Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Montana State Billings is in while some big matchups await as teams start claiming their spots in the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships.

The Yellowjackets claimed the first of the six spots over the weekend, winning a pair of close games that have been the team’s calling card over the last two weeks. In the last four games, MSUB has won by a combined 11 points.

Thursday featured the Yellowjackets’ third two-point win in a row, holding off a late surge by Simon Fraser to win 59-57. The margin of victory was five points on Saturday, 80-75, to beat Western Washington.

Senior guard Carrington Wiggins was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 25.5 points and shot 69% from the field and 67% from three-point range in the two games. He led MSUB in scoring in both contests, finishing with 22 points against Simon Fraser and 29 points against Western Washington.

Saint Martin’s appears to be next in line to secure a playoff berth. The Saints are riding a five-game win streak and play four of their final six regular season games at home. The Saints left no doubt in its only game last week, collecting the 86-72 victory at Western Oregon behind a 24-point performance by junior guard Kyle Greeley where he made 10 of 14 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range.

Seattle Pacific sits solidly in third place at 9-4 after splitting its games last week, dropping a 71-67 decision to Western Washington on Thursday before scoring an 82-78 overtime win over Simon Fraser on Saturday. It was just the third overtime game between conference teams this season.

Saint Martin’s will be engaged in a pair of top-three matchups this week, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

Northwest Nazarene, meanwhile, swept the Alaska road trip for just the second time in program history to make a charge into fourth place in the GNAC standings. The Nighthawks took a 74-71 victory at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 69-54 win at Alaska on Saturday, earning GNAC Team of the Week honors.

The Nighthawks will have a chance to pad their spot with a single game on Saturday at Central Washington.

Western Oregon will look to keep pace in its quest for a playoff spot with a pair of tough tests, hosting Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Carrington Wiggins
Montana State Billings
G • 6-2 • Sr. • Flint, Mich.

 Wiggins averaged 25.5 points per game and shot 69% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range as Montana State Billings clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Wiggins led all scorers with 22 points on 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range in Thursday’s 59-57 win over Simon Fraser. He also finished with three rebounds and two assists. Wiggins again led all scorers 29 points in Saturday’s 80-75 victory over Western Washington, making 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 8 from long range to go with four steals, four assists and two steals.

Also Nominated: Abdullahi Mohamed (Alaska), Sawyer Storms (Alaska Anchorage), Samaad Hector (Central Washington), Gabriel Murphy (Northwest Nazarene), Syon Blackmon (Seattle Pacific), David Penney (Simon Fraser), Jahville Collins (Western Oregon), D’Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska closed a three-game homestand with a split, knocking off Central Washington 69-66 on Thursday before taking a 69-54 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Junior forward Abdullahi Mohamed averaged 14.5 points and six rebounds per game and made 13 of 15 from the free-throw line in the two games. Mohamed finished with 15 points against Central Washington with eight rebounds, four assists, two assists and two steals. He added 14 points against Northwest Nazarene, which included 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Mohamed is seventh in the GNAC in scoring with 13.2 points per game.

• Freshman forward Tyler Mrus averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. After finishing with 12 points, three rebounds and three steals against CWU, Mrus led all scorers with 15 points and six rebounds against Northwest Nazarene. He went 7 for 8 from the free-throw line for the week. Mrus is 10th in the GNAC in scoring with 12.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .891 free-throw percentage.

• Junior guard Jaycson Bereal, Jr., averaged 11.5 points per game while shooting 69.2% from the field. Bereal led all scorers with 16 points against Central Washington on 7 of 9 from the field with four rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes off the bench. Bereal is averaging 10.5 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with a .542 field goal percentage.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 70.2 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Nanooks rank 27th in Division II with a .489 field goal percentage. They lead the conference in three-point defense (.324) and rebounding defense (30.2 allowed per game).

• The Nanooks hit the road this week to face Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• After taking a 74-71 loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Alaska Anchorage ended a four-game losing streak with a 76-66 win over Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Lachlan Viney averaged 14 points and 4.5 assists per game to lead UAA offensively. Viney finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists against Northwest Nazarene. He then led all scorers with 21 points against Central Washington on 6 of 13 from the field to go with two rebounds and six assists. Viney is averaging 9.1 points per game and is shooting 49.6% from the field.

• Junior forward Sawyer Storms averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 69.2% from the field. Storms led UAA with 12 points and eight rebounds against Northwest Nazarene. He added 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals against Central Washington on 6 of 8 from the field. Storms is averaging 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and ranks sixth in the GNAC with a .568 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard Tyson Gilbert added 11.5 points per game, paced by a 13-point performance against Central Washington on 5 of 8 from the field. Gilbert is averaging 9.9 points per game

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 78.4 points and 29.7 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank second in Division II with a 9.0 tunrover margin and 20.48 tunrovers forced per game. They also lead the conference and rank 16th in Division II with 17.3 assists per game.

• The Seawolves hit the road this week to face Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington took a pair of losses on the Alaska road trip, dropping a 69-66 decision to the Nanooks on Thursday and a 76-66 game to the Seawolves on Saturday.

• Senior forward Matt Poquette averaged 14.5 points and five rebounds per game to lead the Wildcats. Poquette finished with 14 points and six rebounds at Alaska, shooting 6 of 13 from the field. He went on to finish with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists at Alaska Anchorage. Poquette is eighth in the GNAC in scoring at 12.7 points per game and fourth with 6.6 rebounds per game. He is the only GNAC player to rank in the top 10 in both categories.

• Junior forward Samaad Hector averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on the trip, shooting 50% from the field. Hector scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds at Alaska. He connected for a team-high 16 points at Alaska Anchorage on 6 of 8 from the field to go with five rebounds and two assists. Hector is averaging 12.1 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Colby Gennett averaged 9.5 points per game, shooting 63.6% from the field and 4 of 6 from three-point range. Gennett’s week was topped by a 13-point performance at Alaska on 5 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from outside. Gennett enters the week averaging seven points per game.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 73.9 points and 35.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats rank 19th in Division II in fewest fouls, committing 13.8 per game. Individually, senior guard Brock Gilbert ranks sixth in Division II with 6.5 assists per game and 11th with 130 total assists.

• The Wildcats open a three-game homestand this week, hosting Northwest Nazarene for their only game of the week on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings clinched its spot in the GNAC Championships with two wins, collecting a 59-57 victory over Simon Fraser on Thursday and an 80-75 win over Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior guard Carrington Wiggins was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 25.5 points per game, shooting 69% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range. Wiggins led all scorers in both games, connecting for 22 points against Simon Fraser on 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from outside. Against Western Washington, Wiggins finished with 29 points on 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 8 from long range with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Wiggins is second in the GNAC in scoring at 18.3 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is seventh in Division II with a .922 free-throw percentage.

• Senior guard Abdul Bah averaged 16.5 points per game in the two victories. Bah finished with nine points against Simon Fraser before going off for 24 points and five rebounds against Western Washington on 7 of 15 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Bah is averaging 10.7 points per game.

• Senior forward Bilal Shabazz averaged 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, paced by his 15 points and eight rebounds against WWU. Shabazz is averaging 12 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 8.6 rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 68.5 points and 34 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 65.9 points per game.

• The Yellowjackets received votes in both of this week’s NABC and D2SIDA national polls.

• Montana State Billings takes its last road trip of the regular season this week, traveling to Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene moved into fourth place in the GNAC standings, taking a 74-71 victory from Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 69-54 victory at Alaska on Saturday.

• It marked just the second time that NNU has swept its games on the Alaska road trip, helping earn the Nighthawks selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• Senior guard Kobe Terashima averaged 14 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the two wins, shooting 64.7% from the field. Terashima led all scorers with 18 points against UAA, making 6 of 6 from the field, 2 of 2 from three-point range and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line to go with six rebounds and three assists. He added 10 points and three rebounds at UAF. Terashima is averaging 7.1 points per game and is fifth in the GNAC with 3.90 assists per game.

• Junior forward Gabriel Murphy averaged 10.5 points and eight rebounds per game, shooting 56.2% from the field. Murphy finished with 14 points and seven rebounds at UAA before finishing with seven points and nine rebounds at UAF. Murphy is averaging 11.5 points per game and leads the GNAC with 8.9 rebounds per game. He is 17th in Division II with 3.44 offensive rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Tru Allen averaged nine points per game, paced by his 12 points at Alaska. Allen leads NNU in scoring with 12.5 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 1.90 steals per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 66.3 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 36.9 rebounds per game. The Nighthawks rank 18th in Division II with 13.19 offensive rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene play just once this week, traveling to Central Washington on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s extended its win streak to five wins with an 86-72 victory over Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Junior guard Kyle Greeley led all scorers with 24 points, connecting on 10 of 14 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range to go with five rebounds, two steals and a block. Greeley is fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 14.7 points per game and is 10th with a .540 field goal percentage.

• Junior guard Tyke Thompson finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists off the bench, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field and 3 of 7 from three-point range in 31 minutes of action. Thompson is averaging 11.1 points per game and ranks seventh in the GNAC with six rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner played all 40 minutes, finishing with 14 points, eight assists, four steals and two rebounds. Nielsen-Skinner is averaging 9.6 points per game. He ranks 14th in Division II with 5.8 assists per game, seventh with a 3.34 assist/turnover ratio and 13th with 127 total assists.

• Saint Martin’s ranks second in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 82.5 points per game, and leads the conference with 38.6 rebounds per game. The Saints rank fourth in Division II with 11.2 three-pointers made per game and ninth with 29.4 three-pointers attempted per game.

• Saint Martin’s is among teams receiving votes in both this week’s NABC and D2SIDA polls.

• The Saints continue a three-game homestand this week, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific split its games last week, falling 71-67 to Western Washington on Thursday before snapping a three-game losing streak with an 82-78 overtime win over Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson led the Falcons with an average of 16.5 points per game, including 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. Anderson finished with 15 points and five rebounds against Western Washington, including 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. He connected for 18 points against Simon Fraser in 44 minutes, going 6 of 12 from the field. Anderson leads the GNAC in scoring at 19.6 points per game. He ranks sixth in the GNAC with a .835 free-throw percentage.  

• Sophomore guard Syan Blackmon averaged 13.5 points and five rebounds per game and shot 50% from three-point range. Blackmon finished with eight points against Western Washington before leading all scorers with 19 points against Simon Fraser on 7 of 13 from the field and 3 of 6 from three-point range. He also had eight rebounds and three assists. Blackmon is averaging 8.6 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Zack Paulsen averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game. His week was topped by a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double against Simon Fraser. He made 4 of 6 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Paulsen is ninth in the GNAC in scoring with 12.7 points per game and is eighth in the GNAC with 1.95 three-pointers made per game.

• Seattle Pacific ranks third in the GNAC in scoring at 81.5 points per game and is averaging 33.3 rebounds per game. The Falcons rank fourth in Division II with a .411 three-point percentage and fifth with a .516 field goal percentage.

• Seattle Pacific hits the road this week to face Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser took a pair of close losses last week, falling 59-57 at Montana State Billings on Thursday and 82-78 in overtime at Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior guard David Penney averaged 14 points and four rebounds per game to lead the Red Leafs, shooting 50% from the field and 60% from three-point range. Penney opened the week with 11 points at MSUB and led SFU with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals at SPU, making 6 of 11 from the field. Penney is averaging 10.4 points per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with 3.09 assists per game.

• Freshman guard/forward Immanuel Oludele averaged 12 points per game, connecting on 50% from the field. Oludele scored 11 points at MSUB before adding 13 points at Seattle Pacific on 6 of 10 from the field. Oludele leads SFU with 10.6 points per game and ranks fifth in the GNAC with 2.04 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard Elliot Dimaculangan finished with 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He led the Red Leafs with 12 points at MSUB on 5 of 9 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range. Dimaculangan then added 11 points and five rebounds at Seattle Pacific. Dimaculangan is averaging 9.2 points per game on the season.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 69.1 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Red Leafs lead the conference and rank fourth in Division II with 5.6 blocked shots per game.

• Simon Fraser closes out its home schedule this week, hosting Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon dropped its only game of the week, falling 86-72 at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior guard Jahville Collins led the Wolves with 18 points and nine rebounds, connecting on 8 of 15 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range. Collins is averaging 9.6 points per game. He ranks second in the GNAC with a .522 three-point percentage and eighth with a .551 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard Diasone Hughes was the only other WOU player to score in double figures with 10 points in 20 minutes off the bench. He enters the week averaging 4.8 points per game.

• Senior guard Yosani Clay added nine points to go with six assists while senior guard Cameron Cranston also scored nine points. Clay is averaging 10.3 points per game and ranks 10th in the GNAC with 1.39 steals per game and 1.89 three-pointers made per game. Cranston is averaging 14.3 points per game.

• Western Oregon is averaging 73.5 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank third in the GNAC with 3.37 blocked shots and 7.79 steals per game.

• The Wolves return home this week, welcoming Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington picked up a road split last week, scoring a 71-67 victory at Seattle Pacific on Thursday before taking an 80-75 loss at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior guard D’Angelo Minnis averaged 20.5 points per game to lead the Vikings, shooting 56% from the field and 81.8% from the free-throw line. Minnis led WWU in scoring in both games. He finished with 21 points at SPU on 6 of 10 from the field and 9 of 10 from the free-throw line. Minnis scored 20 points at MSUB, shooting 8 of 15 from the field. Minnis ranks sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 13.8 points per game, seventh with a .447 three-point percentage and eighth with 3.09 assists per game.

• Sophomore guard Kai Johnson averaged 12.5 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game. Johnson notched a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds with four assists at Seattle Pacific. He added nine points and eight rebounds at Montana State Billings. Johnson is averaging 11.8 points per game and ranks ninth in the GNAC with 5.5 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Daniel Hornbuckle averaged 11.5 points per game, capped by a 17-point performance at Montana State Billings on 6 of 11 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range. Hornbuckle is averaging 12.5 points per game and ranks 27th in Division II with 163 three-point attempts. He leads the GNAC with 2.61 three-pointers made per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and ranks 19th in Division II in scoring with 84 points per game. The Vikings are second in the conference with 38 rebounds per game and rank 12th in Division II with 4.7 blocks per game.

• Western Washington closes the regular season with four of five games at home. The Vikings host Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.