Tuesday, January 31, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dyauni Boyce
Montana State Billings
F • 5-11 • Jr. • Winifred, Mont.

Boyce earned GNAC Player of the Week recognition after averaging 18 points and five rebounds per game in a pair of wins for the Yellowjackets to help extend MSUB’s win streak to seven games. She led all scorers on Thursday against NNU with 15 points along with five rebounds. Boyce backed that up with a commanding 21-point performance on Saturday at CWU to go with five rebounds.

Also Nominated: Destiny Reimers (Alaska), Nicole Pinckney (Alaska Anchorage), Asher Cai (Central Washington), Clare Eubanks (Northwest Nazarene), Jessica Wisotzki (Simon Fraser), Brooke Walling (Western Washington)

AROUND THE GNAC

ALASKA
• Alaska dropped a pair of games for the third week in a row, falling 99-62 to Western Washington on Thursday and 80-74 to Simon Fraser on Saturday.

• Junior guard Emma McKenney was the leading scorer for the Nanooks, averaging 11 points per game while shooting 44% from the field and 42% from three-point range. McKenney leads the UAF in scoring with an average of 14.3 points per game. She also leads the GNAC and ranks 13th in Division II with 2.88 three-pointers made per game.

• Junior forward Emma Wass was the top offensive threat for Alaska on Saturday, knocking down 15 points to go with six rebounds on 6 of 9 from the field and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line. For the week, Wass averaged 8.5 points and 4 rebounds per game.

• Alaska will look to rebound this week as it travels to face in-state rival Alaska Anchorage on Saturday in a matchup that yielded UAF’s last win. 

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage split its games for the third week in a row, taking a 73-71 overtime win over Simon Fraser on Thursday before falling 62-52 to Western Washington on Saturday.

• The Seawolves were forced to make a comeback on Thursday after trailing the Red Leafs by 10 points at the end of the third quarter. They did so in impressive fashion, outscoring SFU 17-7 in the fourth to force overtime. Sophomore guard Jazzpher Evans played big in extra time, knocking down six of the team’s 10 overtime points and earning a steal. Evans led UAA for the week with 13.5 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

• The Seawolves lead the GNAC and rank second in Division II with a 1.40 assist-to-turnover ratio. They also lead the conference and rank 18th in the Division with 11.8 steals per game.

• Alaska Anchorage will host Alaska for its only game of the week on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its week at home with an 81-72 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday before falling 75-66 to Montana State Billings on Saturday.

• Freshman guard Asher Cai led the way for the Wildcats, averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 points per game. Cai opened the week by leading all scorers with a 24-point, nine-rebound performance in Thursday’s win over SPU. She followed that up with 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists against MSUB. For the week, Cai shot 42% from the field and 38% from three-point range.

• Senior center Samantha Bowman continued an impressive individual season, averaging 19 points and five rebounds per game. Her week was highlighted by a 30-point, eight-rebound performance against the Yellowjackets. Bowman leads the GNAC and Division II with 294 total rebounds, 11.2 defensive rebounds per game and 14.7 rebounds per game. She is one of just 10 players in Division II to record a triple-double this season.

• Central Washington will hit the road this week to face Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings retained its second place in the GNAC standings and continues to put pressure on first-place Western Washington with a 63-53 win over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and a 75-66 win over Central Washington on Saturday.

• Junior forward Dyuani Boyce was named the GNAC Player of the Week after leading the team with 18 points and five rebounds per game. Boyce opened the week with 15 points, five rebounds and an assist on Thursday. She followed that up with 21 points on 8 of 11 from the field, 3 for 3 from three-point range and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line on Saturday with five boards.

• With the win, the Yellowjackets extended their win streak to seven games. They lead the GNAC in scoring defense, allowing only 57.5 points per game. They also lead the conference with a .772 free-throw percentage.

• Senior forward Taryn Shelley paces MSUB going into February with an average of 11.6 points per game, a .477 field goal percentage and a .500 three-point percentage.

• Montana State Billings returns home this week to host Western Oregon on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene split its week at home, falling 63-53 to Montana State Billings on Thursday before bouncing back with a 63-49 win over Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

• Junior forward Clare Eubanks was the top offensive threat for the Nighthawks last week, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 63% from the field. Eubanks opened her week with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Yellowjackets. She followed that up with a 16-point, eight-rebound effort in Saturday’s win over the Falcons while going 8 for 10 from the field.

• As a team, the Nighthawks rank second in the GNAC with 11.2 steals per game and a turnover margin of +4.84. Their .745 free-throw percentage also ranks third in the conference while their 15.37 free throws made per game leads the GNAC and ranks 17th in Division II.

• Northwest Nazarene travels this week to face Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s fell 72-63 to Western Oregon on Saturday in its only game of the week.

• The Saints led for much of the game against the Wolves with SMU ahead by seven points heading into the fourth quarter.

• Freshman guard Kiana Rios and junior guard Anjel Galbraith both posted 13-point performances. Rios added six rebounds, three assists and a steal to her scoreline while Galbraith added three rebounds, two assists and four steals. Galbraith was also effective at drawing fouls and connected on 11 of 12 from the free-throw line.

• Freshman guard Mya Hatchett-Groce was the third double-digit scorer with 10 points on 3 for 5 from the field and 4 for 5 from the free-throw line. She also added two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

• Saint Martin’s will round out its three-game road trip with games at Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific dropped both of its games last week, falling 81-72 to Central Washington on Thursday and 63-49 to Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

• Senior guard Ashley Alter was the leading offensive threat for the Falcons over the week, averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 41% from the field and 45% from three-point range. The high point of Alter’s week came on Saturday when she led all scorers with 18 points to go with four rebounds, two steals and an assist.

• Sophomore center Schuyler Berry averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 86% from the free-throw line.

• Seattle Pacific will return home to face Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Western Oregon on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser dropped an overtime nailbiter at Alaska Anchorage, 73-71, on Thursday before taking an 80-74 win over Alaska on Saturday.

• Junior guard/forward Jessica Wisotzki averaged a staggering 24 points per game on the road trip while adding 6.5 rebounds per game. Wisotzki opened the week with 22 points and five rebounds against the Seawolves. She followed that up by leading all scorers with 26 points against the Nanooks to go with eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

• Sophomore forward Gemma Cutler averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game. Cutler’s high point of the week came against the Nanooks where she knocked down 14 points on 6 of 11 from the field. She also pulled down six rebounds and added a steal. Cutler leads the GNAC and Division II with 2.8 blocks per game.

• Simon Fraser returns home this week to face Central Washington on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon took a 72-63 win over Saint Martin’s in its only game of the week on Saturday.

• The Wolves won in comeback-fashion, overcoming a seven-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to take victory.

• Senior center Princy Paaluhi-Caulk led the way in the win with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. Paaluhi-Caullk went 9 for 14 from the field, 1 for 2 from three-point range and 3 for 3 from the free-throw line.

• The Wolves locked down the perimeter, holding the Saint’s to 6.7% from beyond the three-point arc with just one three-pointer made.

• Western Oregon will be back on the road this week to face Montana State Billings on Thursday and Seattle Pacific on Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington’s swept the Alaska road trip last week, taking a 99-62 win over the Nanooks on Thursday and a 62-52 victory over the Seawolves on Saturday.

• Senior forward Katrina Gimmaka was the top scorer for the Vikings across the week, averaging 15 points per game while snagging four rebounds per game. Gimmaka’s highlight of the week was 22 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist on Thursday.

• Junior forward Brooke Walling also featured heavily in the wins, averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game. She also added seven assists, three steals and two blocks while shooting 60% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Walling leads the GNAC and ranks 13th in Division II with a .590 field goal percentage.

• Western Washington will be back in Bellingham this week to face Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday.