Men's Basketball | 1/15/2020 9:29:00 AM

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team heads to Nampa, Idaho and Ellensburg, Wash. this week to face off with the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and Central Washington Wildcats. The 'Nooks will look to build off of their split at home last week against Simon Fraser and Western Washington. 
 

Opponents	Northwest Nazarene (5-6, 2-4 GNAC) | Central Washington (8-6, 1-5 GNAC)
Locations	Johnson Sports Center – Nampa, Idaho | Nicholson Pavilion – Ellensburg, Wash.
Dates & Times	Thursday, Jan. 16 At Northwest Nazarene at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 At Central Washington at 6:15 p.m.
Follow Along	Live Stats | Live Video
Social Media	Twitter

 
Where to Watch/Listen
The Nanooks matchups will both be available on the Alaska Stretch Internet Portal. With games on Thursday and Saturday, live stats and video will be available to the public 15 minutes prior to tip-off time. Be advised that the production is put on by the host school.
 
Last Time Out
The Nanooks men's basketball team are coming off of a home-series split against Simon Fraser and Western Washington last week. On Jan. 9, the men defeated the Clan by a final of 80-74 behind 30 points from Shadeed Shabazz and 23 points from Spencer Sweet. Shabazz and Sweet also combined for 11 steals, giving their backcourt a great game on both sides of the ball. 
 
On Jan. 11, the Nanooks took on the Vikings of Western Washington. After taking a lead into halftime, the Nanooks were outscored 29-42 in the second half. The Nanooks were again led by Shabazz and Sweet in the scoring column as the two combined for 35 points.
 
30 for 30
There have been 12 games this season in which a GNAC men's player scored 30 points in a game. The Nanooks have accounted for 30% of them. Between Shabazz and Markel Banks, the two have collected four games over 30. Shabazz with three and Banks with one. The biggest one coming when Shabazz put up a GNAC-high 43 points and alongside him, Banks dropped 33. These three 30-point performances for Shabazz have also made him the current scoring-leader in the conference, as he averages 22.2 points per game. 
 
Scouting the Opponent
 
Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks
The Nighthawks find themselves in eighth place in the current GNAC standings. Through 11 games, NNU is 5-6, 2-4 in GNAC with conference wins over Simon Fraser on a last second shot and Montana State Billings, a game they won on the road, 85-72.
 
NNU is led on offense by Ezekiel Alley. Alley has started no games for the Nighthawks, but off the bench the 6'0" point guard is averaging 15.2 points per game. He is also shooting 49.2% from the field and 43.2% from beyond the three point line. Alley is also one of the top defenders for Nazarene, picking the pocket of 15 ballhandlers, tying him for the team-lead in steals. 
 
Central Washington Wildcats
The Wildcats find themselves in the opposite position as Alaska. A team that is above .500 overall but have not yet found their stride in conference play with a 1-5 record. The 'Nooks on the other hand have found their stride as conference play begins, holding on to a 5-9 overall record but a 4-2 GNAC record. 
 
The battle in Ellensburg takes place this Saturday, Jan. 18, and will feature one of the top three point shooters in the GNAC, Kevin Baker. Baker is the leading scorer for the CWU team as he's put up 14.4 points per game while shooting 60.7% from beyond the arc. Just behind Baker in the scoring category is Jeryn Lucas. While coming off the bench and averaging over 22 minutes a game, the 6'5" senior-guard has put up 11.8 points per game as well as 13 steals on the defensive end. 
 
Quest for 400
Head coach Greg Sparling is nearing a historic mark. As the season continues, the 'Nooks HC will be looking for his 400^th win of his coaching career, a special mark for anyone in the NCAA. He currently has 396 wins under his belt and will be looking to eclipse 400 in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for this historical win.
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter, or follow along via the Alaska Nanooks athletic page on Facebook.