep of the Alaska road trip, scoring an 86-68 win over Alaska on Thursday and a 69-53 win over Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard BJ Standley led the Saints with 47 points and nine assists in Alaska, making 59.2 percent from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Standley came off the bench to score 30 points at Alaska, making 10 of 16 from the field, 5 of 9 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to go along with four assists. He followed that up with a 17-point performance with three rebounds and five assists at Alaska Anchorage. Standley is averaging 10.5 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with a .894 free throw percentage.

• Senior guard EJ Boyce put in 31 points in the two games, making 57.8 percent from the field and 58.3 percent from three-point range. Boyce scored 12 points at Alaska before sharing top team honors with 19 points on 6 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range at Alaska Anchorage. Boyce leads the Saints with 12.9 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 2.95 three-pointers made per game.

• Senior guard Luke Chavez scored most of his 23 points last week at Alaska Anchorage, connecting for 19 on 8 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. Chavez is averaging 12.2 points per game.

• Saint Martin’s enters the week averaging 78.4 points and 33.5 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC and are 23rd in Division II with 10.73 three-pointers made per game.

• Saint Martin’s climbed in both national polls this week. The Saints are No. 14 in both the NABC Coaches Poll and D2SIDA Media Poll.

• Saint Martin’s welcomes the Oregon schools this week, hosting Concordia on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific ran its win streak to four games with a 65-64 victory at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and an 89-52 rout of Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior forward Coleman Wooten was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week after finishing with 34 points and 22 rebounds on the road trip, making 75 percent from the field. Wooten opened with 14 points and eight rebounds at Alaska Anchorage, making 6 of 8 from the field. He then led the Falcons with a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds at Alaska, shooting 9 of 12 from the field. Wooten enters the week averaging 12.1 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 8.1 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Gavin Long added 19 points on the trip, led by his 12-point performance at Alaska. Long leads the Falcons with 12.8 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Harry Cavell contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds last week. His trip was highlighted by a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds at Alaska. Cavell is averaging 10.4 points per game.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 80.2 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 37.9 rebounds per game. The Falcons are second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with a .498 field goal percentage and are third in the GNAC with 3.37 blocked shots per game.

• Seattle Pacific begins a four-game homestand this week, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser is the hottest team in the GNAC, running its win streak to three games with a 78-77 win over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and an 82-66 win over Central Washington on Saturday.

• The two wins, combined with last week’s upset of league-leading Saint Martin’s, helped the Clan land selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Sophomore forward Jasdeep Singh led the Clan with 42 points and 10 rebounds in the two wins, shooting 68 percent from the field and 55.5 percent from three-point range. He led SFU in both games, connecting for 17 points and six rebounds against Northwest Nazarene on 6 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range and added 25 points against Central Washington on 11 of 16 shooting. Singh is averaging 10.1 points per game.

• Sophomore center Julian Roche scored 29 points and had 17 rebounds last week, topped by his double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds against Central Washington. Roche is eighth in the GNAC at 14.9 points per game and tied for fourth at seven rebounds per game. He also is 24th in Division II with a .595 field goal percentage.

• Freshman guard Wilfried Balata and junior guard Othniel Spence each scored 24 points in the two games. Balata scored his high of 14 points against Northwest Nazarene while Spence had 15 points against Central Washington.

• Simon Fraser is second in the GNAC in scoring at 81.8 points per game while averaging 36.2 rebounds per game. The Clan is second in the GNAC in assists (16.55 per game) and third in field goal percentage (.474).

• Tuesday’s scheduled game with Western Washington has been moved to Tues., Feb. 26 due to snow. The Clan will play next at Montana State Billings on Thursday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon split its contests last week. The Wolves took a 77-72 loss at Concordia on Tuesday before scoring a 97-65 win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Senior forward Kaleb Warner led the Wolves with 37 points in the two games, shooting 56.5 percent from the field. Warner led the Wolves with 19 points at Concordia on 7 of 11 from the field and three three-pointers. He also led WOU with 18 points against Montana State Billings to go with four rebounds. Warner is averaging 11.3 points per game.

• Junior forward Riley Hawken provided 21 points and 19 rebounds last week. Against Concordia, Hawken finished just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. He then finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists against Montana State Billings. Hawken leads the Wolves in scoring at 12.7 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 6.6 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Dalven Brushier contributed 24 points last week, paced by a 14-point performance against Montana State Billings. Brushier enters the week averaging 11.3 points per game.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 80.3 points and 35.9 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC and rank ninth in Division II in scoring margin (14.6) while ranking 16th nationally in scoring defense (65.7 points allowed per game) and 18th in assist/turnover ratio (1.47).

• Western Oregon heads to the Puget Sound region for two games this week, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington took a split of two home games last week, scoring a 91-86 victory over rival Central Washington on Thursday before taking a 90-79 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior forward Trevor Jasinsky had a huge scoring week for the Vikings, finishing with 56 points on 51.6 percent shooting from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range. Jasinsky went off for 33 points against Central Washington, making 9 of 13 from the field, 7 of 13 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free throw line. He then led all scorers with 23 points to go with seven rebounds against Northwest Nazarene. Jasinsky is second in the GNAC with 20 points per game and tied for fourth at seven rebounds per game. He is also third in the GNAC and 29th in Division II with a .888 free throw percentage.

• Junior guard Leif Anderson scored 29 points and had 10 assists in the two games, finishing with 13 points, eight assists and two steals against Central Washington and 16 points and two assists against Northwest Nazarene. Anderson is averaging 8.2 points per game with 57 assists on the season.

• Junior forward Cameron Retherford had 26 points and 18 rebounds last week, topped by his double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds against Central Washington. Retherford is averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

• Western Washington enters the week averaging 81.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 38 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and are 22nd in Division II with 4.4 blocked shots per game and also lead the league and rank 16th in Division II with a .785 free throw percentage.

• Tuesday’s scheduled game at Simon Fraser has been rescheduled for Tues., Feb. 26 due to weather. The Vikings will play their only game of the week on Thursday at Montana State Billings.