FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks men's basketball team is back in Fairbanks for two games this week against the Simon Fraser Red Leafs and Western Washington Vikings.
Thursday, Jan. 30
vs. Simon Fraser | 7:30 p.m. | Staff and Faculty Appreciation
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
Saturday, Feb. 1
vs. Western Washington | 2:15 p.m. | Pink Rally & Referee Appreciation
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks
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Last Time Out
The Nanooks are coming off an 0-2 road trip last week that saw them fall to Montana State Billings 83-70 and Seattle Pacific 56-54.
After playing to a 42-42 tie at halftime, MSUB outscored Alaska 41-28 in the final 20 minutes. Chris Lee and Elyon Zevenbergen had 14 points each in the contest. Lee went 4-10 from beyond the arc and 5-11 from the floor, adding three assists and three steals. Zevenbergen finished the night with a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to his 14 points. Griffin Effenberger led the Nanooks with 15 points on the night. He went 5-8 from the floor, all coming from three. He added seven rebounds and a block coming off of the bench. The Nanooks shot 43.1% from the floor and 41.2% from three, going 14-34 from deep. The Nanooks outscored the Yellow Jackets 18-7 in bench points. They also outscored MSUB 15-9 in second-chance points.
The 'Nooks were up five with 5:30 left in their game at SPU, holding a 52-47 advantage before a 7-0 Falcons run put the hosts up 54-52. Isaiah Saams-Hoy knocked down a game-tying layup with 40 seconds left, but Alaska could not keep SPU from scoring on the ensuing possession, allowing an Owen Moriarty jumper with 20 seconds to go. The Nanooks missed a three to take the lead, and Seattle Pacific held on to the two-point win. Saams-Hoy posted a team-leading 15 points, going 6-13 from the floor and 3-5 from downtown. He also led the team in rebounds (seven) and steals (three). Paul Johnson added 12 points for the Nanooks, finishing with five rebounds and a block. Lee was the final Nanook to post 10+ points, scoring 11. He grabbed five rebounds, collected a steal and tallied a team-high four assists. The Nanooks posted shooting splits of 36.2% and 30% during the game while knocking down three of their six free throws. Alaska was outrebounded 31-36.
#NookNotes
- Chris Lee paces the squad in points per game this season, averaging 15.9. That mark puts him sixth in the GNAC.
- Lee has knocked down the fifth-most three-pointers per game in the GNAC this season with 2.41.
- Isaiah Saams-Hoy also sits in the top 10 in points per game, posting the seventh-highest mark in the GNAC at 15.6.
- He ranks seventh in the conference in blocks per game (1.11), eighth in assists per game (3.5), eighth in steals per game (1.5), third in minutes per game (34:39) and third in field goal percentage (50.7%).
- Ketan Sidhu is averaging the tenth-most blocks in the GNAC, posting 0.94 rejections per game.
- Jalai O'Keith and Elyon Zevenbergen sit seventh and eighth in rebounds among GNAC players, grabbing a total of 122 and 120, respectively.
- The 'Nooks are knocking down the most three-pointers per game in the GNAC, averaging 10.2 makes from beyond the arc. That puts them 20th in Division II. Their 37.2% three-point percentage is second-best in the conference and 45th in the nation.
- Alaska is grabbing the most defensive rebounds per game in the GNAC (28.4), ranking 17th in the country.
GNAC Standings
- Northwest Nazarene (14-3, 7-2 GNAC)
- Saint Martin's (18-4, 7-2 GNAC)
- Central Washington (13-6, 7-2 GNAC)
- Alaska (9-9, 5-4 GNAC)
- Seattle Pacific (9-11, 5-4 GNAC)
- Western Washington (12-7, 4-5 GNAC)
- Montana State Billings (13-9, 4-5 GNAC)
- Alaska Anchorage (10-12, 3-6 GNAC)
- Simon Fraser (6-13, 2-7 GNAC)
- Western Oregon (4-15, 1-8 GNAC)
Meet the Opponents
Simon Fraser (6-13, 2-7 GNAC)
Head Coach: Steve Hanson (9th Season)
The Red Leafs dropped their one matchup last week, falling to Western Washington 79-77. Their two GNAC wins this season have come against Montana State Billings (82-67) on Jan. 9 and Saint Martin's (80-77) on Jan. 18.
They have two top 10 scorers in the GNAC, as junior forward Luke Howard (17.5 ppg) and sophomore guard Irish Coquia (15.3) rank second and ninth in points per game among GNAC players. Howard has posted the fifth-most rebounds per game in the conference, grabbing an average of 6.9. Meanwhile, Coquia is second in the GNAC and 41st in Division II in assists per game, dishing out 4.7 per contest.
SFU is the top blocking team in the GNAC, averaging 4.6 rejections per game. That puts the Red Leafs 18th in the nation. Their 14.8 made free throws per game rank second in the conference.
Western Washington (12-7, 4-5 GNAC)
Head Coach: Tony Dominguez (13th Season)
The Vikings enter the week on a four-game winning streak, taking down Montana State Billings (84-70), Saint Martin's (77-75), Western Oregon (90-86) and Simon Fraser (79-77) in their last four outings.
Senior Guard Will Wilson leads the team in scoring, as his 16.2 points per game put him fourth in the GNAC.
They are the top scoring offense in the GNAC, averaging 81.2 points per game this season. Their 47.7% field goal percentage ranks second in the conference and 55th in DII.
Staff and Faculty Appreciation
Thursday's game against the Red Leafs is Alaska's Staff and Faculty Appreciation game. All UAF Faculty and Staff with their Polar ID card will receive FREE admission!
Pink Rally & Referee Appreciation
The Alaska Nanooks are partnering with the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska for their Pink Rally Game on Saturday. Remember to wear pink and consider making a charitable donation while at the game to support their efforts for early detection in interior Alaska.
What's to Come
The Nanooks are on the road again next week with contests against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and Central Washington Wildcats. They face NNU on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 p.m. AKT and conclude the road trip with a 5:15 p.m. AKT tipoff vs. CWU on Saturday.
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