FAIRBANKS – The Nanooks men's basketball team is set for its final two games of the regular season this week, welcoming Saint Martin's and Western Oregon for a pair of critical contests as they push for a postseason berth.

Thursday, Feb. 26 - Go Pink With the 'Nooks
vs. No. 22 Saint Martin's | 7:30 p.m.
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium | Fairbanks

Saturday, Feb. 28 - Senior Day
vs. Western Oregon | 3:15 p.m.
Alaska Airlines Gymnasium | Fairbanks

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Go Pink With the 'Nooks
The Nanooks are holding their "Go Pink With the 'Nooks" game this Thursday vs. the Saints. Wear pink in support of the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska as they spread awareness and prevention tips. The first 300 fans for our double-header receive a FREE Go Pink scarf!

Senior Day
The Nanooks will honor their seniors on Saturday vs. Western Oregon. They will recognize players Cortarius Mingo, Jalai O'Keith, Jackson Krug and Jeremiah Hersrud, and student manager Jamin Crow in their final game at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium.

Last Time Out
The Nanooks picked up two big road wins last week, taking down Seattle Pacific 78-74 on Thursday and Montana State Billings 101-97 in overtime on Saturday.

The two sides traded runs throughout the game vs. the Falcons, but it was the Nanooks who held on in the end. After taking a six-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the Nanooks withstood an SPU push in the second half to grab the four-point victory in Seattle. All five starters finished the game in double figures. Davis Crilly led the way with 16 points, Mike Miller and Luke Fotheringham each had 15 points, Tyriq Luke had 12 points, and Tariq Weiser had 11 points.

The 'Nooks survived a back-and-forth contest vs. MSUB on Saturday, in a game which saw 16 ties and 14 lead changes, eventually holding on to claim a 101-97 victory in overtime. Tyriq Luke put the team on his back in the win, going off for 38 points, the most by a Nanook since the 2021-22 season. The guard shot 14-22 from the field and 6-11 from three, and added seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, en route to a GNAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week nod.

#NookNotes

• Mike Miller leads the 'Nooks and ranks seventh in the GNAC with 15.9 points per game. His 1.8 steals per game are the third-most in the conference.
• The Nanooks have three other players averaging double-digit scoring in Tyriq Luke (14.8), Davis Crilly (13.9) and Jalai O'Keith (11.4).
• O'Keith is grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game, the most on the team. His 4.7 defensive rebounds per game rank fourth in the GNAC.
• Tariq Weiser is dishing four assists per game, putting him fifth in the conference. His 1.7 assist/turnover ratio is the eighth-best in the GNAC.
• Crilly has blocked a team-high 18 shots this season.
• Luke Fotheringham is shooting 48.8% from the field, the highest mark on the team among players with at least 100 attempts. Miller's 40.8% three-point percentage leads the team among players with at least 50 attempts from deep.
• The Nanooks are knocking down 9.8 threes per game, which leads the GNAC and ranks 29th in Division II.
• Alaska is shooting 78.2% from the charity stripe, the highest mark in the conference and the 11th-highest in the nation.

Meet the Opponents
No. 22 Saint Martin's Saints (21-5, 13-3 GNAC)
Head Coach: Aaron Landon (7th Season)

• The Saints check in at No. 22 in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll. They won both their games last week, beating Northwest Nazarene 70-54 and Central Washington 88-74.
• Senior guard Kaden Hansen leads the GNAC in scoring, averaging 20.2 points per game, putting him 25th in DII. He is knocking down 2.9 threes per game, the most in the conference and 31st in DII.
• The Saints are allowing opponents to shoot just 39.2% from the field, which is the fifth-best mark in the nation. Their 41.9 rebounds per game are seventh in DII.

Western Oregon Wolves (9-16, 4-12 GNAC)
Head Coach: Ryan Orton (1st Season)

• The Wolves have dropped three straight entering the week, falling to Simon Fraser 79-62, Central Washington 66-46 and Northwest Nazarene 80-74.
• Senior guard Jadin Penigar leads the team and ranks third in the GNAC with 19.7 points per game. His 2.5 threes per game put him fourth in the conference.
• The Wolves are turning the ball over 10.7 times per game, which is the fewest in the GNAC and 25th in Division II. Their 77.6% field goal percentage puts them right behind the Nanooks for second in the conference.

Postseason Watch
The Nanooks currently sit tied for fifth in the GNAC with an 8-8 conference record, the same as Central Washington, while Seattle Pacific is a half game back of the two in seventh at 8-9. The top six teams make the GNAC tournament, which will be held March 5-7 in Bellingham, Wash.

Central Washington takes on Western Washington this Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday, while Seattle Pacific has just one game this week, facing Montana State Billings on Saturday. Below are the current GNAC standings.

1. Saint Martin's (21-5, 13-3 GNAC)
2. Alaska Anchorage (19-8, 11-5 GNAC)
3. Northwest Nazarene (16-9, 10-6 GNAC)
4. Montana State Billings (20-10, 9-8 GNAC)
5. Alaska (13-12, 8-8 GNAC)
6. Central Washington (14-13, 8-8 GNAC)
7. Seattle Pacific (13-11, 8-9 GNAC)
8. Western Washington (12-15, 6-10 GNAC)
9. Western Oregon (9-16, 4-12 GNAC)
10. Simon Fraser (7-19, 4-12 GNAC)

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