Monday, January 18, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – Seattle Pacific’s Ashley Alter posted a pair of back-to-back 20-point scoring performances in the Falcons’ opening week of the season to lead this week’s GNAC Basketball Player of the Week selections.

Alter, a junior guard/forward, earned the first Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award of the season after averaging 19 points and four rebounds per game as Seattle Pacific went 2-1 in the opening week.

Alter scored 12 points and had five rebounds in Monday’s 56-51 win over Pacific Lutheran before registering the 20-point nights in back-to-back games against Saint Martin’s. She poured in 25 points on 9 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range in Friday’s 72-66 loss to the Saints. The next day, Alter scored 20 points to go with four rebounds and four assists to lead the Falcons in a 61-50 victory.

The Seattle Pacific women continue play this weekend with games against Lewis-Clark State on Friday and Saturday at Royal Brougham Pavilion.

For the second time in as many weeks, Northwest Nazarene senior guard Ezekiel Alley was selected as the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after averaging 17 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on the Nighthawks’ three-game southern California road trip.

Alley opened with a 20-point, six-rebound performance in Thursday’s 93-84 win at Concordia Irvine, connecting on 7 of 14 from the field to go with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. After an eight-point performance at Point Loma on Friday, Alley led all scorers with 23 points in Saturday’s 90-81 victory at Biola. He connected on 8 of 16 from the field and 7 of 11 from three-point range to go with four rebounds and four assists.

In four games this season, Alley is averaging 19.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is making 54.5 percent of his shots from three-point range.

Northwest Nazarene will play its first home games of the season this week, hosting Western New Mexico for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 2
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ezekiel Alley (Northwest Nazarene, G, 6-0, Sr., Tucson, Ariz. – Fullerton JC): The senior averaged 17 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on the Nighthawks’ three-game southern California road trip. Alley opened the trip with 20 points and seven rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the field in Thursday’s 93-84 win at Concordia Irvine. After an eight-point performance on Friday at Point Loma, Alley led all scorers with 23 points on 8 of 16 from the field and 7 of 11 from three-point range with four rebounds and four assists in Saturday’s 90-81 win at Biola.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ashley Alter (Seattle Pacific, G/F, 5-11, Jr., Stanwood, Wash. – Stanwood): Alter led the Falcons to a 2-1 start to the season by averaging 19 points and four rebounds per game. She opened the season with a 12-point, five-rebound performance in Monday’s 56-51 win over Pacific Lutheran. She then posted back-to-back 20-plus point performances against Saint Martin’s. Alter scored 25 points on 9 of 15 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range in Friday’s 72-66 loss to the Saints and then added 20 points with four rebounds and four assists in Saturday’s 61-50 victory. Also Nominated: Teagan Thurman (Northwest Nazarene), Mallory Vivola (Saint Martin’s).