Tuesday, February 8, 2022

ALASKA TEAMS SHAKING UP THE STANDINGS: One of the conference’s Alaska teams is finally playing some games while the other is finally finding a winning combination.

Alaska Anchorage almost didn’t play any games in January thanks to a series of postponements due to health and safety protocols. Since returning to the floor on Jan. 27, the Seawolves have gone 3-2 and entered the week with a 5-3 conference record.

The Seawolves helped their cause with a pair of solid wins at home last week, moving into second place in the GNAC Points Rating System standings. On Thursday, UAA held Simon Fraser to 41.1 percent shooting in a 71-59 win over Simon Fraser.

After having lost in overtime at Western Washington last Monday, the Seawolves got their revenge on Saturday with an 81-75 victory. The team shot 50 percent from the floor and was solid with its inside game, scoring 42 points in the paint.

Senior forward Oggie Pantovic was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball of the Week after he averaged 24 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the three contests. Pantovic scored 20 points in the first meeting with WWU, 22 points against Simon Fraser and had a season-high 30 points in the second meeting with the Vikings.

For all of its adversity, Alaska is finding some mojo in February. The Nanooks have won three straight games, which included two wins last week where UAF had only six players available. With the GNAC’s leading scorer, Shadeed Shabazz, not available, the Nanooks proceeded to take an 81-75 victory from Western Washington on Thursday and a 64-59 win from Simon Fraser on Saturday.

The short-handed effort landed Alaska as the selection for GNAC Team of the Week. The win streak continued on Monday with the Nanooks scoring a 62-36 win over Montana State Billings. The 36 points allowed were the second-fewest in a conference game in GNAC history. The Nanooks held Yellowjackets’ to a .216 field goal percentage, tying the conference game record for field goal defense.

Senior guard Quin Barnard stepped up big in the three games, averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 50 percent from three-point range.

With the multiple postponements in December and January due to health and safety protocols, the majority of the conference’s teams will play a three-game week. That includes the Seawolves, who will host Montana State Billings on Tuesday before traveling to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

The Nighthawks will play three at home, including a Tuesday contest against Saint Martin’s and a Saturday meeting with Alaska. Central Washington also plays three at home, hosting Western Washington on Tuesday, Alaska on Thursday and UAA on Saturday.

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 CHAMPIONSHIPS: In an effort to lessen the effects of postponements and cancellations of games this season due to COVID-19, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference has announced changes to the field sizes and qualifying criteria for its 2022 men’s and women’s basketball championships.

The conference’s Management Council and CEO Board unanimously voted to expand this year’s tournament to all 10 men’s and women’s programs. The GNAC Championships will run from March 2 to 5.

To accommodate full fields in both genders, the first two rounds of games will be split between Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, and Seattle Pacific University. In total, six games – two play-in contests and four quarterfinals matchups – will be contested at SPU’s Royal Brougham Pavilion. The other 12 games, including the semifinals and championship games in both genders, will be played at Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin’s, which was awarded tournament-hosting rights two years ago.

For each gender, the No. 7 through No. 10 seeds will compete in play-in games on Wednesday, March 2. The winners will advance to an eight-team bracket, which will begin play on Thursday, March 3.

With the prospect of conference teams playing unbalanced schedules, tournament seeding in 2022 will be based on a points rating system rather than win/loss percentage.

The points rating system is an end-of-season calculation that attaches numeric values to each result based on whether the game was at home or on the road and where each opponent’s final conference winning percentage fell (i.e., .750 and above, .500 to .749, .250 to .499 and .249 and below). The better an opponent’s final winning percentage, the greater the point values for a win or a loss. It is similar to one of the key metrics used by Division II in ranking teams under consideration for NCAA postseason at-large berths in multiple sports, including men’s and women’s basketball.

Championship brackets are expected to be announced on Saturday, February 26, following the conclusion of the final games of the regular season. Ticket information for both venues will be released at a later date.

GNAC POINTS RATING SYSTEM
Points shall be awarded for each conference contest played:
7 points – win over a .750 or better team on the road
6.5 points – win over a .750 or better team at home
6 points – win over a .500 or better team on the road
5 points – win over a .500 or better team at home
4.5 points – win over a .250 or better team on the road
4 points – win over a .250 team or better at home
3.5 points – win over an under .250 team on the road
3 points – win over an under .250 team at home
2.5 points – loss at home or on the road to a .750 or better team
2 points – loss to a .500 or better team at home or on the road
1 point – loss to a .250 or better team at home or on the road
.5 points – loss to an under .250 team on the road
0 points – loss to an under .250 team at home

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
Oggie Pantovic
Alaska Anchorage
F • 6-7 • Sr. • Kovin, Serbia

Pantovic averaged 24 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and shot 65.1 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point range and 76.5 percent from the free-throw line to lead Alaska Anchorage to a 2-1 week. On Monday, Pantovic finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a 93-91 overtime loss at Western Washington. He connected for 22 points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 71-59 win over Simon Fraser, making 10 of 13 from the field. On Saturday, Pantovic scored a season-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists in an 81-75 win in the rematch with the Vikings.

Also Nominated: Quin Barnard (Alaska), Xavier Smith (Central Washington), Carrington Wiggins (Montana State Billings), George Reidy (Northwest Nazarene), Christian Haffner (Saint Martin’s), Wilfried Balata (Simon Fraser), Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon), D’Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• After going 1-4 in January, Alaska has won its last three games at home. The Nanooks downed Western Washington on Thursday, 81-75, and beat Simon Fraser on Saturday, 64-59. They made it three straight with a 62-36 win on Monday over Montana State Billings.

• The Nanooks played the Thursday and Saturday games with just six available players and without the conference’s leading scorer, senior guard Shadeed Shabazz. The short-handed effort earned UAF selection as the GNAC Team of the Week.

• The 36 points allowed against Montana State Billings on Monday is the second-fewest in a conference game in GNAC history and two points short of the record of 34 set by Seattle Pacific against MSUB in 2008. The .216 field goal percentage allowed tied the conference game record set by Western Washington against Saint Martin’s in 2013.

• Senior guard Quin Barnard was the prime mover in the offense, averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 50 percent from three-point range. Barnard posted a season-high 31 points against WWU. He added an 18-point performance against SFU and six against MSUB. Barnard is averaging 14.1 points per game. He is third in the GNAC and ninth in Division II with a .464 three-point percentage.

• Senior forward Coleman Sparling averaged 13.7 points and 12 rebounds per game, with double-doubles of 10 points and 15 rebounds against WWU and 11 points and 10 rebounds against SFU.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 75.8 points and 33.1 rebounds per game. The Nanooks are second in the GNAC and 24th in Division II with a .389 three-point percentage.

• The Nanooks play at Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• After opening the week with a 93-91 overtime loss at Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage swept a pair of games at home last week, scoring a 71-59 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday and an 81-75 win over Western Washington on Saturday.

• Senior forward Oggie Pantovic was named the GNAC Player of the Week after he averaged 24 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the wins. Pantovic finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in Monday’s game at WWU. Against SFU, Pantovic led all scorers with 22 points on 10 of 13 from the field to go with nine rebounds. He then scored 30 points with seven rebounds and six assists against WWU. Pantovic is seventh in the GNAC in scoring at 16.2 points per game and is third with 8.9 rebounds per game. He leads the conference with 6.36 defensive rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Tobin Karlberg averaged 16.3 points per game and shot 51.5 percent from the floor. Karlberg led the Seawolves with 22 points at WWU on Monday on 8 of 14 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range. Karlberg added a 14-point performance against SFU and 13 points against WWU on Saturday. Karlberg is sixth in the GNAC in scoring with 17 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with a .833 free-throw percentage.

• Alaska Anchorage is averaging 77.1 points per game and 34 rebounds per game. The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank 11th in Division II with 17.7 assists per game. The team also leads the GNAC and is 11th in Division II with 10.5 three-pointers made per game.

• The Seawolves have another three-game week this week, hosting Montana State Billings on Tuesday before playing at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its games last week, taking a 94-83 loss to Saint Martin’s on Tuesday before scoring a 93-70 victory over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday.

• Senior guard Xavier Smith led the Wildcats, averaging 17.5 points and six rebounds in the two games, shooting 56 percent from the field. Smith led all scorers with 29 points at Saint Martin’s, shooting 12 of 17 from the field, to go with six rebounds. He added six points against Northwest Nazarene to go with another six boards. Smith is third in the GNAC in scoring with 18.9 points per game.

• Senior forward Marqus Gilson averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two games, shooting 60 percent from the field. Gilson scored 11 points with eight rebounds against Saint Martin’s before leading the Wildcats with 22 points against Northwest Nazarene on 10 of 16 from the field. Gilson is averaging 14.4 points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .592 field goal percentage.

• Senior guard David Thompson and junior forward Matt Poquette each averaged 12.5 points per game. Poquette led his week with a 13-point performance against Saint Martin’s. Thompson’s week was topped by a 19-point game against Northwest Nazarene.

• Central Washington leads the GNAC in scoring at 84.8 points per game while averaging 36.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC and 18th in Division II with a .772 free-throw percentage and a .496 field goal percentage.

• The Wildcats also have a three-game week in store, concluding a five-game homestand against Western Washington on Tuesday, Alaska on Thursday and Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings swept its road games last week, collecting an 80-69 victory from Saint Martin’s on Thursday and an 87-79 win over Western Oregon on Saturday. The Yellowjackets’ three-game win streak ended on Monday with a 62-36 loss at Alaska.

• Junior guard Carrington Wiggins averaged 18.3 points per game over the three games. Wiggins went off for 34 points against SMU on 12 of 18 from the field, 5 of 12 from three-point range and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. He scored 15 points with four rebounds, three assists and three steals at WOU and had six points at Alaska. Wiggins is fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.4 points per game.

• Senior guard Damen Thacker averaged 15.3 points and four assists per game. Thacker finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists against SMU. He then came alive for 30 points at WOU on 10 of 20 from the field and 6 of 12 from three-point range. He also had eight assists and three rebounds. Thacker added three points at Alaska. Thacker enters the week averaging 14 points per game.

• Freshman center Emmanuel Ajanaku averaged 10 rebounds per game across the three contests, led by his 10 rebounds at Saint Martin’s and 11 at Western Oregon. Ajanaku is sixth in the GNAC with 6.7 rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 65.8 points per game and ranks third in the conference with 36.4 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets lead the GNAC and rank 20th in Division II in field goal percentage defense (.409).

• Montana State Billings ends a stretch of four games in five games on Tuesday at Alaska Anchorage. The Yellowjackets will then play at Seattle Pacific on Saturday and Western Washington on Monday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took the loss in its only game of the week, a 93-70 loss at Central Washington. Thursday’s scheduled game against Simon Fraser was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard George Reidy paced the Nighthawks with 27 points in the loss, connecting on 11 of 19 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Reidy is averaging 14.5 points per game and is sixth in the GNAC with 1.60 steals per game.

• Freshman guard Tru Allen added an 18-point performance, shooting 7 of 10 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range. He also had four rebounds and two assists. Allen is averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Sophomore forward James Nelson finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5 of 11 from the field. The game was Nelson’s fourth of the season and his third start. He is averaging 20 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in those four games.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 75 points per game and leads the GNAC with 39.4 rebounds per game. The team leads the GNAC with 12.58 offensive rebounds per game. The Nighthawks are third in Division II in fewest fouls (200) and 27th in field goal percentage defense (.406).

• The Nighthawks play three games in five days, hosting Saint Martin’s on Tuesday, Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and Alaska on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s split its two games last week, scoring a 94-83 win at Central Washington on Tuesday before taking an 80-69 home loss to Montana State Billings on Thursday. A scheduled Saturday game against Seattle Pacific was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Sophomore guard Kyle Greeley averaged 18.5 points per game and shot 65.2 percent from the field to lead the Saints. Greeley was the Saints’ leading scorer at Central Washington with 24 points on 10 of 13 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. He added a 13-point performance against MSUB on 5 of 10 from the field. Greeley is averaging 12.6 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with a .409 three-point percentage.

• Sophomore guard Alex Schumacher averaged 16.5 points per game in the two contests. Schumacher finished with 20 points and five rebounds at Central Washington, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field. He then scored 13 points against MSUB to go with three rebounds and two assists. Schumacher is averaging 13.8 points per game.

• Senior forward Brett Reed finished the week with an average of 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, shooting 56.5 percent from the floor. Reed finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists at Central Washington. He then added 12 points and seven rebounds against MSUB, shooting 5 of 9 from the field. Reed leads the Saints in scoring at 14.7 points per game.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC in scoring with 80.9 points per game while averaging 35.7 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC and rank seventh in Division II in three-point percentage (.418). They lead the GNAC and rank third in Division II with a 1.70 assist/turnover ratio.

• Saint Martin’s hits the road this week to play Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday, Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific saw its scheduled games at Western Oregon on Thursday and at Saint Martin’s on Saturday postponed due to health and safety protocols. The Falcons open a four-game homestand against Western Oregon on Tuesday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• When they last played, the Falcons took a 74-72 overtime win from Alaska on Jan. 27 before overwhelming Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 29, 91-59.

• Senior guard Divant’e Moffitt averaged 25.5 points per game in the two wins, making 58 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line. Moffit scored 20 points against Alaska, going 7 of 16 from the field. He hit the game-winning shot with one second left in overtime. Moffitt went off for 31 points against UAA, going 11 of 15 from the field, 4 of 5 from three-point range and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Moffitt is fourth in the GNAC in scoring at 18.4 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Zack Paulsen averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, making 70 percent of his shots from the field. Paulsen connected for 18 points and nine rebounds against Alaska, making 8 of 12 from the field. He then added a 13-point performance against UAA on 4 of 5 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. Paulsen is averaging 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is averaging 75.2 points and 34.3 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and Division II with a .801 free-throw percentage.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser went 1-2 in three games last week, scoring a 75-73 overtime win at Western Oregon last Tuesday before taking a 71-59 loss at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 64-59 loss at Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard Wilfried Balata led the SFU offense once again, averaging 15 points per game. Balata finished with 18 points at Western Oregon, shooting 8 of 15 from the field, to go with six rebounds and three assists. He shared team-leading scoring honors with 15 at UAA and scored 12 points at Alaska. Balata is averaging 13.3 points per game.

• Senior forward Julian Roche averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the three games. He led SFU with 19 points and 11 rebounds at Western Oregon. After a six-point, seven-rebound performance at UAA, Roche notched totals of eight points and 12 rebounds at UAF. Roche leads SFU in scoring with 13.9 points per game. He ranks second in the GNAC with 9.3 rebounds per game.

• Freshman guard Elliot Dimaculangan averaged 9.7 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field. He led all scorers with 21 points in 28 minutes off the bench at Alaska, connecting on 8 of 14 from the field and 5 of 10 from three-point range. Dimaculangan is averaging 6.6 points per game and shooting 50 percent from the field on the season.

• Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 73.1 points and 36.1 rebounds per game. The team leads the GNAC with 7.76 steals per game and is third in blocked shots (3.47 per game) and assists (15.24 per game).

• Simon Fraser is home this week to host Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon dropped a pair of overtime games last week, losing 75-73 to Simon Fraser on Tuesday and 87-79 to Montana State Billings on Saturday. Thursday’s scheduled game against Seattle Pacific was postponed due to health and safety protocols.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston led the way for the Wolves, averaging 20.5 points and five rebounds per game. Cranston finished with 15 points and five rebounds against Simon Fraser, connecting 4 of 15 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Cranston led the Wolves with 26 points against MSUB, making 10 of 17 from the field and 3 of 7 from three-point range to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Cranston is second in the GNAC in scoring with 19.1 points per game. He leads the GNAC and is 10th in Division II with 37:16 minutes played per game.

• Junior forward John Morrill-Keeler averaged 14 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the two contests. He finished with 10 points against Simon Fraser on 5 of 9 from the field. He then notched a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds against MSUB, connecting on 5 of 11 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Morrill-Keeler averages 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Yosani Clay averaged 11.5 points per game, topped by his double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds against Simon Fraser. Clay is averaging 10.2 points per game.

• Western Oregon is averaging 70.8 points and 31.7 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank third in the GNAC with 9.18 three-pointers made per game and rank 15th in Division II in fewest fouls with 255.

• Western Oregon is off on a three-game road trip, traveling to Seattle Pacific on Tuesday, Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington went 1-2 last week. After earning a 93-91 overtime win over Alaska Anchorage at home on Monday, the Vikings lost 81-75 at Alaska on Thursday and 81-75 in the rematch with the Seawolves on Saturday.

• Sophomore guard D’Angelo Minnis led the Vikings in the three-game stretch, averaging 26 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line. Minnis led all scorers with a 35-point performance against UAA on Monday, making 13 of 24 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Minnis scored 19 points at UAF on Thursday and led the Vikings with 24 points at UAA on Saturday. Minnis is averaging 12.4 points per game. He is fifth in the GNAC with 4.41 assists per game and 24th in Division II with 36:31 minutes played per game.

• Senior forward Luke Lovelady averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per game over the three games. Lovelady scored 12 points on Monday against UAA. At Alaska, Lovelady finished with 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting to go with six rebounds. He then posted a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds at UAA on Saturday. Lovelady is averaging 11.9 points per game and is seventh in the GNAC with 6.5 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Daniel Hornbuckle averaged 14 points and four assists per game in the three games, paced by his 18 points and five rebounds at Alaska. Hornbuckle is averaging 14.4 points per game. He is second in the GNAC and 12th in Division II with a .463 three-point percentage.

• Western Washington is second in the GNAC with 81.9 points and 37.4 rebounds per game. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank 17th in Division II with a .497 field goal percentage and rank 20th in Division II with a +6.4 rebound margin.

• The Vikings have three games on the docket this week, playing at Central Washington before hosting Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.