FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team hits the road this week for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups in both Canada and the U.S. The Nooks will take on the Simon Fraser Clan in Burnaby, British Columbia on Thursday, Feb. 15 before taking on the Western Washington Vikings on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Bellingham, Washington. Thursday's game against SFU is scheduled for 4:15pm AKST, while Saturday's game at WWU is slated for 2pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this weekend's games in both Burnaby and Bellingham, 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 the on the road, the broadcasted is produced by the home school.
Last Time Out
Alaska kept their GNAC Championship hopes alive with a split at home last weekend, dropping a close 79-76 game to Central Washington on Thursday and scoring 67-53 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.
GNAC Standings
In a tight race for a berth to the conference championships, Alaska stands tied with in-state rival Alaska Anchorage for the sixth and final position to move on to postseason play, both with a 8-8 GNAC record. The Nanooks and the Seawolves are only one win behind Central Washington (9-7) and Seattle Pacific (9-8), who sit in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
All-Time Series
Against the Clan, Alaska leads 31-20 all-time with the first-ever meeting between the two programs coming as an 89-84 victory in the 1966-67 season. Alaska is currently riding a five-game winning streak against Simon Fraser, with their last meeting resulting in a 74-57 win for the Nanooks at home on Jan. 20.
All-time against the Vikings, Alaska trails 14-31 with their first meeting coming as a 79-67 loss in the 1966-67 season. WWU defeated Alaska at home earlier this season, stealing a 86-74 decision at the Alaska Airlines Court on Jan. 18.
Ranked Nooks
Five Nanooks rank within the top-10 individually in seven different statistical categories:
- Rebounds
- Assists
- Free Throw Percentage
- Three-Point Field Goal Percentage
- Three-Point Field Goals-Made
- Offensive Rebounds
- Defensive Rebounds
Scouting the Opponent – Simon Fraser (9-15, 3-13 GNAC)
The Clan has now lost four in a row after taking a 86-64 loss at Western Washington last Tuesday and a 77-75 defeat to Montana State Billings at home on Saturday. Simon Fraser enters the week averaging 72.9 points and 32.5 rebounds per game. The Clan leads the GNAC in three-point defense (.329) and is second in both steals (7.88 per game) and turnover margin (+2.12).
Scouting the Opponent – Western Washington (18-6, 13-3 GNAC)
Western Washington ran its win streak to three games and secured its GNAC Championships berth with an 86-64 win over Simon Fraser on Tuesday and a 91-65 rout of Montana State Billings on Thursday. Western Washington leads the GNAC and is 28th in Division II in scoring with 85.5 points per game. The Vikings also lead the conference in rebounding (40 per game), free throw percentage (.780), rebounding defense (29.6 allowed per game) and blocked shots (6.38 per game). The Vikings rank third in DII in blocked shots per game, fourth in total blocks (153), seventh in free throw percentage and 15th in field goal percentage.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.
