FAIRBANKS, Alaska – After almost a month off from competition, the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team returns to the Alaska Airlines Court for a two Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests this week. The Nooks will host the Concordia Cavaliers on Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7:30pm AKST before taking on the Western Oregon Wolves on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 3:15pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this week's games in Fairbanks, Thursday and Saturday's games, along with every home and conference contest for the remainder of the season, will be broadcasted live through the Alaska Nanooks Stretch Internet Portal in the link posted above. Please be advised that when on the road, the broadcasted is produced by the home school and not the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics.
Last Time Out
The Nanooks have not played since Dec. 8, when they took a 68-67 victory over in-state rival Alaska Anchorage. The victory marks the Nanooks' first win over the Seawolves since the 2014 season.
GNAC Standings
The Nanooks are currently tied for fourth in the GNAC standings with Northwest Nazarene, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser and Western Washington, each with a 1-1 mark in conference play. Only three GNAC schools remain perfect (2-0) since league play started, including Montana State Billings, Saint Martin's and the Nanooks' weekend opponent, Western Oregon.
Ranked Nooks
Four Nanooks currently rank in the top-10 individually in the GNAC in five different statistical categories:
- Assist/Turnover Ratio
- Defensive Rebounds
- Free Throw Percentage
- Offensive Rebounds
- Rebounds
All-Time Series
All-time against the Concordia Cavaliers, Alaska leads the series 7-3. The first meeting between the two teams resulted in a 74-72 overtime win for the Nanooks in the 1980-81 season. The Nanooks are currently riding a two-game winning streak over Concordia dating back to last season, with their last meeting resulting in a tight 63-62 decision at home on Jan. 27.
Against the Western Oregon Wolves, Alaska is 18-23 all-time. The first meeting between the two programs favored the Wolves, as Alaska fell 72-67 on the road on Feb. 4, 1974. Alaska is currently riding a five-game losing streak to WOU, with the Nanooks' last win being on Feb. 18, 2016 (87-78) at home. The Wolves took an 81-54 win over Alaska in their last meeting on Jan. 25.
Scouting the Opponent – Concordia Cavaliers (5-5, 0-2 GNAC)
The Cavaliers closed out 2018 with a pair of exhibition wins over Trinity Western Dec. 18 (105-62) and Dec. 19 (102-68). Senior guard Jarrett Gray led the Cavaliers in the exhibition games and currently ranks ninth in the GNAC with 13.8 points per game and is third in the league with a .882 free throw percentage (30-for-34). Concordia enters the week averaging 76.7 points per game and is third in the GNAC with 38.3 rebounds per game. The Cavs are third in the GNAC in field goal defense (.432) and lead the GNAC in three-point defense (.305).
Scouting the Opponent – Western Oregon (8-1 overall, 2-0 GNAC)
Western Oregon opened the break with a split at the Hoops in Hawaii D2 Power Invitational, beating Emmanuel (Ga.) 76-64 on Dec. 16 before losing to UC San Diego on Dec. 17, 73-63. The Wolves enter the week averaging 80.5 points per game and is fourth in the GNAC with 36.7 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the GNAC in scoring defense (62.7 points allowed per game) and field goal defense (.39) and are second in three-point defense (.314).
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.
