Tuesday, January 10, 2023

SAINTS, YELLOWJACKETS PREP FOR FIRST-PLACE SHOWDOWN: Both Saint Martin’s and Montana State Billings have made it through the first three weeks of conference play undefeated. By the end of this week, only one has the chance to make it four weeks.

The Saints and Yellowjackets face off on Thursday in Billings for the first of two meetings this season in a contest that pits two teams that have reached the top of the table in different ways.

Saint Martin’s, the narrow preseason favorite, has amassed a 5-0 conference record and a 13-2 overall mark with solid shooting. The Saints rank third in the GNAC in scoring (82.7 points per game) and three-point percentage (.377) while leading the conference in three-pointers made per game (11.07). The team’s 1.36 assist/turnover ratio is 21st in Division II while its scoring margin of 12.7 points per game is 29th.

The Saints feature two scorers in the conference’s top 20, led by junior guard Kyle Greeley, who ranks third with 15.8 points per game.
Saint Martin’s played just once last week, claiming a 71-59 win at Western Oregon.

While Montana State Billings also features one of the league’s top scorers in senior guard Carrington Wiggins, the Yellowjackets have moved to 6-0 in conference play and 12-4 overall with an emphasis on defense.

Montana State Billings scores just 69.2 points per game, ninth in the GNAC, but the team’s 66.6 points allowed per game ranks fourth. The Yellowjackets are tied for second in the GNAC in steals (eight per game) and rank third in both field goal defense (.424) and turnover margin (+1.86).

Wiggins, the team’s offensive leader, enters the week ranked second in the conference in scoring at 17.6 points per game. Defensively, senior forward Bilal Shabazz is second in the GNAC with 8.5 rebounds per game and ranks 20th in Division II with five double-doubles on the season.

Montana State Billings has won four a row following an 80-76 win at Western Washington on Thursday and a 73-52 win at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Seattle Pacific will also have a chance to prove its place in the conversation. Sitting third in the GNAC at 5-1 (10-5 overall), the Falcons host Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday. They have also won four in a row after picking up a 92-72 win at Simon Fraser on Thursday and a 90-73 victory at Western Washington on Saturday.

The Falcons enter the week as one of the top shooting teams in Division II. The team ranks 24th in scoring at 84.3 points per game while ranking third in three-point percentage (.426) and fourth in field goal percentage (.526). They also boast the league’s top scorer in junior forward Shaw Anderson, who is averaging 19.9 points per game.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Abdul Bah
Montana State Billings
G • 6-2 • Sr. • Carson, Calif.

Bah came off the bench to average 17.5 points per game and shot 52.6% from the floor, 75% from three-point range and a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line to lead the Yellowjackets to two wins and sole possession of first place in the GNAC standings. Bah opened with a 12-point performance in Thursday’s 80-76 win at Western Washington, which included all six of his made free throws for the week. In Saturday’s 73-52 win at Simon Fraser, Bah finished with 23 points and tied the GNAC single-game record with seven three-pointers made without a miss. He also went 8 of 12 from the field and finished with three rebounds.

Also Nominated: Bryan Nguyen (Alaska), Jaedon Bradley (Alaska Anchorage), Samaad Hector (Central Washington), Ryzin Bergerson (Northwest Nazarene), Shaw Anderson (Seattle Pacific), Immanuel Oludele (Simon Fraser), BJ Kolly (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska dropped two road games last week, falling 72-62 at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and 78-66 at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Bryan Nguyen averaged 16 points per game and shot 61.1% from the floor and 55.% from three-point range to lead the Nanooks. Nugyen shared top scoring honors for UAF with 18 points at Northwest Nazarene, making 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range with three rebounds, three assists and four steals. He added a 14-point performance at Central Washington. Nguyen is averaging 9.4 points per game on the season.

• Freshman forward Tyler Mrus averaged 15.5 points per game and went 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. Mrus also contributed 18 points at Northwest Nazarene, which included 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. He added 13 points and five rebounds at Central Washington. Mrus is averaging 12.4 points per game. He leads the GNAC with a .935 free-throw percentage (29-31) and is fourth with a .467 three-point percentage.

• Junior forward Abdullahi Mohamed led UAF at Central Washington with 19 points, including 6 of 12 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. He enters the week averaging 12 points per game.

• Alaska is averaging 71.3 points and 35.6 rebounds per game. The Nanooks lead the GNAC and rank 13th in Division II with a .783 free-throw percentage. They also rank 20th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.4 points per game.

• The Nanooks return home this week to host Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage procured a 1-1 week on the road, scoring a 90-72 win at Central Washington on Thursday before taking a 48-47 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior guard Da’Zhon Wyche averaged 12 points per game to lead the Seawolves. Wyche finished with 15 points, including 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, to go with two rebounds and four assists. He led UAA with nine points at Northwest Nazarene with two rebounds and three steals. Wyche is fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He leads the conference and ranks 13th in Division II with 2.46 steals per game and is also 28th in Division II with 4.8 assists per game.

• Junior forward Jaedon Bradley averaged 11 points and eight rebounds per game. Bradley led the Seawolves at Central Washington with 16 points and eight rebounds on 6 of 11 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. He added a six-point, eight-rebound performance at Northwest Nazarene. Bradley is averaging 9.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

• Junior forward Sawyer Storms averaged 10.5 points per game and had seven assists and six steals. Storms finished with 13 points at Central Washington on 5 of 7 from the field with three assists, four steals and two blocks. He added eight points and three rebounds with four assists and two steals at Northwest Nazarene. Storms is averaging 10.9 points per game and is eighth in the GNAC with 0.93 steals per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 80.6 points and 30.6 rebounds per game. The Seawolves rank second in Division II with a 10.8 turnover margin and 21.54 turnovers forced per game and rank fifth with a 1.71 assist/turnover ratio.

• The Seawolves return home this week, hosting Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• After taking a 90-72 loss to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday, Central Washington snapped a three-game losing streak and earned its first conference win with a 78-66 win over Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard Camron McNeil averaged 18.5 points per game, shooting 56.5% from the field. McNeil led the Wildcats with 21 points against Alaska Anchorage, shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range with six assists. He then added a 16-point, six-rebound performance against Alaska on 5 of 7 from the field. McNeil is fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 15.5 points per game and ranks ninth with a .438 three-point percentage.

• Junior forward Samaad Hector averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game, shooting 66.7% from the field and 50% from long range. Hector finished with 15 points and seven rebounds against UAA on 7 of 11 from the field. He scored 10 points against Alaska with five rebounds and two blocks. Hector enters the week averaging 11.1 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 1.43 blocked shots per game.

• Senior guard Brock Gilbert led Central Washington with 18 points against Alaska on 5 of 7 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line to go with eight assists. Gilbert is averaging 5.1 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is eighth in Division II with 6.2 assists per game.

• Central Washington is averaging 75 points and 36.6 rebounds per game. The Wildcats lead the GNAC and rank 11th in Division II with 18.3 assists per game.

• Central Washington hits the road for its lone game of the week, traveling to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings made it 6-0 in conference play with an 80-76 win at Western Washington on Thursday and a 73-52 victory at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Senior guard Abdul Bah was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 17.5 points per game in the two victories. Bah tied a GNAC single-game record with seven three-pointers without a miss at Simon Fraser, tying the mark set by Alaska’s Brad Oleson in 2004 and equaled by Western Washington’s John Allen in 2011. Bah led MSUB with 23 points in the game. At Western Washington, Bah finished with 12 points, including 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Bah is averaging 10.5 points per game and has come off the bench in all but one of MSUB’s 16 games.

• Senior guard Carrington Wiggins averaged 19.5 points per game, shooting 56% from the field. Wiggins connected for 18 points against Western Washington and 21 points at Simon Fraser. Against the Red Leafs, Wiggins connected on 8 of 11 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range. Wiggins is second in the GNAC with 17.6 points per game. He ranks seventh in Division II with a .935 free-throw percentage and 12th with 72 free throws made.

• Sophomore forward Emmanuel Ajanaku averaged 11.5 points and six rebounds per game. He came alive for 16 points at Western Washington on 6 of 7 from the field followed by a seven-point, nine-rebound performance at Simon Fraser. Akanaju is averaging five points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings enters the week averaging 69.2 points and 33.9 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are tied for second in the conference with eight steals per game.

• Montana State Billings returns home to host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene snapped a three-game losing streak with a pair of victories, taking a 77-62 win from Alaska on Thursday and a 48-47 squeaker from Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Ryzin Bergersen averaged 14 points per game to lead the Nighthawks offensively, shooting 53.3% from the field. Bergersen led NNU with 19 points against Alaska on 6 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range. He contributed nine points against Alaska Anchorage to go with four rebounds. Bergersen is averaging 10.7 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Tru Allen averaged 10.5 points per game in the two victories. Allen finished with nine points against Alaska before adding 11 points against Alaska Anchorage to go with two rebounds and two steals. Allen is ninth in the GNAC with 13.3 points per game and ranks second with 2.07 steals per contest.

• Junior forward Gabriel Murphy finished averaging 9.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the wins. Murphy notched a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds against Alaska, shooting 6 of 11 from the field. He added seven points and 11 rebounds against Alaska Anchorage. Murphy continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 22nd in Division II with 9.4 rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 66.1 points per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC with 39.2 rebounds per game and rank ninth in Division II with 14 offensive rebounds per game.

• The Nighthawks host Central Washington for their lone game of the week on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s extended its win streak to four games and improved to 5-0 in conference play with a 71-59 win at Western Oregon on Saturday in its only game of the week.

• Junior center Shakeem Alcindor led SMU in the victory with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, connecting on 7 of 14 from the field. He enters the week averaging 8.1 points per game.

• Senior guard Branden Bunn finished with 12 points and five rebounds, making 5 of 10 from the field. Bunn enters the week averaging 11.7 points per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with a .446 three-point percentage.

• Sophomore guard Champ Spencer finished with 11 points while junior guards Kyle Greeley and Tyke Thompson each scored 10 points. Greeley ranks third in the GNAC in scoring at 15.8 points per game while Thompson is sixth with 6.1 rebounds per game. Greeley also ranks 16th in Division II with a .618 field goal percentage.

• Saint Martin’s ranks third in the GNAC with 82.7 points and 38.7 rebounds per game. The Saints rank sixth in Division II with 11.3 three-pointers made per game, rank eighth with 29.7 three-pointers attempted per game and 25th with a .857 win percentage.

• Saint Martin’s moved up two spots to No. 23 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and is the second-listed team among teams receiving votes in the NABC Division II Rankings.

• Saint Martin’s continues a three-game road trip this week, playing at Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific has now won four in a row and six of its last eight games with a 92-72 road win over Simon Fraser on Thursday and 90-73 victory at Western Washington on Saturday.

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson led the Falcons as he averaged 20 points per game in the two wins, shooting 71.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Anderson picked up 12 points with four rebounds and four assists at Simon Fraser. He then led all scorers with 28 points at Western Washington, shooting 12 of 14 from the field with four assists and two blocks. Anderson leads the GNAC in scoring at 19.9 points per game. He is seventh in the conference with a .831 free-throw percentage and ninth with a .567 field-goal percentage.

• Sophomore forward Kelton Samore also averaged 20 points per game and shot 66.7% from the field. Samore led all scorers with 21 points at Simon Fraser, making 7 of 10 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He added 19 points at Western Washington with five rebounds, making 7 of 11 from the field. Samore is averaging 11.4 points per game and leads the conference with a .650 field goal percentage (67-103).

• Freshman forward Trace Evans averaged 13 points per game and made 68.4% from the field, paced by his double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench at Western Washington. Evans is averaging 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific ranks second in the GNAC and 24th in Division II in scoring at 84.7 points per game. The Falcons rank third in Division II with a .426 three-point percentage and are fourth with a .526 field-goal percentage.

• The Falcons open a three-game homestand with games against Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser continues to look for its first conference win of the season after taking a 92-72 loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and a 73-52 loss to Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Freshman guard/forward Immanuel Oludele led the Red Leafs, averaging 11 points per game in 43 minutes off the bench. Oludele finished with 15 points in 20 minutes against Seattle Pacific, making 4 of 8 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. He added seven points and four rebounds against Montana State Billings. Oludele is averaging 9.6 points per game.

• Freshman forward Nigel Hylton averaged 8.5 points and four rebounds per game. After scoring seven points with four rebounds against Seattle Pacific, Hylton finished with 10 points and four rebounds against Montana State Billings. Hylton enters the week averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard David Penney also averaged 8.5 points per game while also averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. Penney finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists against Seattle Pacific. He put together a 10-point, six-rebound performance against Montana State Billings. Penney is averaging 9.8 points per game.

• The Red Leafs average 70.3 points and 37.4 rebounds per game. They lead the GNAC and rank sixth in Division II with 5.4 blocked shots per game. They also rank third in the GNAC with 11.8 offensive rebounds per game.

• Simon Fraser heads north to Alaska this week to take on the Nanooks on Thursday and the Seawolves on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took the loss in its only game of the week, a 71-59 decision to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard Qiant Myers led the Wolves with 14 points on 5 of 10 from the field, 2 of 4 from three-point range and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. He also finished with two rebounds and two assists. Myers is averaging 6.3 points per game, ranks second in the GNAC with 5.83 assists per game and is tied for fourth with 1.67 steals per game.

• Senior forward John Morrill-Keeler finished with a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds. He ranks fourth in the GNAC with 6.7 rebounds per game while also averaging 11.3 points per game.

• Senior guard Yosani Clay and junior guard Jahville Collins each scored nine points in the loss with Collins adding four rebounds and four assists. Clay is tied for fourth with Myers in the GNAC with 1.67 steals per game and is tied for sixth with two steals per game.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 74.6 points and 35.6 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank fourth in the GNAC with a .476 field goal percentage while also ranking third in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 4.5 blocked shots per game.

• The Wolves play just once this week, ending a three-game homestand by hosting Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington has dropped three in a row after taking an 80-76 loss to Montana State Billings on Thursday and a 90-73 loss to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Freshman forward BJ Kolly averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to lead the Vikings, shooting 70.8% from the field. Kolly notched a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds against Montana State Billings, making 6 of 8 from the field with two assists and two blocks. He posted a 24-point performance against Seattle Pacific, making 11 of 16 from the field. Kolly is averaging 10.7 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks 22nd in Division II with 1.86 blocks per game.

• Junior guard D’Angelo Minnis averaged 11.5 points per game. Minnis finished with 13 points, two assists and two steals against Montana State Billings before adding 10 points with two rebounds and two assists against Seattle Pacific. Minnis is seventh in the GNAC with 13.9 points per game and is seventh with 3.2 assists per game.

• Sophomore guard Kai Johnson averaged 11 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Johnson opened the week with a 14-point, nine-rebound performance against Montana State Billings and closed with eight points and five rebounds against Seattle Pacific. Johnson is averaging 12.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

• Western Washington leads the conference and ranks eighth in Division II with 90 points per game. The Vikings are second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with 4.5 blocked shots per game and rank 10th in Division II with 10.8 three-pointers made per game.

• The Vikings take the Alaska road trip this week, playing at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.