FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team is on the road once again, as they are set to compete in back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests this week. The Nooks will take on the Central Washington Wildcats in Ellensburg on Thursday, Feb. 14 before taking on the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks in Nampa on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this week's games in Ellensburg or Nampa, all home and conference contests 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 Nanooks dropped both GNAC contests at home last week, falling 86-68 to Saint Martin's on Thursday before dropping an 89-52 decision to Seattle Pacific at the Alaska Airlines Court on Saturday. The Nanooks are currently on a two-game losing streak.
GNAC Standings
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team currently sits in 11th place in the GNAC standings with a 2-12 mark in conference play. Alaska's upcoming opponents, Central Washington (3-11 GNAC) and Northwest Nazarene (11-3), currently sit in 10th and second place in the conference standings, respectively. Saint Martin's holds sole possession of first place in the GNAC rankings with a 12-2 record in conference play.
Ranked Nooks
Three Nanooks rank within the top-10 individually in five different statistical categories:
- Assist/Turnover Ratio
- Free Throw Percentage
- Defensive Rebounds
- Offensive Rebounds
- Rebounds
All-Time Series
The Central Washington Wildcats lead the all-time series between the Nanooks, 43-19. The first-ever meeting between the two teams resulted in a 98-66 loss for the Nanooks on Dec. 17, 1955. In their last meeting, Alaska fell 68-59 to the Wildcats at home on Jan. 19.
All-time against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, Alaska leads the series 21-16. The Nooks won the first-ever meeting 81-77 sometime in the 1960-61 season. The Nigththawks snapped a six-game losing streak to the Nanooks in their last meeting, defeating Alaska 83-73 at home on Jan. 17.
Scouting the Opponent – Central Washington (9-13, 3-11 GNAC)
The Wildcats dropped both games last week, taking a 91-86 loss to Western Washington on Thursday before falling 82-66 to Simon Fraser on Saturday. Central Washington is tied for second in the GNAC in scoring at 81.8 points per game and is averaging 33.8 rebounds per contest. The Wildcats are third in the GNAC with a .380 three-point percentage and 15.82 assists per game.
Scouting the Opponent – Northwest Nazarene (19-3, 12-2 GNAC)
The Nighthawks split on the road last week, dropping a 78-77 decision to Simon Fraser on Thursday before taking down Western Washington 90-79 on Saturday. Northwest Nazarene leads the GNAC in scoring and is 29th in Division II with 85.2 points per game. The Nighthawks also lead the league and are eighth in the country with a .510 field goal percentage. NNU is also second in the GNAC and 24th in the country with 4.4 blocked shots per game.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks team page on Facebook.
