Thursday, November 18, 2021

CONFERENCE TEAMS CHALLENGED IN FIRST FULL WEEK OF SEASON: The two-year wait for a full men’s basketball season is over and conference teams are still working on knocking the rust off.

Only three of the conference’s 10 teams finished at .500 or better following a weekend that saw all but one team play on the road.
Saint Martin’s and Central Washington led the way as each team posted a 1-1 record. The Saints opened the Cal State San Marcos Conference Crossover with a 94-88 win over Holy Names on Friday before taking a 76-60 loss to the host Cougars on Saturday.

The Saints improved to 2-1 with a 99-81 win in their home opener over Warner Pacific on Wednesday. With the 99-point and 94-point wins, Saint Martin’s has two of the top-three scoring performances on the season in the conference.

The SMU effort was led by Brett Reed. The senior transfer forward from Chaminade is averaging 15 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over the three contests.

Central Washington split a pair of games at Cal State Monterey Bay. The Wildcats opened the season with a 74-63 win over the host Otters on Friday before taking an 88-74 loss to Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday.

The Wildcats were buoyed by senior guard David Thompson, who averaged 16 points per game and scored 18 in the victory over Cal State Monterey Bay.

The one team that did play at home, Northwest Nazarene, went to overtime with NAIA rival Bushnell before collecting a 101-91 victory. The Nighthawks outscored the Beacons 18-8 in the final five minutes, paced by a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double from sophomore forward James Nelson.

Several GNAC teams are hoping that a little home cooking this weekend will put them back in the win column. Western Washington hosts the Chuck Randall Classic this weekend, welcoming Seattle Pacific, Azusa Pacific and Concordia Irvine to Carver Gym.

Alaska Anchorage will host Lincoln Christian for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. Simon Fraser will take on a pair of Canadian rivals in British Columbia on Saturday and Langara on Sunday. Montana State Billings will also be at home, hosting Minot State on Saturday.

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).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cameron Cranston
Western Oregon
G • 6-6 • Jr. • Vancouver, Wash.

Cranston averaged 19.5 points and six rebounds as Western Oregon opened the season with two games in the Bay Area. Cranston led all players with 25 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in Friday’s 82-78 overtime loss to Cal State San Bernardino. He then turned in 14 points and five rebounds with two steals and an assist in Saturday’s 82-60 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay.

Also Nominated: Quin Barnard (Alaska), Carrington Wiggins (Montana State Billings), James Nelson (Northwest Nazarene), Brett Reed (Saint Martin’s), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser), Daniel Hornbuckle (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska opened the season with two losses in Hawaii, taking a 77-65 loss to Chaminade on Saturday and a 65-63 loss to Hawaii Pacific on Sunday when the Sharks hit a put-back basket with less than a second left.

• Senior guard Quin Barnard led the way in his first two games for the Nanooks. He scored 13 points against Chaminade and led all scorers with 20 points against Hawaii Pacific on 6 of 10 from the field and 6 of 8 from three-point range. Barnard is averaging 16.5 points per game and is eighth in Division II with 4.5 three-pointers made per game.

• Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz opened his season with a 14-point performance to lead UAF against Chaminade. He connected on 6 of 19 from the field. In the opening two games, Shabazz is averaging 10 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Abdullahi Mohamed proved a force on the boards, leading the Nanooks with 12 rebounds in the two games. Eight of those were on the offensive glass, which included five offensive rebounds against Chaminade. Mohamed is 30th in Division II with four offensive rebounds per game.

• Through its first two games, Alaska is averaging 64 points and 32 rebounds per game. The Nanooks rank 15th in Division II in turnovers forced (20.5) and 25th in turnover margin (6.0).

• Alaska will play two games at Sonoma State this week, facing California’s Seawolves on Friday and Cal State East Bay on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage went 1-2 on its season-opening trip to Hawaii. The Seawolves beat Hawaii Pacific 62-56 on Saturday before taking a 62-47 loss to Chaminade on Sunday and a 75-72 loss to Hawaii Hilo on Tuesday.

• Concordia (Ore.) senior transfer forward Hunter Sweet averaged 18.7 points per game to lead the Seawolves. He led the team with 17 points and nine rebounds in the win over Hawaii Pacific. Sweet busted out a career-high 30-point performance at Hawaii Hilo, going 11 of 21 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range.

• Junior guard Tobin Karlberg was the leading scorer at Chaminade, connecting for 19 points on 8 of 19 from the field and 3 of 9 from three-point range. Karlberg averaged 14.7 points per game in the Islands and was named to the All-Tournament Team along with senior guard David Rowlands.

• Senior forward Oggie Pantovic averaged 10 rebounds per game. Sixteen of those boards came against Chaminade, which is a GNAC season-high. Pantovic had seven rebounds in each of the other two games and pulled down a total of nine on the offensive glass.

• With the win over Hawaii Pacific, Rusty Osborne picked up his 300th win as Alaska Anchorage head coach. Now in his 18th season as UAA head coach, Osborne leads all GNAC coaches in career wins.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 60.3 points and 33 rebounds per game. The Seawolves have picked up their mantle as one of the top long-range shooting teams in Division II, ranking 21st in three-point attempts (83) and 26th in total three-pointers made (27).

• Alaska Anchorage opens its home schedule this weekend, hosting Lincoln Christian for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split a pair of games at Cal State Monterey last week. The Wildcats beat the host Otters 74-63 on Friday before falling 88-74 to Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday.

• Senior guard David Thompson averaged 16 points over the two games to lead the Wildcats. Thompson led all scorers with 18 points on 5 of 11 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line against Cal State Monterey Bay. He added 14 points on Saturday, which included 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.

• Junior forward Matt Poquette was the leading scorer on Saturday, finishing with 16 points on 6 of 10 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Poquette had seven points in the win over Cal State Monterey Bay and is 5 for 5 in free-throw shooting on the season.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith provided a consistent 13.5 points per game in the two contests, scoring 13 points on 5 of 10 from the field against Cal State Monterey Bay and 14 points on 5 of 13 shooting against Cal State San Bernardino.

• Central Washington is averaging 74 points per game, third among GNAC teams in the early going. The Wildcats are averaging 33.5 rebounds per game and rank 15th in Division II with just 12.5 personal fouls per game.

• This weekend’s three games at the SFU Showdown have been canceled due to health and safety protocols. The team’s next scheduled games are at Westminster (Utah) on November 26 and against Fort Lewis in Salt Lake City on November 27.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings opened the season 1-2 in southern California. The Yellowjackets lost to Cal State San Marcos 69-55 on Friday before taking a 71-65 victory from Holy Names on Saturday. In the rematch with Cal State San Marcos on Monday, MSUB took an 80-72 loss.

• Junior guard Carrington Wiggins averaged 15.3 points per game over the three games to lead the Yellowjackets. Wiggins led MSUB with 21 points against Holy Names, making 6 of 14 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. He added an 18-point performance against San Marcos on Monday, connecting on 7 of 13 from the field.

• Senior transfer guard Damen Thacker averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the three games. Thacker finished with 18 points and eight rebounds against Holy Names. He led MSUB with 22 points on 7 of 18 from the field in Monday’s game with San Marcos to go with six rebounds.

• Freshman center Nicholas Sebastiao was a force on the boards. He led the team with nine rebounds to go with 11 points off the bench against Holy Names. Moving into a starting role on Monday against San Marcos, Sebastiao pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 66 points and 34.3 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets rank 28th in Division II in free throws attempted (68) and made (45).

• Montana State Billings plays just once this week, hosting Minot State in its home opener on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene went to overtime in its season-opener with Bushnell, outscoring the Beacons 18-8 in the extra period for the 101-91 win on Saturday. The Nighthawks followed that up with an 80-70 exhibition win at College of Idaho on Wednesday.

• Sophomore forward James Nelson led NNU in the Bushnell win with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds, which included a 9 of 12 performance from the free-throw line. He added 16 points and seven rebounds at College of Idaho.

• Junior guard Kobe Terashima added a double-double against Bushnell with 19 points and 10 assists to go with four rebounds and three steals. He shot 9 of 12 from the field in the win. Terashima added eight points and eight rebounds at College of Idaho.

• Freshman guard Tru Allen also scored 19 against Bushnell, making 5 of 6 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard George Reidy was NNU’s leading scorer at College of Idaho with 18 points on 6 of 7 from the field.

• Northwest Nazarene travels to Kingsville, Texas this week for the Javelina Classic. The Nighthawks face Angelo State on Friday and Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split its games at the Cal State San Marcos Crossover, beating Holy Names 94-88 on Friday before losing 76-60 to the host Cougars on Saturday. The Saints came home on Wednesday for a 99-81 win over Warner Pacific.

• Senior transfer forward Brett Reed is averaging 15 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over the first three games. Reed finished with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench against Cal State San Marcos. He then led all scorers with 20 points on 10 of 12 from the field with six rebounds against Warner Pacific.

• Sophomore guard Kyle Greeley was the leading scorer in Friday’s win, finishing with 19 points on 3 of 12 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. Greeley added 15 points and eight rebounds against Warner Pacific as six SMU players scored in double figures.

• Sophomore guard Christian Haffner scored 18 points on 5 of 7 from the field and 4 of 5 from three-point range in his SMU debut against Holy Names. He added a 16-point performance against Warner Pacific, making 5 of 10 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range to go with four assists and three steals.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 84.3 points and 30 rebounds per game. With its 99 points against Warner Pacific and 94 points against Holy Names, SMU has two of the top-three scoring performances in the GNAC so far this season. The Saints lead the GNAC with a .500 three-point percentage.

• The Saints do not play this week. They return to action on November 24 at Cal State East Bay and November 27 at Cal State Monterey Bay.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• After opening the season with a 77-71 win over No. 20 Alabama-Huntsville, Seattle Pacific has lost three straight. The Falcons dropped a pair of close games at the Cal Poly Pomona Conference Challenge, falling in overtime to the host Broncos on Friday, 75-71, and to Chico State on Saturday by a 70-65 score.

• Sophomore forward Shaw Anderson averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game in the two California contests. Anderson finished with 10 points and six rebounds against Cal Poly Pomona and shared the SPU scoring lead with 16 points against Chico State on 8 of 15 from the field. Anderson is averaging 14 points per game in the first four games of the season.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt averaged 12.5 points per game on the road trip. He scored nine points and had six rebounds and six assists against Cal Poly Pomona. He then came off the bench against Chico State to score 16 points on 5 of 9 from the field and 6 of 10 from the free-throw line in 17 minutes. Moffitt leads SPU with 15.8 points per game and a .458 field goal percentage.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 68 points and 35.2 rebounds per game. The Falcons rank 12th in Division II in total rebounds (141) and 17th in free throws attempted (73) and made (52).

• The Falcons were ranked No. 21 in the preseason NABC Division II Coaches Poll. The next poll will be released on November 23. The Falcons were No. 20 in the preseason D2SIDA Media Poll but dropped out of the November 16 ranking.

• Seattle Pacific plays this week at the Chuck Randall Classic in Bellingham, facing Azusa Pacific on Friday and Concordia Irvine on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser opened the season with a 1-2 mark in California. The team won its opener at Cal State Dominguez Hills, 63-52, before taking a 63-59 loss to Humboldt State on Saturday and an 88-77 loss at Cal State LA on Monday.

• Senior forward Julian Roche led SFU, averaging 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in the three games. Roche connected for 14 points and seven rebounds against Humboldt State He then led all scorers with 23 points on 7 of 15 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line against Cal State LA.

• Senior forward Jasdeep Singh averaged 10.7 points per game. Singh finished with 11 points in the win over Cal St. Dominguez Hills before leading SFU with 18 points on 7 of 19 from the field against Humboldt State.

• Sophomore guard David Penney was SFU’s leading scorer with 16 points against Cal State Dominguez Hills, finishing with 19 points to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Penney had 12 assists in the three games, six of which came at Cal State LA.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 66.3 points and 36 rebounds per game. In the Division II stats, SFU is 25th in turnover margin (+6.0), 28th in total steals (25) and 30th in three-point attempts (72).

• Simon Fraser will host a pair of Canadian rivals this weekend, facing British Columbia on Saturday and Langara on Sunday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon opened the season with a pair of losses in Seaside, California. The Wolves dropped an 82-78 overtime decision to Cal St. San Bernardino on Friday and fell 82-60 to Cal St. Monterey Bay on Saturday.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston was named the GNAC Player of the Week after averaging 19.5 points per game. Cranston led all scorers with 25 points against Cal St. San Bernardino, connecting on 7 of 23 from the field and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He then added 14 points and five rebounds with two steals against Cal St. Monterey Bay.

• Junior forward John Morrill-Keeler averaged 10 points per game and made 69.2 percent of his shots from the field. After scoring just five points against Cal State San Bernardino on 2 of 2 from the field, Morrill-Keeler shared the team lead with 15 points on 7 of 11 from the field against Cal St. Monterey Bay.

• Junior guard Daisone Hughes shared top scoring honors in the Cal State Monterey Bay game with 15 points on 5 of 14 from the field and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line. He also finished with five rebounds, two assists and three steals.

• The Wolves enter the week averaging 69 points per game and are second in the GNAC with 39 rebounds per game. Western Oregon also averaged nine steals per game.

• Western Oregon plays two games at Sonoma State this week, taking on Cal State East Bay on Friday and the host Seawolves on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped a pair of one-point heartbreakers to open the season at the CCAA/GNAC Challenge. The Vikings lost 70-69 to Humboldt State on Friday and 61-60 to Cal St. Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

• Junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle averaged 14.5 points and five rebounds per game to lead the Vikings. Hornbuckle came off the bench to score 15 points on 4 of 9 from the field against Humboldt State. He then added 14 points to go with nine rebounds and two assists against Cal St. Dominguez Hills.

• Junior guard Lucas Holden was the leading scorer for WWU against Humboldt State, scoring 17 points on 5 of 8 from three-point range in 27 minutes off the bench.

• Junior forward Jalen Green led WWU against Cal St. Dominguez Hills with 16 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 7 of 12 from the field to go with three assists. Green opened the season with a nine-point performance against Humboldt State.

• Western Washington is averaging 64.5 points and 36.5 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC in field goal percentage defense (.363).

• Western Washington hosts the Chuck Randall Classic at Carver Gym this weekend. The Vikings will face Concordia Irvine on Friday and Azusa Pacific on Saturday.