Wednesday, January 26, 2022

HERE COMES CENTRAL WASHINGTON: Despite all of the turmoil in the schedule and the continually changing nature of the conference season, the hottest team in the GNAC may just be Central Washington.

The Wildcats have won six of their last seven games dating back to December 11. The team has persevered and kept fresh despite a planned 11-day layoff in December over Christmas and an unplanned 14-day stretch without games due to postponements.

In conference play, Central Washington has proven dominant. The Wildcats are outscoring their GNAC foes by an average of 9.7 points per game in six games, are shooting seven percent better from the field and have a +12 turnover margin.

The Wildcats’ two losses have been close, a 66-64 loss at Montana State Billings on December 4 and a heartbreaking 97-95 overtime loss at Alaska on January 15.

When they win, though, they win big. In Central Washington’s four conference wins, the team is outscoring opponents by 15.6 points per game and shooting 52.7 percent from the field while limiting opponents to 39 percent. The Wildcats are also outrebounding teams in the victories by an average of six per game.

Central Washington vaulted itself into a tie for first place in the GNAC standings with a pair of big victories in its last two games. Last Thursday, the Wildcats surged to a 90-67 rout of Western Oregon in a game that saw CWU shoot 59 percent from the field and outrebound the Wolves 37-26. Senior forward Marqus Gilson led the way with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds while senior guard Xavier Smith scored 20 points.

On Tuesday, the Wildcats were just as dominant in scoring an 84-61 win over Simon Fraser. The home team connected on 55.7 percent from the field and made 12 of 14 from the free-throw line. Smith led four CWU players scoring in double figures with 20 points.

Central Washington enters the weekend leading the conference in scoring with 83.5 points per game and ranks second with a .789 free-throw percentage.

The Wildcats are in the midst of a string of four games in a seven-day span. They travel to Simon Fraser for a Thursday rematch before playing at Western Washington on Saturday. The Wildcats then return home to face Saint Martin’s on Tuesday.

ALL-TOURNAMENT PERFORMERS: The following GNAC players have earned all-tournament team honors during the 2021-22 season...

PacWest/GNAC Challenge (Nov. 12-13 at Honolulu): Quin Barnard (UAF), David Rowlands (UAA), Tobin Karlberg (UAA).
Chuck Randall Classic (Nov. 19-20 at Bellingham): Jalen Green (WWU, Most Valuable Player), Daniel Hornbuckle (WWU), D’Angelo Minnis (WWU), Luke Lovelady (WWU), Divant’e Moffit (SPU), Harry Cavell (SPU), Zack Paulsen (SPU).
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic (Nov. 27 & 28, Anchorage): Oggie Pantovic (UAA, Most Outstanding Player), Tobin Karlberg (UAA), Shadeed Shabazz (UAF), Coleman Sparling (UAF), Hunter Sweet (UAA).

GNAC.TV: It is easy and free to access live streams and live stats for all 10 GNAC institutions. Visit GNAC.tv on your computer or device to access all that the conference’s digital network has to offer.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Julian Roche
Simon Fraser
F • 7-0 • Sr. • Saint John’s, N.B.

Roche averaged 18 points, 10.5 rebounds and three assists per game to help lead Simon Fraser to a pair of close wins. Roche notched a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds with four assists and five blocks in Tuesday’s 79-76 win over Alaska. On Saturday, Roche shared top game scoring honors with 24 points to go with 11 rebounds and two assists in a 75-72 victory over Seattle Pacific. He made 9 of 12 from the field and went 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. For the week, Roche shot 57.7 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Also Nominated: Marqus Gilson (Central Washington), James Nelson (Northwest Nazarene), Brett Reed (Saint Martin’s), Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska took a 79-76 loss last Tuesday at Simon Fraser in the Nanooks’ only game last week. Saturday’s scheduled contest against Alaska Anchorage was canceled due to health & safety protocols.

• Senior guard Shadeed Shabazz led all scorers with 28 points, connecting on 8 of 20 from the field, 2 of 6 from three-point range and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. He also had five steals in the contest and scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half. Shabazz leads the GNAC and ranks 25th in Division II in scoring with 20.8 points per game. He also leads the GNAC and is fifth in Division II with three steals per game.

• Senior guard Quin Barnard came off the bench for 16 points, connecting on 5 of 6 from the field, 4 of 4 from three-point range and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. Barnard is averaging 13.3 points per game. He is fifth in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with a .454 three-point percentage. Barnard also leads the league and is fifth in Division II with 3.67 three-pointers per game.

• Senior forward Coleman Sparling led UAF defensively with nine rebounds while scoring six points in 34 minutes of action. He ranks fifth in the GNAC with 7.8 rebounds per game while averaging 9.3 points per contest.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 78.8 points and 33.4 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are third in the GNAC and 21st in Division II with a .773 free-throw percentage. They also rank 20th in Division II in fewest fouls (202) and 16th in fewest turnovers (154).

• The Nanooks are slated for a pair of road games this week, traveling to Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Thanks to health and safety protocols, Alaska Anchorage has not played since an 88-83 win over Seattle Pacific on December 30. The Seawolves’ scheduled game at Alaska on Saturday was postponed. The team is scheduled to play at Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• When UAA last played, senior guard David Rowlands finished just short of a double-double in the December 30 win with 19 points, eight assists and three rebounds. He made 4 of 6 from three-point range and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Rowlands is averaging 13 points per game. He is second in the GNAC and 15th in Division II with 5.7 assists per game.

• Senior forward Hunter Sweet is seventh in the GNAC and second among UAA players in scoring at 16.6 points per game. Sweet is also tied for sixth in rebounding at 6.6 per game and ranks seventh with 2.4 three-pointers made per game.

• Senior forward Oggie Pantovic is 10th in the GNAC in scoring at 14.9 points per game. He is also second in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 9.7 rebounds per game.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 78.6 points per game and 36.5 rebounds per game. The Seawolves rank fourth in Division II with a 1.75 assist/turnover ratio. They also rank third in the GNAC and 29th in Division II with a .384 three-point percentage and are third in Division II in both fewest fouls (139) and fewest turnovers (110).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• After seeing its game last Thursday against Saint Martin’s postponed, Central Washington has won two straight with a 90-67 win over Western Oregon on Saturday and an 84-61 victory over Simon Fraser on Tuesday.

• Senior forward Marqus Gilson averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game to lead the Wildcats, making 66.7 percent of his shots from the field and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line. Gilson had a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds against Western Oregon, making 10 of 17 from the field. Gilson added 17 points and three rebounds against Simon Fraser, making 6 of 7 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Gilson is averaging 14.5 points and six rebounds per game. He is fourth in the GNAC with a .597 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith also averaged 20 points in the two games, making 80.9 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from beyond the arc. Smith scored 20 points against WOU, making 8 of 10 from the field and 4 of 5 from outside. He led all scorers against SFU with 20 points on 9 of 11 from the field. Smith is third in the GNAC in scoring at 18.6 points per game.

• Junior forward Matt Poquette averaged 14 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He connected for 18 points against WOU, shooting 7 of 9 from the field, to go with three blocks, three assists, two steals and two rebounds. Poquette just missed a double-double against SFU with 10 points and nine rebounds. Poquette is averaging 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC in scoring at 83.5 points per game and is averaging 36.9 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with a .789 free-throw percentage and lead the conference with a +3.62 turnover margin.

• Central Washington plays a stretch of three games in six games. The Wildcats play at Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday before returning home to face Saint Martin’s on Tuesday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings saw its games at Simon Fraser last Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday postponed due to health and safety protocols. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to host Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

• Montana State Billings scored a stunner in its only game last week, taking a 67-54 home win from Seattle Pacific on January 15.

• Junior guard Carrington Wiggins led all scorers with 28 points in the victory, connecting on 10 of 19 from the field, 5 of 8 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. He also finished with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Wiggins is sixth in the GNAC in scoring with 16.8 points per game. He also ranks seventh with a .810 free-throw percentage.

• Junior forward Malik Brikat just missed a double-double with totals of 10 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes, making 5 of 5 from the field. Brikat enters the week averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Brett Finn came off the bench to score 11 points with four rebounds in 32 minutes of work. Finn enters the week averaging 5.4 points per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 65.2 points and 37.2 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC and rank 21st in Division II in scoring defense, allowing 64.1 points per game. The team is also second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II in field goal percentage defense (.402).

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene was a big winner in its only game of the week, scoring a 95-59 rout of Western Oregon on Thursday. Both the regularly scheduled game on Saturday against Saint Martin’s and the rescheduled Saturday game against Western Washington were postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Playing in just his second game of the season thanks to injuries, sophomore guard James Nelson led the Nighthawks with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds with four assists in 21 minutes. He connected on 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

• Sophomore forward Gabriel Murphy finished with his seventh double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, making 6 of 9 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Murphy is averaging 12.1 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 12th in Division II with 10.7 rebounds per game. Murphy’s seven double-doubles rank 24th in Division II.

• A total of five NNU players scored in double figures. Freshman guard Tru Allen finished with 15 points, freshman guard Julian Agosto added 12 points off the bench and freshman forward Christian Rose scored 12 points.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 74.9 points per game. The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and rank 21st in Division II with 40.4 rebounds per game. The team leads the GNAC and is 15th in Division II with a .400 field goal percentage defense and is 16th in Division II with 13.50 offensive rebounds per game.

• The Nighthawks hit the road this week with games at Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s played just once last week, taking a 68-65 loss at Seattle Pacific last Monday that ended the Saints’ seven-game win streak. Scheduled games at Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday were postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard Tyke Thompson led all scorers in the game with 21 points, connecting on 7 of 8 from the field, 3 of 3 from three-point range and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. He also finished with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Thompson is averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He ranks eighth in the GNAC with 2.3 three-pointers made per game.

• Sophomore guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner finished with 12 points and six assists. He made 5 of 12 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range. Nielsen-Skinner is averaging 9.9 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks 12th in Division II with 5.7 assists per game and is 22nd in Division II with a 2.86 assist/turnover ratio.

• Senior forward Brett Reed notched a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds on 5 of 8 made from the field. Reed is averaging 14 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 8.5 rebounds per game. Reed is eighth in Division II with 3.87 offensive rebounds per game.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC in scoring with 80.7 points per game while averaging 35.9 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC and rank seventh in Division II in three-point percentage (.410) and also rank second in Division II in fewest personal fouls per game (12.2).

• Saint Martin’s looks ahead to back-to-back games with Western Oregon. The Saints will host the Wolves on Thursday before traveling to Monmouth on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific went 2-1 in a jam-packed three-game week. After opening the week with a 68-65 win over Saint Martin’s last Monday, the Falcons scored a 78-59 win at Western Washington on Thursday before taking a 75-72 loss at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson averaged 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last week, shooting 50 percent from the field. Anderson led the Falcons with 19 points against SMU, which included the game-winning three-pointer just before time expired. Anderson added a 21-point, nine-rebound effort at WWU on 8 of 14 from the field and finished with 19 points and five rebounds at SFU. Anderson is averaging 14 points per game.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt averaged 14.3 points per game in the three-game stretch. Moffitt contributed 15 points and five assists against SMU. After a quiet four-point performance at WWU, Moffitt led the Falcons with 24 points at SFU, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. Moffitt is fourth in the GNAC with 17.6 points per game. He is 15th in Division II in free throws made (80) and 16th in free throw attempts (105).

• Senior guard Harry Cavell averaged 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in the three games. Cavell led the way at WWU, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds as he shot 6 of 12 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. Cavell is averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific enters the week averaging 74.3 points and 34.4 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank 10th in Division II with a .770 free-throw percentage.

• The Falcons return home this week to host Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser went 2-1 in games over the last week. They opened with a 79-76 win over Alaska last Tuesday before beating Seattle Pacific 75-72 on Saturday. The team opened this week with an 84-61 loss at Central Washington on Tuesday.

• Senior forward Julian Roche averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds and two blocks per game, shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Roche had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds against UAF and then led the team with 24 points and 11 rebounds against SPU. Roche is ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 15 points per game and ranks third with 9.2 rebounds per game. He is also second in the GNAC and fourth in Division II with four offensive rebounds per game. For his efforts last week, Roche was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

• Junior guard Wilfried Balata averaged 14.7 points and 10 rebounds in the three contests. He posted a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds against UAF. Balata scored 13 points against both SPU and CWU and had nine rebounds against the Wildcats. Balata has played in eight games this season and is averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard David Penney averaged 11.7 points per game, which included a weekly high of 13 points against both SPU and CWU. He also finished with five assists against UAF. Penney is averaging 9.5 points per game. He is fifth in the GNAC with 4.62 assists per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 75.8 points and 37.2 rebounds per game. The team leads the GNAC and is 24th in Division II with 8.92 steals per game and is third in the GNAC in both blocked shots (3.62 per game) and assists (15.85 per game).

• Simon Fraser is home for its next two games, hosting Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took a pair of losses in its first games since January 6. The Wolves fell 95-59 at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and 90-67 at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston continues to impress, averaging 22.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last week. Cranston led WOU with 16 points and five rebounds at Northwest Nazarene, making 7 of 18 from the field. Cranston went off for a double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds at Central Washington, making 11 of 22 from the field, 4 of 7 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. Cranston is second in the GNAC with 19.4 points per game. He is third in the GNAC and 14th in Division II with a .466 three-point percentage and is 24th in Division II with 3.15 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior forward John Morrill-Keeler averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, including six offensive boards, at Northwest Nazarene before connecting for 10 points and six rebounds at Central Washington. Morrill-Keeler is averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Yosani Clay also averaged 10.5 points per game in the two contests, led by his 12-point, five-steal and four-assist performance at Central Washington. Clay enters the week averaging 9.5 points per game.

• Western Oregon is averaging 71.7 points and 32.3 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank second in the GNAC and 28th in Division II with 9.85 three-pointers made per game. The Wolves also rank 10th in Division II in fewest fouls (186).

• Western Oregon plays a home-and-home series with Saint Martin’s this week, traveling to Lacey on Thursday and playing in Monmouth on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped its only game last week, a 78-59 loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday. Saturday’s regularly scheduled game against Montana State Billings and a scheduled make-up game at Northwest Nazarene were postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Junior forward Jalen Green paced the Vikings with 17 points and nine rebounds, connecting on 7 of 14 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. He was the only WWU player to score in double figures. Green enters the week averaging 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

• Freshman guard Kai Johnson and junior guard Lucas Holden both contributed seven points off the bench. Johnson made 3 of 7 from the field, including one three-pointer, to go with four rebounds and two assists. Holden made 2 of 4 from the field, both three-pointers. Holden is averaging 6.9 points per game while Johnson is averaging 4.5 points per game.

• Western Washington enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 81.5 points and 38.4 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank 11th in Division II with a .506 field goal percentage. They also lead the league and rank 18th in Division II with 4.64 blocked shots per game.

• The Vikings are home for a homestand that features three games in five days,  hosting Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Central Washington on Saturday and Alaska Anchorage on Monday.