Tuesday, December 13, 2022

It was a relatively quiet week across the conference with just 10 games played over the last eight days. But those teams that did play made considerable noise with blowout victories over non-conference foes.

Saint Martin’s landed the first blowout win last Tuesday, running Capilano out of Lacey with a 104-69 victory. The Saints shot 56.3% from the field and 53.1% from three-point range, led by a 15-point performance by junior guard Tyke Thompson in which he did not miss any of his six shot attempts.

Montana State Billings was next, scoring 55 points in the second half to blast off over Providence (Mont.), 96-76. The Yellowjackets shot an impressive 77.8% from the field and 84.6% from three-point range in the final 20 minutes as senior guard Carrington Wiggins led the way with 21 points. Montana State Billings fell short of the perfect week, taking a 74-73 overtime loss to crosstown rival Rocky Mountain on Saturday.

Seattle Pacific posted one of two blowout wins by conference teams over Evergreen State, scoring a 99-54 victory on Thursday. Every Falcons’ player that suited up scored, led by a 14-point performance off the bench by sophomore guard Casson Rouse.

Central Washington dug even deeper on Monday, limiting the Geoducks to 19 points in each half en route to a 111-38 victory. All but one CWU player scored and five notched double figures, led by 17 points by junior guard Camron McNeil and senior forward Matt Poquette.

After falling in an exhibition game to Canyon County rival College of Idaho on Tuesday, Northwest Nazarene joined the hit parade with a 73-58 home win over George Fox on Saturday. All 10 players that suited up for the Nighthawks scored, led by 19 points for sophomore guard Ryzin Bergersen.

Western Washington had the latest blowout, keeping Langara off balance in a 135-87 rout on Monday in a game that saw WWU score 75 first-half points. The 135 points scored by the Vikings are tied for the eighth most in a game in GNAC history. All 12 WWU players to suit up scored, led by junior guard D’Angelo Minnis’ 23 points.

It will much more full schedule this week with non-conference play focusing on Division II opponents. Saint Martin’s, Simon Fraser and Western Washington will both travel to Honolulu for the Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic. Among the opponents will be Emmanuel (Ga.), Texas Permian Basin, Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade. Montana State Billings will play in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas with games against Missouri S&T and Angelo State.

Western Oregon will host Cal Poly Humboldt on Tuesday before traveling to Division I BYU on Thursday. Seattle Pacific travels to SoCal and will face Can State San Marcos on Saturday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Monday. Northwest Nazarene hosts Texas A&M International on Monday.

Closer to home, Central Washington will host Langara on Wednesday and Walla Walla on Monday while Alaska will host Portland Bible for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.

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

Wiggins averaged 22 points per game to lead the Yellowjackets to a 1-1 week. On Wednesday, Wiggins led MSUB to a 96-76 win over Providence (Mont.) with 21 points on 6 of 12 from the field, 5 of 10 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. He also came up with six assists and a steal. Wiggins also led MSUB in its 74-73 overtime loss to crosstown rival Rocky Mountain on Saturday, finishing with 23 points on 7 of 18 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line to go with six rebounds.

Also Nominated: Ryzin Bergersen (Saint Martin’s), Clayton Whitman (Seattle Pacific).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska did not play last week. The Nanooks will host Portland Bible for games on Friday and Saturday.

• When it last played, Alaska procured a split of its weekly games. The Nanooks opened conference play at home with a 64-56 win over Seattle Pacific on Dec. 1 before taking a 64-59 loss to Montana State Billings on Dec. 3.

• 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 fifth in Division II with a .818 free-throw percentage.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage will be idle until its hosts Portland Bible for back-to-back games on Dec. 28 and 29.

• Alaska Anchorage dropped both games in the opening conference weekend at home, falling 81-77 in overtime to Montana State Billings on Dec. 1 and 90-87 to Seattle Pacific on Dec. 3.

• 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 third in the GNAC with 17.2 points and second with five assists per game. He ranks 18th in Division II with 22 steals.

• 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 fourth in the GNAC in scoring with 79.6 points per game and averages 29.8 rebounds per game. The Seawolves are first in the conference with nine steals per game and rank third with 16.89 assists per game. The Seawolves are 12th in Division II with a 7.7 turnover ratio.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington was a winner in its only game over the last seven days, a 111-38 rout of Evergreen State on Monday. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday was but postponed due to weather-related travel issues.

• The Wildcats shot an impressive 69% (49-71) from the field and 7 of 14 from three-point range. All but one CWU player who played scored and five finished in double figures.

• Junior guard Camron McNeil led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds, making 7 of 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. McNeil is fifth in the GNAC with 15.8 points per game.

• Senior forward Matt Poquette also finished with 17 points on 7 of 11 from the field with five rebounds and five assists. He is averaging 12.1 points per game and ranks fifth in the conference with 6.6 rebounds per game.

• Sophomore forward Mitch Brizee came off the bench for a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while senior guard Brock Gilbert had 12 assists in the victory. Gilbert leads the GNAC and ranks 13th in Division II with 3.55 assists per game.

• Central Washington enters the week averaging 69.8 points and 37 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are second in the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing 66 points per game.

• The Wildcats host two games before the holiday break, welcoming Langara on Wednesday and Walla Walla on Monday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings took a split with Treasure State rivals last week, scoring a 96-76 win over Providence (Mont.) on Wednesday before dropping a 74-73 overtime battle to Rocky Mountain on Saturday.

• Senior guard Carrington Wiggins earned his second straight GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award, averaging 22 points per game in the two wins. Wiggins led MSUB in scoring in both contests. He has 21 points against Providence, connecting on 6 of 12 from the field, 5 of 10 from three-point range and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line to go with six assists. Wiggins played all but four minutes against Rocky Mountain, finishing with 23 points and six rebounds. Wiggins is second in the GNAC in scoring at 17.8 points per game and ranks 19th in Division II with a .926 free-throw percentage.

• Senior forward Bilal Shabazz averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds per game in the two contests. Shabazz came up with 13 points against Providence on 6 of 11 from the field to go with four rebounds and three assists. He then came off the bench for a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds against Rocky Mountain. Shabazz is averaging 11.7 points per game and is second in the conference with 7.2 rebounds per game.

• Junior guard Steven Richardson averaged 12 points per game in two starts, topped by a 14-point performance against Providence where he went 6 of 7 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. He also has seven rebounds and six assists in the win. Richardson is averaging 11.4 points per game.

• Montana State Billings is averaging 70.8 points and 33.7 rebounds per game. The Yellowjackets rank third in the conference with 8.3 steals per game

• Montana State Billings takes part in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas later this week, facing Missouri S&T on Saturday and Angelo State on Sunday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split last week, dropping a 60-47 exhibition loss at College of Idaho on Tuesday before scoring a 73-58 win over George Fox at home on Saturday.

• Junior forward Gabriel Murphy led NNU against College of Idaho finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds on 4 of 5 from the field and 5 of 7 from the free-throw line. He flirted with a double-double against George Fox, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 7 of 8 from the field in just 23 minutes of work. Murphy is averaging 12.6 points per game. He leads the conference and ranks 27th in Division II with 9.4 rebounds per game while ranking fifth in Division II with a .685 field goal percentage.

• Sophomore guard Ryzin Bergersen led NNU in the win over George Fox with 19 points in 28 minutes off the bench, connecting on 7 of 15 from the field and 5 of 11 from three-point range. He added six points in the exhibition loss at College of Idaho. Bergersen is averaging 10.4 points per game in seven games for the Nighthawks this season.

• Sophomore guard Tru Allen just missed a double-double against George Fox, finishing with 10 points and nine assists to go with six rebounds. He added five points and four rebounds at College of Idaho. Allen leads the Nighthawks and is sixth in the GNAC in scoring at 15.1 points per game.

• Northwest Nazarene is averaging 70.8 points per game. The Nighthawks lead the conference and rank 26th in Division II with 40.8 rebounds per game. They also rank fifth in Division II with 15.6 offensive rebounds per game.

• The Nighthawks play just once over the holiday break, hosting Texas A&M International on Monday, Dec. 19.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s extended its win streak to three games with a 104-69 win over Capilano on Tuesday before dropping an 83-58 exhibition contest at Division I Weber State.

• Junior guard Tyke Thompson led five SMU players to score in double figures against Capilano with 15 points on a perfect 6 of 6 from the field and 3 of 3 from three-point range. He also had five rebounds, three assists and five steals. Thompson added a nine-point, five-rebound performance at Weber State. Thompson is averaging 12.3 points per game and ranks sixth in the GNAC with 6.4 rebounds per game.

• Senior guard Branden Bunn was the leading scorer at Weber State off the bench, finishing with 12 points in 24 minutes on 4 of 7 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range. Bunn added a nine-point performance against Capilano in 15 minutes to go with seven assists. Bunn is averaging 11.6 points per game.

• Sophomore guard Champ Spencer scored 13 points in 17 minutes off the bench against Capilano, making 4 of 9 from the field and 3 of 8 from three-point range. Spencer enters the week averaging 7.9 points per game.

• Saint Martin’s is third in the GNAC in scoring at 81.9 points per game and ranks fourth with 39.1 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the conference with a +17 scoring margin and are second with 17 assists per game.

• Saint Martin’s moved up two spots to No. 18 in the D2SIDA Media Poll and remain among the teams receiving votes in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific picked up a big win in its only game of the week, a 99-54 at home over Evergreen State on Thursday.

• The Falcons saw all 12 players who got into the game scored and five scored in double figures. Junior forward Shaw Anderson finished with 13 points and five rebounds, making 5 of 10 from the field and 2 of 4 from three-point range, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Anderson leads the GNAC and is 23rd in Division II with 20.8 points per game. He is second in the GNAC with a .887 free-throw percentage (47-53).

• Sophomore forward Clayton Whitman also had 13 points in 24 minutes off the bench, 5 of 6 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range to go with three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

• Sophomore guard Casson Rouse led SPU in the win with 14 points in 19 minutes off the bench, going 4 of 7 from the field, 3 of 4 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to go with three rebounds and three steals. Rouse is averaging seven points per game in four games this season.

• Seattle Pacific is second in the GNAC with 85.2 points per game and is also averaging 34.3 rebounds per game. The Falcons lead the GNAC and rank fifth in Division II with a .517 field goal percentage and rank 11th with a .415 three-point percentage.

• The Falcons play twice before the holiday break, playing at Cal St. San Marcos on Saturday and at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.

• Saint Martin’s will play three games at the Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic in Honolulu to close the non-conference schedule. The Saints play Emmanuel (Ga.) on Saturday, Chaminade on Sunday and Texas Permian Basin on Monday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped its only game last week, taking a 77-35 loss at Division I New Mexico State on Monday.

• The Red Leafs’ offense was severely limited in the game, shooting just 21.1% from the field. Three players, freshman guard Jimmy Zaborniak, junior guard David Penney and sophomore forward Georges Lefebvre, led SFU with six points apiece.

• Lefebvre’s ledger included eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. In seven games this season, Lefebvre is averaging nine points per game and is the Red Leafs’ leading rebounder with 5.3 per game.

• The Red Leafs enter the week averaging 70.4 points per game and rank third in the GNAC with 39.2 rebounds per game. They lead the conference and rank third in Division II with 6.6 blocks per game. They are also 16th in Division II with a .382 field goal percentage defense.

• Simon Fraser closes out its non-conference schedule at the Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic this week with games against Hawaii Pacific on Saturday, St. Edward’s on Sunday and Chaminade on Monday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon did not play last week. The Wolves close out non-conference play by hosting Cal Poly Humboldt on Tuesday before traveling to Division I BYU on Thursday.

• Western Oregon procured a split in its last time out, collecting a 69-67 win at Central Washington on Dec. 1 before taking a 62-54 loss at Northwest Nazarene on Dec. 3.

• 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 and tied for fourth 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.

• 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 19th 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 seventh in Division II with 5.3 blocked shots per game.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opened its December non-conference schedule with a bang, taking a 135-87 victory from Langara on Monday.

• All 12 players that suited up for the Vikings scored as eight players scored in double figures. Junior guard D’Angelo Minnis led the way with 23 points, connecting for 9 of 10 from the field and 5 of 5 from three-point range, to go with five assists. Minnis is ninth in the GNAC with 13.9 points per game and is sixth with 3.75 assists per game.

• Junior forward Darius Gray added 18 points in 17 minutes off the bench, making 5 of 9 from the field, 3 of 6 from three-point range and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Gray is averaging 5.3 points per game in six games.

• Senior guard Lucas Holden also came off the bench for 15 points in 14 minutes, connecting on 5 of 8 from the field, 2 of 3 from three-point range and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. Holden is averaging 9.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

• Western Washington leads the GNAC and is fourth in Dvision II in scoring at 96.4 points per game. The Vikings also lead the conference and rank eighth in Division II with 42.9 rebounds per game.

• Western Washington continues to be among teams receiving votes in the D2SIDA Media Poll.

• The Vikings will take part in the Hoops In Hawaii Holiday Classic this week, taking on Texas Permian Basin on Saturday, Emmanuel (Ga.) on Sunday and Hawaii Pacific on Monday.