FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks men's basketball team is set for two road games this week against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and the Central Washington Wildcats.
Thursday, Feb. 6
at Northwest Nazarene | 5:30 p.m. AKT
Johnson Sports Center | Nampa, Idaho
Watch | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 8
at Central Washington | 5:15 p.m. AKT
Nicholson Pavilion | Ellensburg, Wash.
Watch | Live Stats
Last Time Out
The Nanooks are coming off a pair of hard-fought losses last week, falling to Simon Fraser in overtime 77-74 and dropping their contest against Western Washington 89-84.
The 'Nooks opened up a 36-29 lead at halftime of their game against the Red Leafs but allowed seven unanswered points to start the second half, tying the game at 36. With the Nanooks trailing 62-56, Isaiah Saams-Hoy sank a three to make it a one-possession ballgame and added a jumper with 14 seconds left to make it 62-61. SFU connected from two attempts at the free throw line, but Saams-Hoy stole the ball off a Red Leaf pass and drilled a three with four seconds remaining to tie the game at 64. After a Simon Fraser miss, the game headed to overtime. However, the Nanooks could not maintain their momentum in overtime and fell by three. Paul Johnson led the way with 20 points on 7-17 shooting, going 4-11 from downtown. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. Saams-Hoy followed with 19 points. He grabbed seven rebounds and led the team in blocks (2) and steals (4). Jalai O'Keith and Elyon Zevenbergen both posted 12 points, a block and a steal, with Zevenbergen grabbing 13 rebounds to finish with a double-double.
Like the first game, Alaska entered the halftime break leading against Western Washington, holding a 42-35 advantage after the opening 20 minutes. After a Saams-Hoy jumper gave them a 66-62 lead with 10:26 remaining, the Nanooks surrendered a 9-3 run, putting them behind 71-69. They would not lead for the remainder of the contest. Saams-Hoy paced the squad with 19 points, knocking down nine of his 11 shot attempts on the afternoon. He grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists and collected a block and a steal. Johnson followed with 18 points, making all of his field goals from beyond the arc. Griffin Effenberger, Chris Lee and Zevenbergen were the other three Nanooks to finish in double-figure scoring, posting 13, 12 and 11, respectively. Lee led the team with five assists. The 'Nooks shot 52.6% from the floor and 50% from three in the contest, knocking down 16 of their 20 attempts from the free throw line.
#NookNotes
- Isaiah Saams-Hoy leads the Nanooks with 16 points per game, which puts him seventh in the GNAC.
- He ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per game (1.15), fourth in field goal percentage (51%), third in minutes per game (34:52) and seventh in steals per game (1.6).
- Elyon Zevenbergen's 53.1% field goal percentage puts him second in the GNAC and 85th in Division II. His 9.2 rebounds per game is good for second in the conference and 32nd in the nation, and he leads the GNAC in offensive boards per game, grabbing an average of 3.13.
- Paul Johnson is knocking down three-pointers at the second-highest clip in the conference, shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc. That mark puts him 23rd in the country.
- Chris Lee leads the squad in the assist department, dishing out an average of 3.7 per contest, putting him seventh in the GNAC.
- Alaska leads the GNAC and ranks 23rd in the nation with 10 three-pointers per game. They are connecting on 37% of their attempts from deep this season, which is the second-highest in the conference and 54th in DII.
- The 'Nooks have grabbed an average of 28.3 defensive rebounds per game, the most in the GNAC and 19th-most in the country. They have posted the second-most total rebounds per game in the conference, collecting 39.4, which puts them 34th in Division II.
GNAC Standings
- Central Washington (14-6, 8-2 GNAC)
- Northwest Nazarene (14-4, 7-3 GNAC)
- Saint Martin's (18-6, 7-4 GNAC)
- Seattle Pacific (11-11, 7-4 GNAC)
- Western Washington (14-7, 6-5 GNAC)
- Montana State Billings (15-9, 6-5 GNAC)
- Alaska (9-11, 5-6 GNAC)
- Alaska Anchorage (11-13, 4-7 GNAC)
- Simon Fraser (7-14, 3-8 GNAC)
- Western Oregon (4-17, 1-10 GNAC)
Meet the Opponents
Northwest Nazarene (14-4, 7-3 GNAC)
Head Coach: Jon Hawkins (2nd Season)
After starting the season 14-2, the Nighthawks are coming off two close losses, falling to Saint Martin's 58-54 on Jan. 25 and to Central Washington in overtime 91-88 on Feb. 1.
Their 67.7 points per game allowed gives them the second-best scoring defense in the GNAC. Their opponents are shooting at a 31.9% clip from beyond the arc, which ranks lowest in the conference. They have posted an average of 8.6 steals per game, also good for first in the GNAC.
Northwest Nazarene is led by the GNAC's leading scorer, Kye Dickson, whose 18.8 points per game paces the conference and ranks 56th in the nation. He also grabs 8.3 rebounds per game, ranking third in the GNAC.
Central Washington (14-6, 8-2 GNAC)
Head Coach: Brandon Rinta (7th Season)
The Wildcats have won six of their last seven games and are on a two-game winning streak, earning victories over Western Oregon (93-71) and Northwest Nazarene (91-88 OT).
Their 50.2% team field goal percentage is the highest in the GNAC and ranks 11th in Division II, while their 41% three-point percentage is good for second in the country. They also rank top 10 in the nation in free-throw percentage, knocking down their attempts from the line at a 79.2% clip to put them ninth.
They are led by Cavin Holden, whose 14.9 points per game paces the squad. He is knocking down his shots from beyond the arc at the 12th-best mark in the nation (45.2%) and ranks fifth in the GNAC in assists per game (4.1).
What's to Come
The Nanooks are home for their next three contests, beginning with a showdown against rivals Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. They close out their home schedule the following week with matchups against Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings.
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