FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team hits the road this week for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games this week, as they travel to Lacey, Washington to take on the Saint Martin's Saints on Thursday, Feb. 1 before taking on the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Saturday, Feb. 3 in Seattle. Thursday's game at SMU is slated for 6pm AKST, while Saturday's game is scheduled for 3pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this weekend's games in Lacey and Seattle, both Thursday and Saturday's games will be broadcasted and streamed live through the Alaska Nanooks Stretch Internet Portal in the link posted above. Please note that when the Nooks are on the road, the stream is produced by the home school.
GNAC Standings
The Nanooks currently sit tied for fourth place in the GNAC standings with Seattle Pacific, collecting a conference record of 7-5 through 12 games. Western Oregon holds a sole possession of first place with a 12-1 record, while Western Washington (10-2) and Saint Martin's (8-4) rank second and third, respectively.
All-Time Series
The Nanooks trail the all-time series against the Saint Martin's Saints 41-45 with their first meeting coming as a 96-75 loss in the 1957-58 season. Since then, Alaska is on a two-game winning streak against SMU, defeating the Saints in their last meeting 78-71 on Jan. 6 of this year at home.
Against the Falcons, Alaska trails the all-time series 16-63 with the first meeting between the two programs coming as a 67-55 loss in the 1958-59 season. The Nooks are currently on a four-game losing streak to Seattle Pacific with their last win coming on Jan. 2, 2016 on the road (79-75). The Falcons and the Nanooks already faced one another this season, with SPU defeating Alaska 95-79 on Jan. 4 at home.
From Beyond
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team ranks first in the GNAC in three-point field goal percentage with a team average of .398. The Nooks have shot 173-for-435 from beyond the arc in 18 games this season.
Ranked Nooks
Six Nanooks rank within the top-10 individually in the GNAC in eight different statistical categories:
- Rebounds
- Field Goal Percentage
- Assists
- Free Throw Percentage
- Three-Point Field Goal Percentage
- Three-Point Field Goals-Made
- Offensive Rebounds
- Defensive Rebounds
Scouting the Opponent – Saint Martin's (15-15, 8-4 GNAC)
Saint Martin's ran is win streak to five games with a pair of road wins against Western Washington (94-82) and Simon Fraser (85-63). Junior guard Luke Chavez was named the GNAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the second-straight week posting 43 points over the weekend. Chavez ranks sixth in the GNAC in scoring with 17.4 points per game. As a team, SMU is averaging 81.2 points and 34.8 rebounds per game. The Saints are tied for third in the GNAC scoring margin (+8.0), field goal percentage (.483), three-point defense (.334), assists (16.05 per game) and steals (7.65 per game).
Scouting the Opponent – Seattle Pacific (12-7, 7-5 GNAC)
Seattle Pacific split last week, falling 81-80 to Simon Fraser before beating Western Washington 92-88. Seattle Pacific is third in the GNAC in scoring and rebounding, averaging 83.1 points and 38.6 rebounds per game. The Falcons are 15th in Division II with 574 free throws made, 16th with 514 free throws attempted and 28th with a 6.2 rebound margin.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.
