Tuesday, December 6, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. - Saint Martin’s and Montana State Billings continued their strong starts to the season by sweeping their way through the opening week of GNAC games.

Both squads succeeded in compiling their 2-0 records on the road. The Saints rolled to a 78-63 win at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before taking away a closer 71-66 victory at Central Washington on Saturday.

While the statistics showed a competitive effort between the Saints and its opponents, the difference came at the free-throw line. Saint Martin’s made 36 of 42 from the line, shooting 85.7%, while the Nighthawks and Wildcats combined made just 28 of 44.

Junior guard Tyke Thompson averaged 18.5 points per game to lead SMU, shooting 72.2% from the field and 70% from three-point range. His week was punctuated by a 25-point, eight-rebound performance at Northwest Nazarene where he shot 8 of 10 from the field, 5 of 6 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

The Yellowjackets became the first GNAC team since 2020 to sweep the Alaska road trip, picking up an 81-77 overtime victory at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 64-59 win at Alaska on Saturday. It is just the second time that MSUB has swept the road trip. The last time it happened was in 2019.

Defense helped the Yellowjackets win the two games. They outrebounded their opponents by an average of 3.5 per game, blocked 10 shots and came up with 17 steals.

Senior guard Carrington Wiggins was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 19.5 points per game to lead MSUB to the victories. He flirted with a triple-double at Alaska Anchorage, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Western Washington also opened the conference season undefeated with a 75-61 victory at Simon Fraser. Junior forward Jonathan Ned led the Vikings in the victory with 21 points on 7 of 13 from the field.

Conference play will not pick back up again until the final week of December. A handful of GNAC squads will play this week as teams balance games with finals.

Northwest Nazarene will wrap up its annual Mayor’s Cup series with College of Idaho on Tuesday in Nampa, Idaho. The Nighthawks will then host Division III George Fox on Saturday.

Montana State Billings and Saint Martin’s are the only other teams playing two games this week. The Yellowjackets host Providence (Mont.) on Wednesday and crosstown rival Rocky Mountain on Saturday. Saint Martin’s hosts Capilano on Tuesday before traveling to Utah for an exhibition game at Weber State on Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Carrington Wiggins
Montana State Billings
G • 6-2 • Sr. • Flint, Mich.

Wiggins led Montana State Billings to a sweep of the Alaska road trip, averaging 19.5 points, four rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Wiggins just missed a triple-double in Thursday’s 81-77 overtime win at Alaska Anchorage, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He shot 53.8% from the field. In Saturday’s 64-59 win at Alaska, Wiggins connected for 16 points to go with two assists and two steals. For the week, Wiggins shot 45.8% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range and was 11 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Also Nominated: Abdullahi Mohamed (Alaska), Da’Zhon Wyche (Alaska Anchorage), Camron McNeil (Central Washington), Gabriel Murphy (Northwest Nazarene), Tyke Thompson (Saint Martin’s), Shaw Anderson (Seattle Pacific), David Penney (Simon Fraser), Jonathan Ned (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• For the third week in a row, Alaska procured a split of its weekly games. The Nanooks opened conference play at home with a 64-56 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday before taking a 64-59 loss to Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Junior forward Abdullahi Mohamed led the Nanooks in the two games, averaging 17 points and four rebounds per game while shooting 61.1% from the field. Mohamed led UAF with 14 points against Seattle Pacific with two rebounds and four assists. He added 20 points and six rebounds against Montana State Billings on 6 of 9 from the field. Mohamed is averaging 13.1 points per game.

• Freshman forward Tyler Mrus averaged 11 points and a team-leading six rebounds per game. Mrus finished with 12 points and eight rebounds against Seattle Pacific and came up with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals against Montana State Billings. Mrus is averaging 11 points per game.

• Junior forward Jaycon Bereal, Jr. averaged eight points and five rebounds per game in 50 minutes off the bench, led by his 10 points and three rebounds against Montana State Billings on 5 of 9 from the field. He is currently averaging 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Alaska enters the week averaging 68.6 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Nanooks rank second in the GNAC in scoring defense (67.1 points allowed per game) and rebounding defense (29.8 per game) and rank seventh in Division II with a .818 free-throw percentage.

• Alaska does not play again until Dec. 16 and 17, when it hosts Portland Bible for back-to-back games.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage dropped both games in the opening conference weekend at home, falling 81-77 in overtime to Montana State Billings on Thursday and 90-87 to Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Senior guard Da’Zhon Wyche led the way for the Seawolves, averaging 21 points per game with 11 assists. Wyche connected for 15 points with three rebounds and three assists against Montana State Billings. He then led all scorers with 27 points against Seattle Pacific on 12 of 24 from the field to go with two rebounds and eight assists. Wyche is second in the GNAC with 17.2 points and five assists per game. He ranks fifth in Division II with 22 steals and sixth with 141 field goal attempts.

• Junior guard Dathan Satchell averaged 13 points per game while shooting 75% from the field and 70% from three-point range. Satchell led UAA with 19 points against Montana State Billings on 7 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 from three-point range. Satchell scored seven points against Seattle Pacific, making 2 of 3 from three-point range. Satchell is averaging 9.3 points per game.

• Junior forward Jaedon Bradley averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game. Bradley scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds against Montana State Billings before adding nine points and four rebounds against Seattle Pacific. Bradley is averaging 10.8 points and four rebounds per game on the season.

• Alaska Anchorage is third in the GNAC in scoring at 79.6 points per game and averages 29.8 rebounds per game. The Seawolves are tied for first in the conference with nine steals per game and rank second with 16.89 assists per game. The Seawolves are seventh in Division II with a 7.7 turnover ratio.

• Alaska Anchorage is in the midst of a long winter’s break. They do not return to action until hosting Portland Bible on Dec. 28 and 29.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington’s losing streak is now at five games after dropping both games last week at home, 69-67 to Western Oregon on Thursday and 71-66 to Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

• Junior guard Camron McNeil averaged 17 points per game to pace the CWU offense. McNeil led all scorers with 20 points against Western Oregon, connecting on 7 of 14 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range to go with five rebounds and two assists. On Saturday against Saint Martin’s, McNeil led the Wildcats with 14 points to go with four rebounds. McNeil is sixth in the GNAC with 15.6 points per game. He ranks second in the conference with 2.50 three-pointers made per game and third with a .500 three-point percentage.

• Senior forward Matt Poquette averaged 12 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last week. Poquette finished with 15 points and seven rebounds against Western Oregon before adding nine points and four rebounds against Saint Martin’s. He enters the week averaging 11.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the GNAC with 6.8 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Samaad Hector notched a double-double in the only game he played in, against Saint Martin’s. In 26 minutes off the bench, Hector connected on 6 of 13 from the field and had two blocks. He enters the week averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

• Central Washington is averaging 64.6 points and 34.9 rebounds per game. The Wildcats rank fourth in the GNAC with 3.38 blocked shots per game.

• The Wildcats host one game this week, welcoming Evergreen State on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings became the first GNAC team since 2020 to sweep the Alaska road trip, scoring an 81-77 overtime win over Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 64-59 over Alaska on Saturday.

• Senior guard Carrington Wiggins was named the GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 19.5 points per game to lead the MSUB offense. Wiggins flirted with a triple-double at Alaska Anchorage, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on 7 of 13 from the field. On Saturday, Wiggins finished with 16 points with two assists and two steals. Wiggins is third in the GNAC with 16.8 points per game and ranks 20th in Division II with a .930 free-throw percentage (40-43).

• Senior guard Abdul Bah averaged 18 points per game in two solid performances off the bench. Bah scored 18 points at Alaska Anchorage, making 6 of 10 from the field and 3 of 5 from three-point range. He had another 18-point effort at Alaska on 7 of 12 from the field. Bah enters the week averaging nine points per game and is second in the GNAC with a .588 three-point percentage (10-17).

• Senior forward Bilal Shabazz averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on the road trip. Shabazz finished with 18 points at Alaska Anchorage to go with nine rebounds and two assists. He added seven points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals at Alaska. Shabazz is averaging 11.5 points per game and is third in the GNAC with seven rebounds per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 67.4 points and 33.4 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets are tied for first in the conference with nine steals per game and third with a +1.5 turnover margin.

• Montana State Billings will host Providence (Mont.) on Wednesday and Rocky Mountain on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene took a home split in its opening GNAC weekend, falling 78-63 to Saint Martin’s on Thursday before beating Western Oregon on Saturday, 62-54.

• Junior forward Gabriel Murphy led the Nighthawks, averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds per game in the two games. Murphy finished with 11 points and eight rebounds against Saint Martin’s, making 4 of 6 from the field. He then exploded for a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds against Western Oregon on 9 of 13 from the field. Murphy is averaging 12 points per game. He leads the GNAC and ranks 25th in Division II with 9.5 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore guard Tru Allen averaged 10 points per game. Allen opened with a nine-point, three-rebound performance against Saint Martin’s. He then added 11 points against Western Oregon to go with four rebounds and two assists. Allen enters the week ranked fifth in the GNAC with 15.8 points per game. He ranks ninth in Division II with 47 free throws made, ninth with 62 free-throw attempts and 19th with 19 steals.

• Sophomore guards Timothy TenKley and Yaru Harvey averaged 9.5 points per game. TenKley led NNU with 19 points against Saint Martin’s on 4 of 8 from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Harvey connected for 11 points and four rebounds against Western Oregon.

• Northwest Nazarene enters the week averaging 70.5 points per game, The Nighthawks lead the GNAC and rank 25th in Division II with 41.2 rebounds per game. They also rank 16th in Division II with 24.6 free-throw attempts per game.

• The Nighthawks play the second leg of the Mayor’s Cup on Tuesday at College of Idaho before hosting George Fox on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s improved to 7-1 on the season with a pair of wins to open GNAC play. The Saints collected a 78-63 win at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a 71-66 victory at Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior guard Tyke Thompson led the Saints, averaging 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 72.2% from the field and 82.3% from the free-throw line. Thompson led all scorers with 25 points and eight rebounds at NNU, making 8 of 10 from the field, 5 of 6 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He added 12 points and seven rebounds at Central Washington on 5 of 8 from the field. Thompson is averaging 12 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Kyle Greeley averaged 18 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest, shooting 58.8% from the field. Greeley scored 23 points with six rebounds at NNU, connecting on 7 of 10 from the field. He added a 13-point performance at CWU with five rebounds and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Greeley is seventh in the GNAC with 15.3 points per game and a .623 field goal percentage.

• Sophomore guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds per game with 10 assists. He finished with five points, five rebounds and five assists at NNU before adding 13 points, six rebounds and five assists at CWU. Nielsen-Skinner is averaging 9.3 points per game and is tied for third in the GNAC with 4.5 assists per game.

• Saint Martin’s is averaging 79.1 points and 38.8 rebounds per game. The Saints rank fourth in Division II with 30.8 three-point attempts per game and are 25th with 10.1 three-pointers made per game.

• Saint Martin’s moved back into the D2SIDA Media Poll at No. 20 while the Saints are at the top of the teams receiving votes in this week’s NABC Division II Poll.

• Saint Martin’s hosts Capilano on Saturday before traveling to Weber State for an exhibition game on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific secured a split on the Alaska road trip last week, falling 64-56 at Alaska on Thursday before scoring a 90-87 win at Alaska Anchorage on Saturday.

• Junior forward Shaw Anderson averaged 19.5 points per game on the trip, shooting 52.1% from the field and 84.6% from the free-throw line. Anderson led all scorers with 20 points at Alaska, making 7 of 15 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. He added 19 points and eight rebounds at Alaska Anchorage, making 5 of 8 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Anderson leads the GNAC and is 17th in Division II with 21.8 points per game.

• Junior guard Zack Paulsen averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 53.3% from the field. After finishing with five points and five rebounds at Alaska, Paulsen led SPU with 20 points at Alaska Anchorage on 7 of 10 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Paulsen is eighth in the GNAC with 14.6 points per game.

• Junior guard Ben Baker-McCann was big in his only game of the week, coming up with 16 points and eight rebounds at UAA. He made 7 of 11 from the field and had six assists in 27 minutes off the bench. Baker-McCann enters the week averaging 10.4 points per game and is second in the GNAC with 7.4 rebounds per game.

• Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC with 83.5 points per game and is also averaging 33.4 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank eighth in Division II with a .517 field goal percentage and rank 22nd with a .403 three-point percentage.

• The Falcons play once this week, hosting Evergreen State on Thursday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser is in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The Red Leafs opened conference play with a 75-61 loss to Western Washington on Saturday before taking a 77-35 loss at Division I New Mexico State on Monday.

• Junior guard David Penney led SFU against Western Washington with 17 points, connecting on 6 of 12 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line. He was one of three SFU players to finish with six points at New Mexico State. Penney is averaging 8.9 points per game on the season.

• Freshman forward Nigel Hylton added 15 points against Western Washington, connecting on 7 of 11 from the field, to go with six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Hylton is averaging 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and ranks eighth in the GNAC with a .576 field goal percentage.

• Sophomore guard Elliot Dimaculangan came off the bench for 11 points against Western Washington, making 5 of 10 from the field. Dimaculangan is averaging 6.3 points per game.

• Simon Fraser is averaging 70.4 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 39.2 rebounds per game. The Red Leafs lead the GNAC and rank third in Division II with 6.6 blocked shots per game.

• Simon Fraser is off until the Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic next week with games against Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 17, St. Edward’s on Dec. 18 and Chaminade on Dec. 19.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon procured a split in its opening conference week. The Wolves collected a 69-67 win at Central Washington on Thursday before taking a 62-54 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior guard Yosani Clay averaged 17.5 points and five rebounds per game to lead the Wolves. Clay finished with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks at Central Washington. He was the only WOU player to score in double figures at Northwest Nazarene, finishing with 20 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists. Clay is tied for 10th in the GNAC with 13.6 points per game. He is fourth in the conference with 2.29 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior guard Cameron Cranston averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game. Cranston scored 14 points and had five rebounds at Central Washington, shooting 6 of 11 from the field. He added eight points at Northwest Nazarene. Cranston is ninth in the GNAC with 13.9 points per game and is tied for eighth with one block per game.

• Sophomore guard Qiant Myers averaged 9.5 points per game and shot 50% from the field. Myers led four WOU players in double figures at Central Washington with 16 points on 6 of 8 from the field along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. He is averaging 6.6 points per game. He leads the conference and is 16th in Division II with 5.1 assists per game.

• Western Oregon enters the week averaging 72.6 points and 35.1 rebounds per game. The Wolves rank second in the GNAC and eighth in Division II with 5.3 blocked shots per game.

• Western Oregon is off until Thursday, Dec. 15, when it hosts Cal Poly Humboldt.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington cruised in its GNAC opener on Saturday, scoring a 75-61 win at Simon Fraser. Last Tuesday’s scheduled non-conference game against Capilano was canceled due to weather-related border issues.

• Junior forward Jonathan Ned led four WWU players to score in double figures with 21 points, connecting on 7 of 13 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Ned enters the week averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Freshman forward BJ Kolly added a 15-point effort in the victory on 7 of 11 from the field. He also had four rebounds. Kolly enters the week averaging 9.6 points per game.

• Senior guard Daniel Honrbuckle scored 14 points with five rebounds on 5 of 16 from the field and 4 of 11 from three-point range. Hornbuckle ranks fourth in the GNAC with 16.3 points per game. He leads the conference and ranks 12th in Division II with 3.57 three-pointers made per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and ranks eighth in Division II in scoring, averaging 90.9 points per game. The Vikings rank 11th in Division II with five blocks per game and 26th with a .498 field goal percentage.

• Western Washington is receiving votes in both the NABC Division II Coaches Poll and the D2SIDA Media Poll.

• The Vikings are off until Monday when it hosts Langara.