2015 GNAC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Tournament Preview
Men: Falcons Looking
For Trifecta
Seattle Pacific will be
seeking its third straight
GNAC tournament title
this week as six teams
battle for an automatic
berth in next week’s
NCAA West Regional.
SPU, which has
made 10 straight NCAA
appearances, is ranked
just 10th in the West
Region and likely
will need to win the
tournament to keep its
Western Oregon’s Julian Nichols ranks second in the
NCAA streak intact.
conference in assists and also averages in double-digits.
Western Oregon
comes to Billings as
the GNAC regular-season champion and the top seed. With a 23-5 record,
the Wolves appear to be a safe bet to advance to the regionals regardless of
what happens this week, but upsets in the GNAC, PacWest and/or CCAA
tournaments could drop WOU close to the bubble.
Coach Brady Bergeson’s team is led by Andy Avgi, who ranks third in the
GNAC in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game shooting 61.6 percent and
is 10th in rebounding claiming 5.8 caroms per game.
Julian Nichols is also a key player averaging 12.4 points and leading the
GNAC in steals (2.4) and ranking second in assists (5.9).
Riley Stockton averages just 9.7 points for Seattle Pacific, but is a multipurpose standout, ranking fifth in the GNAC in rebounding (6.7) and sixth
in assists (3.9). He is the GNAC’s No. 8 all-time rebound leader (726) from
the guard position and ranks 9th in career assists (42.5).
Led by Stockton, Matt Borton (7.4 rpg) and Mitch Penner (5.7), SPU
leads the nation in rebounding with a 13.6 margin. Corey Hutsen provides
much of the offense scoring 15.8 points per contest.
Central Washington, which won the inaugural GNAC tournament in
2011, is the No. 3 seed. Dom Williams is second in the GNAC in scoring
averaging nearly 20 points per game (19.9). Joseph Stroud is a force inside
for the scoring 12.1 points, shooting 71.4 percent, grabbing 5.3 rebounds
and blocking 67 shots.
Alaska Anchorage, which advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 in 2008, is the
No. 4 seed. Trevor Thompson (17.2 ppg), Brian McGill (14.2 ppg) and
Dom Hunter (13.5 ppg) lead the Seawolves. Thompson has a GNAC-record
302 career treys.
Western Washington is the fifth-seed and comes to Billings as the hottest
team in the conference winning seven straight. Jeffrey Parker leads the
Vikings in scoring (16.1 ppg). Ricardo Maxwell averages 15.5. Anye Turner
is the conference leader in rebounds (8.7) and blocks (3.0).
Northwest Nazarene is the No. 6 seed, Erik Kinney (14.8), freshman Alex
Birketoft (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and Kevin Rima (12.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg) are the key
players for the Crusaders.
Women: UAA Seeks
8th NCAA Tourney Bid
Since 2006
Top-seed Alaska
Anchorage, which
reached the NCAA
national semifinals in
2008 and 2009, hopes
to move at least one step
further this winter as it
begins the post-season
with a 15-game win
streak and the No.
1 ranking in NCAA
Division II.
The Seawolves
Simon Fraser’s Erin Chambers leads the GNAC in scoring this cruised to a 27-1 record
winter and is the conference’s all-time career scoring leader.
this winter and are
assured of advancing to
the NCAAs next week and perhaps hosting the eight-team regional.
Seattle Pacific (21-5), which was ranked fifth in last week’s region poll, is
also in position to earn its first regional berth since 2011.
For anyone else, it may take a GNAC championship to keep their NCAA
hopes alive.
UAA’s near perfect season – its only loss came on New Year’s Day to
Northwest Nazarene – has been led by a balanced attack with Megan
Mullings (13.8 ppg) leading four active players in double figures.
Also in double figures are Jessica Madison (11.1 ppg), Jenna Buchanan
(10.9 ppg) and Ali Madison (10.1 ppg). Mullings is the GNAC leader in
shooting percentage (60.9) and Kiki Robertson paces the GNAC in assists
with 164 and ranks second in steals with 89.
CoSIDA Academic All-American Suzanna Ohlsen and Aubree Callen
pace the Falcons scoring 18.2 and 16.0 points, respectively. Ohlsen is the
GNAC’s top three-point shooter making 41-of-96 (42.7 percent) and ranks
fourth in steals with 62.
Western Washington needed to win the GNAC tournament last year to
qualify for the NCAAs and faces the same situation again this season as they
are unranked in the regional poll.
Leading the Vikings are Taylor Peacocke (13.7 ppg), Kayla Bernsen (12.6
ppg), Katie Colard (11.5) and 2014 tournament MVP Jenni White (10.9
ppg).
Fourth-seed Simon Fraser has lost to WWU in the GNAC title game each
of the past two seasons. Erin Chambers leads the Clan and the GNAC in
scoring, averaging 23.9 points. She’s the GNAC all-time career scoring leader
with 1,910 points.
Saint Martin’s and Central Washington secured the GNAC’s final two
playoff berths last Saturday. The Saints are the fifth seed and are led by Krista
Stabler, who averages 11.9 points and Liz Mills who scores 10.5 per game.
Central Washington is in the post-season for the first time since 2003
when it lost to MSU Billings in the NCAA regional. Courtney Johnson
(13.7 ppg), Jasmin Edwards (12.2) and Jasmine Parker (10.3) lead the
Wildcats (10.3).
NCAA ANNOUNCEMENT SHOW: The NCAA will announce the qualifiers
and the pairings for the regional on a webcast Sunday at 7 p.m. (women) and
7:30 p.m. (men) on ncaa.com.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Providing music for the 2015 GNAC Basketball Championships is the MSUB Billings Pep Band, which consists of students in the university’s music program.
Dr. Mark Fenderson, an assistant professor in the MSUB music department, is the band’s director. The band regularly performs at MSUB’s men’s and women’s
home games, enhancing the atmosphere inside Alterowitz Gym.
#GNACMBB • #GNACWBB • 3