Monday, January 10, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Northwest Nazarene’s Teagan Thurman and Western Oregon’s Cameron Cranston made things count in the scoring department as the duo earned the GNAC Basketball Player of the Week Awards.

Thurman was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals per game in a 1-1 week for the Nighthawks. The freshman forward opened the week with 18 points and seven rebounds in Thursday’s 81-75 victory over Alaska. She made 9 of 16 from the field in the win.

On Saturday, Thurman notched a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 76-72 loss to nationally-ranked Alaska Anchorage. She connected on 10 of 17 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range to go with three assists, two steals and a block. On the season, Thurman is averaging 13.2 points per game and ranks second in the GNAC with 9.5 rebounds per game. Northwest Nazarene will play once this week, traveling to Western Washington on Saturday.

Cranston was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season after going off for a career-high 35 points in the Wolves’ 77-71 loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday. The junior guard went 12 of 20 from the field and tied the Western Oregon single-game record with nine three-pointers, going 9 of 14 from beyond the arc. The performance is also tied for the eighth-best single-game effort in GNAC history. He also had two rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Cranston enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 18.8 points per game and is third with a .480 three-point percentage (36-75) and 3.3 three-pointers made per game. Western Oregon will host Western Washington on Saturday before welcoming Simon Fraser next Monday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 20
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon, G, 6-6, Jr., Vancouver, Wash. – Union): Cranston went off for 35 points in the Wolves’ 77-71 loss at Montana State Billings on Thursday. He connected on 12 of 20 from the field and tied the WOU single-game record with nine three-pointers, going 9 of 14 from beyond the arc. The effort is now tied for the eighth-best single-game three-point performance in GNAC history. He also added two rebounds, two steals and an assist. Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Emmanuel Ajanaku (Montana State Billings), Alex Schumacher (Saint Martin’s), Daniel Hornbuckle (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Teagan Thurman (Northwest Nazarene, F, 6-1, Fr., Tehachapi, Calif. – Tehachapi): Thurman averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals per game in Northwest Nazarene’s 1-1 week. She finished with 18 points and seven rebounds in Thursday’s 81-75 win over Alaska, connecting on 9 of 16 from the field. Thurman added a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s 76-72 loss to Alaska Anchorage. She made 10 of 17 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range to go with three assists, two steals and a block. Also Nominated: Pearle Green (Alaska), Nicole Pinkney (Alaska Anchorage), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Rian Clear (Saint Martin’s), Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser), Tresai McCarver (Western Oregon).