GNAC Release

PORTLAND, Ore. – On Monday, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference named Alaska Nanooks junior forward Michael Kluting the conference's Men's Basketball Player of the Week. It is Kluting's first weekly honor of his career and the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team's first of the 2018-19 season.

Despite dropping Thursday's contest to Simon Fraser 71-66 and Saturday's game to Western Washington 85-75, Kluting went off at home last week, registering back-to-back double-doubles. Kluting ended week 26 with a combined 45 points and 33 rebounds in their pair of home games, shooting 54.5 percent from the floor (18-for-33). Kluting also chipped in three assists, two steals and one block.

The Palmer, Alaska native opened the week with 17 points and 16 rebounds against Simon Fraser, shooting 7-for-13 from the field to go with an assist, a block and a steal in 27 minutes on the floor.

He then led all players with 28 points and a season-best 17 rebounds against Western Washington on Saturday, connecting on 11-of-20 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Kluting's 11 field goals-made and 20 field goals-attempted are all single-game season-highs.

The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team will play one game on the road and one game at home this week, taking on in-state rival Alaska Anchorage at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Tuesday, Feb. 26 before hosting the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets at the Alaska Airlines Court in Fairbanks on Saturday, Mar. 2 for their final game of the season. Tip-off in Anchorage on Tuesday is set for 7pm AKST, while Saturday's game in Fairbanks is set for 3:15pm AKST.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.