Tuesday, January 30, 2018

EVERGREEN STATE RIVALRY TAKES TO THE NATIONAL STAGE: It’s no secret that the rivalry between Central Washington and Western Washington is intense. This week, that rivalry will be on stage in front of the entire nation.

The Wildcats host the Vikings on Thursday night in a game which will be streamed live on ESPN3 as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase. The game is second of a GNAC doubleheader, preceded by the Central Washington women hosting Seattle Pacific.

Both teams come into Thursday’s contest with something to prove. For Central Washington, they are looking to prove that belong in the mix for the GNAC Championships. The Wildcats enter the night tied for sixth with Northwest Nazarene at 6-6 and have won their last three games. Central secured a season series sweep over the Nighthawks last Thursday with a 99-89 victory in Nampa before returning home to beat Montana State Billings on Saturday, 77-73. That also secured a season series sweep, which gives the Wildcats the edge in any tiebreakers against the teams come tournament time.

Freshman Khalil Shabazz has taken the Wildcats on his shoulders for much of the season. The team’s leading scorer is also 10th in GNAC with an average of 14.9 points per game. He also ranks second in the league with 2.28 steals per game and eighth with 3.44 assists per game. Senior guard Jawan Stepney is averaging 12.7 points per game while senior forward Sage Woodruff is averaging 10.1 points per game.

Senior forward Fuquan Niles provides a strong defensive presence for the Wildcats. He is fourth in the GNAC at 7.8 rebounds per game and leads the GNAC with an average of 2.16 blocks per game that ranks 21st in Division II.

Western Washington, meanwhile, is looking to get back on track in the GNAC regular-season championship race after having its undefeated conference season and 10-game win streak derailed last week. The Vikings took a 94-82 loss to Saint Martin’s last Thursday and a 92-88 loss to Seattle Pacific in a Saturday game that was televised regionally on ROOT SPORTS.

The Vikings won the first meeting between the two teams this season, 77-67, back on Jan. 6 in Bellingham. Western Washington has yet to lose on the road this season, going 6-0 in away games and 2-0 in neutral-site affairs.

Sophomore forward Daulton Hommes enters as the Vikings’ leading scorer, averaging 17.7 points (fourth in the GNAC) and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Trey Drechsel is seventh in the league in scoring at 15 points per game and fifth in rebounding at seven boards per game. Senior forward Deandre Dickson is averaging 14.3 points per game while junior center Logan Schilder is sixth in the GNAC with 6.9 rebounds per game and third in the league with his .637 field goal percentage.

The Vikings enter Thursday’s game tied with Western Oregon for first in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 84.9 points per game. Western Washington also leads the league in free throw percentage (.767), rebounding (40.7 per game), rebounding margin (+10.6) and blocked shots (6.55 per game).

RED HOT ‘N’ ROLLIN’: With Western Washington’s two losses last week, Western Oregon finds itself in the driver’s seat in the GNAC regular-season title chase. The Wolves took possession of first place in the league and extended their win streak to 12 games with a road sweep of the Alaska schools. defeating the Nanooks 81-54 on Thursday and the Seawolves 72-62 on Saturday. Western Oregon’s only loss of the season was an 85-58 defeat by Western Washington on Dec. 2. The two teams will not meet again until the final week of the regular season on Feb. 22.

Western Oregon is tied with Western Washington for the league lead in scoring at 84.9 points per game. The Wolves also lead the GNAC in scoring margin (+17.7), field goal percentage (.511) field goal defense (.413), assists (17.55 per game) and steals (9.60 per game).

GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS TICKETS ON SALE: Tickets are on sale for the 2018 GNAC Basketball Championships, which take place Mar. 1-3 at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Tournament passes for all three days are available for $30 for adults, $18 for students, seniors and youth, while single-game tickets are available for $15 for adults, $9 for students, seniors and youth. Tickets can be purchased online at gnachooptickets.com.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: The following GNAC Players have been recognized with all-tournament team honors during the 2017-18 season...

PacWest/GNAC Conference Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Bellingham, Wash.): Iziah Sherman-Newsome (SFU), Kedar Salam (SFU), Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Logan Schilder (WWU)

Alaska/Hawaii Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Anchorage): Davis Kimble (UAF), LaDonovan Wilder (UAF), Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

GNAC/CCAA Challenge (Nov. 10 & 11 at Portland): Jarrett Gray (CU, Most Valuable Player), Christopher Edward (CU), Jawan Stepney (CWU).

Sodexo Classic (Nov. 17-18 at Seattle): Coleman Wooten (SPU, Most Valuable Player), Sam Simpson (SPU), Fuquan Niles (CWU).

Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 24-25 at Bellingham, Wash.): Deandre Dickson (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU), Michael Kluting (UAF), Joe Lendway (UAF).

GCI Great Alaska Shootout (Nov. 22-25 at Anchorage): Jacob Lampkin (UAA).

Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic (Dec. 17-19 at Honolulu): Kendall Denham (MSUB), Trey Drechsel (WWU), Daulton Hommes (WWU).

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Luke Chavez
Saint Martin’s
G • 6-4 • Jr. • Woodacre, Calif.

Chavez led the Saints in a pair of road wins by averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 42.8 percent from three-point range. He led all scorers with 23 points on 9 of 18 from the field to go with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Saints’ snapped Western Washington’s 10-game win streak with a 94-82 win in Bellingham on Thursday. Chavez also led all scorers with 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field on Saturday’s 85-63 win at Simon Fraser.

Also Nominated: Khalil Shabazz (Central Washington), Jarrett Gray (Concordia), Kobe Terashima (Montana State Billings), Tanner Omlid (Western Oregon), Trey Drechsel (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska picked up a home split over the Oregon schools last week, falling 81-54 to Western Oregon on Thursday before taking a close 63-62 decision from Concordia on Saturday.

• The Nanooks held off a late run by the Cavaliers for the win on Saturday thanks in part to a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds from sophomore forward Michael Kluting. Kluting averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds per game in the two contests. He enters the week as the Nanooks’ leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points per game, and is third in GNAC with eight rebounds per game.

• Junior forward Joe Lendway averaged 14.5 points and six rebounds per game last week. He was the Nanooks’ leading scorer with 18 points against Western Oregon to go with 10 rebounds. Lendway is averaging 10.1 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with a .576 field goal percentage.

• Senior forward LaDonavan Wilder finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds against Concordia. Wilder is averaging 7.8 points per game and is the team’s second-leading rebounder at five per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 73.5 points and 32.3 rebounds per game. The Nanooks lead the GNAC with a .398 three-point percentage, are second in the GNAC with 16.11 assists per game and are third with 9.61 three-pointers made per game. Alaska is fourth in Division II in fewest fouls (268).

• Alaska takes to the road in the Puget Sound region this week, playing at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage ended a four-game homestand with a split against the Oregon schools. The Seawolves collected a 62-57 win over Concordia on Thursday and took a 72-62 loss to Western Oregon on Saturday.

• Senior guard DJ Ursery led the Seawolves by averaging 15 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the two contests. He led all scorers with 20 points against Concordia, making 9 of 12 from the field to go with six rebounds. He was one of four UAA players scoring double figures against Western Oregon with 10 points. Ursery leads Seawolves’ active players with 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard/forward Drew Peterson averaged 12 points per game last week with his top performance coming in a 15-point effort against Western Oregon where he was 4 of 5 from three-point range. Peterson has started seven of 20 games for the Seawolves this season and is averaging 4.9 points per game.

• Junior guard Malik Clements added 14 points on 4 of 9 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line against Western Oregon. Clements is averaging 7.6 points per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 62.3 points and 33.5 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and are 11th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.2 points per game. The Seawolves also rank second in the GNAC with a .742 free throw percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is in Washington for its next two games, playing at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington is on a three-game win streak after sweeping last week’s contests. The Wildcats beat Northwest Nazarene in Nampa on Tuesday, 99-89, before returning home for a 77-73 win over Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Freshman guard Khalil Shabazz led the Wildcats offensively, averaging 20.5 points in the two games while making 56.5 percent of his shots from the field. He came off the bench to score 21 points on 5 of 8 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 8 of 10 from the free throw line at Northwest Nazarene. He then scored 20 in a starting role against MSUB, making 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 6 from the arc. Shabazz is 10th in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. He also ranks eighth in assists (3.44 per game) and 10th in three-point percentage (.426).

• Senior center Fuquan Niles continued to be CWU’s defensive force, averaging eight rebounds per game last week. He also went 7 of 9 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. Niles finished just short of a double-double against MSUB with 11 points and nine rebounds. Niles is fourth in the GNAC with 7.8 rebounds per game. He leads the league and is 21st in Division II with 2.16 blocked shots per game.

• Senior forward Sage Woodruff averaged 19.5 points per game last week. He led all scorers with 26 points at Northwest Nazarene and added 13 points against MSUB. Woodruff is one of three CWU players averaging double figures in scoring at 10.1 points per game.

• The Wildcats are averaging 80.7 points game and continue to rank second in the GNAC with 38.8 rebounds per game. Central Washington leads the GNAC with 12.16 offensive rebounds per game.

• Central Washington will host Western Washington on Thursday in a game that will be streamed on ESPN3 as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase. The Wildcats close the week by hosting Simon Fraser on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• The margins are closer, but not close enough, for Concordia as the losing streak continues. The Cavaliers dropped a 62-57 decision at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 63-62 decision to Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard Jarrett Gray continues to keep Concordia in games, averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game last week while shooting 50 percent from the field. He finished with 13 points and seven rebounds at Alaska Anchorage and led all scorers with 19 points on 7 of 14 from the field at Alaska. Gray is fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.4 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 25th in Division II in free throw percentage (.894, 59-66). Gray continues to lead the GNAC and is 14th in Division II with 37:15 minutes played per game.

• Senior forward Christopher Edward made his biggest contributions on defense, averaging 10 rebounds per game in the two contests. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds at UAA and had a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds at UAF. Edward leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with 10.9 rebounds per game. He is also seventh in the GNAC with 17.1 points per game. Edward has 13 double-doubles on the season, ranking fourth in Division II.

• Concordia enters the week averaging 71.7 points and 34.1 rebounds per game.

• The Cavaliers play at Western Oregon on Tuesday before heading east to play at Montana State Billings on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• The Yellowjackets have lost five straight after taking an 86-76 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a 77-73 loss at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard/forward Zack Rollins led MSUB as he averaged 18 points and five rebounds per game last week. He led all scorers with 27 points on 10 of 16 from the field and 7 of 11 from three-point range at NNU. He followed that up with nine points and eight rebounds at CWU. Rollins is ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 14.9 points per game. He ranks 14th in Division II with 66 three-pointers made and 23rd with 161 three-pointers attempted.

• Freshman guard Kobe Terashima averaged 17 points per game in the two contests, making 60 percent of his shots from the field. He led all scorers with 24 points against Central Washington, making 10 of 14 from the field. Terashima is averaging 7.4 points per game.

• Freshman forward Zharon Richmond averaged 12.5 points per game last week, scoring 14 points with four blocks against NNU and 11 points with two blocks against CWU. Richmond is third in the GNAC with 1.78 blocked shots per game and is tied for 23rd in Division II with 41 total blocks.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 81.1 points and 34.1 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are third in the GNAC in both free throw percentage (.737) and three-point percentage (.387) and are second in three-point defense (.331). The Yellowjackets are fourth in Division II with 652 three-pointers attempted, fifth with 252 three-pointers made and 17th with 11 three-pointers made per game.

• Montana State Billings returns home after a four-game road trip, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Concordia on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene opened a four-game homestand with a split, falling Tuesday to Central Washington 99-89 before beating Montana State Billings on Thursday, 86-76.

• Sophomore guard Jayden Bezzant averaged 21.5 points per game in the two contests and shot 59.1 percent from the field. He finished with 23 points on 7 of 12 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line against CWU and then scored 20 points on 6 of 11 from the field and 7 of 11 from the free throw line against MSUB. Bezzant is averaging 14.1 points per game is sixth in the GNAC with 1.44 steals per game.

• Senior forward Maurice Jones averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in the two games. He finished with 18 points and five rebounds against Central Washington and posted a double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds against Montana State Billings. Jones is third in the GNAC in scoring at 18.5 points per game and second with 9.4 rebounds per game. Jones is also 12th in Division II with a .477 three-point percentage.

• Junior guard Obi Megwa scored double digits in both games, finishing with 17 points against Central Washington and 13 points against Montana State Billings. Megwa is second in the GNAC in scoring at 18.7 points per game.

• The Nighthawks enter the week averaging 81.2 points per game and are fourth in the GNAC with 38 rebounds per game.

• Northwest Nazarene continues its homestand this week, hosting Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s ran its win streak to five games with a pair of solid road wins. The Saints ended Western Washington’s 10-game win streak with a 94-82 victory on Thursday and defeated Simon Fraser on Saturday, 85-63.

• Junior guard Luke Chavez was named GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second straight week after averaging 21.5 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the two contests. He led all scorers with 23 points on 9 of 18 from the field to go along with seven rebounds in the win at Western Washington and also led the way with 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field at Simon Fraser. Chavez is sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.4 points per game. He is also third in the GNAC with 2.20 steals per game and is 14th in Division II with 46 total steals. Chavez is also fifth in the GNAC with a .867 free throw percentage and sixth with 3.95 assists per game.

• Senior forward Matt Dahlen averaged 13.5 points per game in the two contests. His week was paced by his 18 points and eight rebounds against Western Washington. Dahlen has started all 20 games for the Saints this season and is averaging eight points per game while making 56.6 percent of his shots from the field, ranking Dahlen seventh in the GNAC.

• Junior guard EJ Boyce continues to lead the GNAC and ranks 25th in Division II with 3.10 three-pointers made per game. He averaged 12 points per game last week, topped by his 18 points at Simon Fraser, which included six treys.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 81.2 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Saints are third in the GNAC in scoring margin (+8.0), field goal percentage (.483), three-point defense (.334), assists (16.05 per game) and steals (7.65 per game).

• The Saints are home this week, hosting Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific split last week, dropping an 81-80 heartbreaker at Simon Fraser on Thursday before beating Western Washington on Saturday, 92-88, in front of a regional TV audience on ROOT SPORTS.

• Sophomore guard Gavin Long paced the Falcons by averaging 19 points per game last week, shooting 60.9 percent from the field. He finished with a team-high 26 points at Simon Fraser, shooting 10 of 13 from the field. He then scored 12 points in the win over Western Washington. Long is the Falcons’ leading active scorer, averaging 12.9 points per game, and is ninth in the GNAC with a .550 field goal percentage.

• The Falcons saw six players score in double figures in the win over Western Washington on Saturday. Sophomore guard Gabe Colosimo led the way with 21 points. Junior forward Nathan Streufert added 15 points while junior forward Coleman Wooten matched Long with 12 points. Freshman guard Harry Cavell finished with 10 points while freshman guard Braden Olsen came off the bench for 14.

• Streufert averaged 11 rebounds per game in the two contests. He had six rebounds against WWU and finished with 16 rebounds in the loss to Simon Fraser. Streufert and Wooten are tied for seventh in the GNAC with 6.8 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is third in the GNAC in scoring and rebounding, averaging 83.1 points and 38.6 rebounds per game. The Falcons are 15th in Division II with 374 free throws made, 16th with 514 free throws attempted and 28th with a 6.2 rebound margin.

• The Falcons host the Alaska schools this week, welcoming Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser split its home games last week, scoring a tight 81-80 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday before taking an 85-63 loss to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Senior guard Kedar Salam averaged 23.5 points per game over the two games. He broke out for 35 points against Seattle Pacific, his second 30-plus point performance of the season, while shooting 14 of 24 from the field. Salam then finished with 12 points against Saint Martin’s. Salam is now the GNAC’s leading scorer, averaging 18.7 points per game, and is tied with teammate Othniel Spence for ninth with 1.20 steals per game.

• Spence, the sophomore guard, came off the bench to score 12 points in both contests last week. He is averaging 9.4 points per game.

• Senior guard/forward JJ Pankratz finished with 16 points in the win over Seattle Pacific while junior forward Tyrell Lewin scored 13 against Saint Martin’s. Pankratz is the second-leading scorer for the Clan, averaging 12.9 points per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 73.7 points and 33.3 rebounds per game. The Clan is second in the GNAC with eight steals per game and tied for third in scoring defense, allowing 73.2 points per game.

• Simon Fraser is on the road for its next three games, traveling to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and to Central Washington on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon extended its win streak to 12 games and improved to 19-1 on the season with an 81-54 win at Alaska on Thursday and a 72-62 victory at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• The wins moved the Wolves up to No. 4 on the NABC Division II Coaches Poll, which included one first place vote. Western Oregon is fifth in this week’s D2SIDA Media Poll.

• Senior forward Tanner Omlid led the Wolves offensively, averaging 15 points and four rebounds per game in the two games while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. After scoring eight points at Alaska, Omlid led all scorers with 22 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks at Alaska Anchorage. He shot 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range in the contest. Omlid leads WOU in scoring at 13.2 points per game and is 10th in the GNAC with 6.5 rebounds per game. Omlid is also second in the GNAC and ranked 28th in Division II with two blocked shots per game.

• Senior transfer Vince Boumann averaged 12.5 points per game last week and led WOU with 7.5 rebounds per contest and eight assists. He finished with 16 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 9 shooting from the field at Alaska and finished just short of a double-double at Alaska Anchorage with nine points and eight rebounds. Boumann is averaging 10.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .660 field goal percentage.

• The Wolves are tied for first in the GNAC in scoring at 84.9 points per game and is averaging 37.7 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC and are sixth in Division II with a .511 field goal percentage. Western Oregon is also fourth in Division II in scoring margin (+17.7) and win/loss percentage (.950), 10th with 9.60 steals per game and 20th with 17.6 assists per game and a 1.42 assist/turnover ratio.

• Western Oregon hosts Concordia on Tuesday before traveling east to face Montana State Billings on Thursday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington saw its 10-game win streak and its undefeated conference season end with two losses, falling 94-82 to Saint Martin’s on Thursday and 92-88 to Seattle Pacific on Saturday in a game aired regionally on ROOT SPORTS.

• Junior guard Trey Drechsel led the Vikings as he averaged 18.5 points and six rebounds per game last week, shooting 55.6 percent from the field. He led WWU with 22 points against Saint Martin’s, shooting 8 of 14 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.  He then scored 15 points and had seven rebounds against Seattle Pacific. Drechsel is eighth in the GNAC in scoring with 15 points per game and fifth with seven rebounds per game. He is also fourth in the GNAC in free throw percentage (.871) and fifth in assists (four per game).

• Senior forward Deandre Dickson averaged 14.5 points per game in the two contests. His best performance came against Seattle Pacific where Dickson finished with a game-high 25 points on 8 of 12 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free throw line to go with nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Dickson is averaging 14.3 points per game.

• Sophomore forward Daulton Hommes scored double figures in both games, collecting 13 points and seven rebounds against SMU and 14 points and five rebounds against SPU. Hommes is WWU’s leading scorer, ranked fourth in the GNAC at 17.7 points per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC in both scoring and rebounding at 84.9 points and 40.7 rebounds per game. The Vikings also led the league in free throw percentage (.767), rebounding defense (31.7 allowed per game), rebounding margin (+10.6) and blocked shots (6.55 per game). Western Washington is third in Division II in both blocked shots and total blocks (131), fifth in rebound margin, 14th in field goal percentage (.499) and 16th in free throw percentage.

• The Vikings travel to Central Washington on Thursday in a game that will be streamed nationally on ESPN3 as part of the NCAA D2 Basketball Showcase before playing at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.