Feb. 17, 2015
Contact: Bob Guptill ([email protected])
503-305-8756 /www.gnacsports.com
Streaks Collide as Wolves Host Vikings; UAF-NNU On ROOT SPORTS
Conf.
All
GNAC
W
L W
L
H
A
(xy) Western Oregon
13
1 21
3 11-1 9-2
(x) Alaska Anchorage
10
4 14 10
9-6 5-3
(x) Seattle Pacific
10
5 18
7
7-3 7-4
(x) Central Washington 9
5 14
7
8-2 4-4
Northwest Nazarene
8
6 10 14
5-4 4-7
Western Washington
8
7 15 10 12-2 2-6
Simon Fraser
5 10 10 13
8-5 1-8
(z) Alaska
3 11
6 16
5-6 1-7
Saint Martin’s
3 11
6 18
4-6 2-7
MSU Billings
3 12
5 20
3-8 1-10
(z) – Ineligible for post-season (x) – clinched playoff berth
clinched first-round bye
N
1-0
0-1
4-0
2-1
1-3
1-2
1-0
0-3
0-5
1-2
(xy) –
Western Washington, meanwhile, is closing in on
wrapping up a berth for the Great Northwest Athletic
Conference Championship tournament, which will be held
March 5-7 in Billings, Mont. The women’s tourney begins
on the 4th.
The Vikings have won five in a row and need either one
win or a Simon Fraser loss during the next two weeks to
insure itself of a trip to Billings in March.
The WWU-WOU game is one of four on Thursday’s
schedule. All four start at 7 p.m. local times.
LAST WEEK: Wednesday – Western Oregon 66 at Saint Martin’s
56. Thursday – Seattle Pacific 74 at Alaska 64; MSU Billings 68 at
Alaska Anchorage 82; Central Washington 77 at Western
Washington 83; Northwest Nazarene 88 at Simon Fraser 92.
Saturday – MSU Billings 87 at Alaska 65; Seattle Pacific 73 at
Alaska Anchorage 72 (ot); Central Washington 112 at Simon
Fraser 84; Northwest Nazarene at Western Washington.
The rest of the schedule includes an Alaska – Northwest
Nazarene matchup at Nampa on ROOT SPORTS.
Also on the schedule is a key showdown in Ellensburg
between Alaska Anchorage and Central Washington, two
teams looking to gain a first-round bye in the tournament.
WOU has already clinched the other first-round bye.
THIS WEEK: Thursday – Alaska at Northwest Nazarene (ROOT
SPORTS); Alaska Anchorage at Central Washington; Simon Fraser
at Saint Martin’s; Western Washington at Western Oregon.
Saturday – Alaska at Central Washington, 7:30 p.m.; Alaska
Anchorage at Northwest Nazarene; MSU Billings at Seattle Pacific,
3 p.m. (ROOT SPORTS); Western Washington at Saint Martin’s;
Simon Fraser at Western Oregon, 4 p.m.
A Central Washington win would create a three-way tie for
second place between the Seawolves, Wildcats and Seattle
Pacific, which is idle.
The UAF-NNU game is one of two ROOT games on this
week’s schedule. On Saturday, MSU Billings plays at
Seattle Pacific in a 3 p.m. ROOT SPORTS game.
THE FINAL WEEK: Thursday, Feb. 26 – Saint Martin’s at Alaska,
7:30 p.m.; Western Oregon at Alaska Anchorage, 7:30 p.m.;
Central Washington at Seattle Pacific; Northwest Nazarene at
MSU Billings; Simon Fraser at Western Washington. Saturday,
Feb. 28 – Western Oregon at Alaska, 7:30 p.m.; Saint Martin’s at
Alaska Anchorage, 3:15 p.m.; Central Washington at MSU Billings;
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific.
1000 FOR RIMA: The UAF-NNU game on ROOT SPORTS will
feature the newest – and 61st – member of the GNAC
1000-Point Club – the Crusaders’ Kevin Rima.
The
Fairbanks native scored eight points Saturday night at
Western Washington to increase his career total to 1,004.
The next player to reach that milestone will likely be Sango
Niang of Simon Fraser who currently has 932 career
points.
Wolves Have Won 11 Straight; Viking Streak at 5
PORTLAND, Ore. – The two hottest teams in the GNAC
collide Thursday at Monmouth, Ore., as GNAC leader
Western Oregon hosts pre-season favorite Western
Washington.
STAT OF THE WEEK: Northwest Nazarene outrebounded
Simon Fraser 50-19 and shot 53.2 percent (33-of-62) from
the floor in a game last Thursday at Burnaby – and still lost
92-88. The Clan made 14-of-38 three-pointers (NNU was
just 3-of-14 from the arc) and also had 13 fewer turnovers
(24-11) as Roderick Evans-Taylor earned six steals.
The Wolves, who are ranked 15th in this week’s NABC
national poll and 16th in this week’s D2SIDA poll, bring an
11-game win streak into the contest. That is the 11th
longest in GNAC history.
1