SEASIDE, Calif. – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team continues their road series following their trip to Hawaii and are gearing up for their two matchups at the Cal State Monterey Bay Invite hosted by Monterey Bay.
Friday, Nov. 18
Cal State Monterey Bay | Live Stats | Live Video | Tickets
6:00 p.m. | The Kelp Bed | Seaside, Calif.
Saturday, Nov. 19
Cal State East Bay | Live Stats | Live Video | Tickets
2:00 p.m. | The Kelp Bed | Seaside, Calif.
Where to Watch
This weekend's games can be viewed on the CCAA Network for a pay-per-view subscription. Live Stats are also available for free using the links above.
Rollin' 'Nooks Rundown
- The solo starting returner and unanimous selection for the GNAC Preseason All-Conference team, Abdullahi Mohamed continues to prove himself this season. The West Seattle standout has totaled 18 points on the season, averaging 9.0 after his time at the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge.
- The Nanooks were selected by the GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll to finish 10th in the conference.
- Shaw Anderson of the Seattle Pacific Falcons was selected as the Men's Basketball Player of the Week by the GNAC. The Nanooks are set to face the Falcons on December first.
- The last meeting between CSUMB and the Nanooks was in the 2019-2020 season, where the 'Nooks fell 96-67.
- East Bay and the Nanooks played last year. That game ended in a 98-89 OT victory, where Quin Barnard hit the game-tying shot to force overtime before the Nanooks came away with the win.
Meet the Opponents
CSUMB Otters (1-1, 0-0 CCAA)
CSUMB enters this weekend's matchup with a 1-1, 0-0 CCAA record. In their regular season opener, they beat the Central Washington Wildcats, 77-57. The following night they fell to Western Oregon 87-80.
After two games Joe Wall leads the way for the otters on offense with a 21.5 points-per-game average. Levi Frankland and Jailen Nelson joined them in double-digits with 14.5 and 10.0 points respectively. Nelson leads the way for the Otters with 7.5 rebounds a game and 4.0 assists per game.
Cal State East Bay
Cal State East Bay also enters this weekend with a 1-1, 0-0 CCAA record. In their season-opener against Fresno Pacific, they came away with a 71-60 win. The following night, they fell to Point Loma 68-62. They'll play two more before facing the Nanooks on the 19th, with matchups against the Academy of Art and Colorado School of Mines.
Following their first two games, Dimitrios Klonaras, Grady Lewis and Chris James lead East Bay in points scored. Klonaras and Lewis lead the way with 16 points per game each followed by James with 11 ppg of his own. Klonaras leads the way on the boards, grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game through the opening two. Garrett Pascoe leads the distribution, averaging 3.5 assists per game.
At the Last Buzzer
Coming off of their road trip to Hawaii, the Nanooks walk away with a 1-1 record from the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge. After falling in their first matchup against Hawaii Pacific, the 'Nooks rebounded for a big 82-76 win against the Chaminade Silverswords. Brian Nguyen posted 17 points of his own, leading the team's win in his first season on the Nanooks squad.
Breaking Down the Stats
Three Nanooks lead the way, all scoring in double-digits in their win against the Swords. Alongside Nguyen's 17, Nick Hopkins tallied 15 and added 10 rebounds getting himself a double-double. Rounding out the top-scorers with 14 points and making a name for himself was freshman standout Tyler Mrus.
What's Next?
The Nanooks team will be headed to home-base after the CSUMB Invitational, hosting the UAA Seawolves, Texas A&M Int'l Dust Devils, and the Westminster Griffins for a challenge of their own. Post-home challenge, the 'Nooks will be opening up GNAC Conference play, facing the Seattle Pacific Falcons for the first conference home game of the season.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Instagram or Twitter, or like the Alaska Nanooks athletics page on Facebook.
