FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team hits the road for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups this week, as they travel to Bellingham, Washington to face the Western Washington Vikings on Thursday, Jan. 24 before taking on the Simon Fraser Clan on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Burnaby, British Columbia. Tip-off both days is scheduled for 6:30pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this week's games in Bellingham and Burnaby, all 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 broadcast is produced by the home school and not the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team dropped a two tough conference contests at home last week, falling 83-73 to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before falling Saturday 68-59. The pair of losses unfortunately puts the Nanooks on a six-game losing streak.
GNAC Standings
The Nooks sit tied for 10th in the GNAC standings with Concordia, each with a 1-7 conference mark. Alaska's upcoming opponents, Western Washington (4-4 GNAC) and Simon Fraser (2-6 GNAC), rank tied for fifth and ninth, respectively. Saint Martin's maintains sole possession of first place in the league standings with a 7-1 conference mark.
Ranked Nooks
Three Nooks are ranked within the top-10 individually in seven different statistical categories:
- Assist to Turnover Ratio
- Defensive Rebounds
- Free Throw Percentage
- Offensive Rebounds
- Rebounding
- Three-Point Field Goals Made
- Three-Point Field Goal Percentage
All-Time Series
The Alaska Nanooks trial the all-time series to the Western Washington Vikings, 14-32. The first meeting between the two teams resulted in a 79-67 loss for the Nanooks throughout the 1966-67 season. The Nooks are currently riding a two-game losing streak to the Vikings, with their last win coming as a 94-88 victory at home on Feb. 4, 2017.
All-time against the Simon Fraser Clan, Alaska leads the series 31-21 with the first meeting between the two programs resulting in an 89-84 decision in favor of the Nanooks throughout the 1966-67 season. Alaska lost their last meeting against the Clan, which was an 83-51 defeat on the road on Feb. 15, 2018.
Scouting the Opponent – Western Washington (10-8, 4-4 GNAC)
Western Washington secured a split at home last week, scoring an 89-81 victory over Simon Fraser on Tuesday before taking an 81-72 overtime loss to Montana State Billings on Thursday. Junior forward Trevor Jaskinsky is second in the GNAC with 19.4 points per game and fourth with 7.4 rebounds per game. He ranks third in the league and 24th in Division II with a .892 free throw percentage. The Vikings enter the week third in the GNAC with 85 points per game and leads the conference with 39.4 rebounds per game. They also lead the league and rank eighth in Division II in free throw percentage (.790).
Scouting the Opponent – Simon Fraser (8-8, 2-6 GNAC)
Simon Fraser picked up a split close to home last week, taking a 89-81 loss to the Western Washington Vikings on Tuesday before scoring a 112-107, three-overtime win over Montana State Billings on Saturday, Sophomore center Julian Roche is eighth in the GNAC in scoring with 14.8 points per game and fifth in rebounding at 6.6 per game. He is one of three GNAC players in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding. Simon Fraser enters the week ranked second in the GNAC with 85.1 points per game and is fourth in the league with 36.5 rebounds per game. The Clan is second in the GNAC and 22nd in Division II with 17.1 assists per contest.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.
