Game notes

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Dec. 2) — As part of its extended homestand, the Central Washington University men's basketball team opens its Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule with games Thursday, against Montana State University Billings (MSUB), and Saturday, facing Seattle Pacific University (SPU).
 
MSUB, ranked fifth in the GNAC pre-season coaches poll, has had a rough early season, losing five of its first six games. That stretch included a double-overtime defeat to the University of Great Falls. However, four of the losses have been by seven points or less. The Yellowjackets are coming off their first win of the year, a 79-61 home victory over Black Hills State.
 
"They shoot a high volume of three-point shots and they like to push the ball in transition," said CWU men's basketball coach Sparling. "On the defensive end, they'll switch a lot of stuff. They'll throw a little zone at you to keep you off tilt." 
 
SPU, which was ranked third in the GNAC pre-season poll, is trying to extend a string of 10 straight NCAA post-season appearances. However, the Falcons graduated their top two scorers off last year's squad, All-American guard David Downs and forward Patrick Simon. Even so, Sparling say the system has not changed.
 
"They try to make you shoot the three-ball, rebound and get out and run," Sparling pointed out. "On the offensive end, they want to get you into a half-court game. They try to lull you to sleep and make mistakes with their dribble-drive handoffs, and then get you on a black cut or on the offensive glass."
 
Sparling says both games likely will be won on the defensive end. "We've got to make sure we're communicating and disrupting both of their offenses," he added.
 
Heading into those games, the CWU defense is only allowing teams to connect on a paltry 41.1 percent of their field goal attempts.
 
"Usually, your offense is always ahead of your defense at this time of year," Sparling acknowledged. "But our guys are getting to the right positions [defensively] and they're trying to cut people off. We're flying around and turning people over. And having Joseph [Stroud] in the back line cleaning up stuff for guys really helps."
 
Stroud, a transfer from Highline Community College, is averaging 3.2 blocked shots, along with scoring 11.6 points and grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game, as a top contributor off the Wildcats' bench. 
 
CWU started its homestand Saturday with an 84-71 victory over Walla Walla University, as Central improved to 3-2 on the year. It was a game in which guard Dom Williams, in a starting role, saw his first action of the season. He scored nine points, along with recording five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
"We see Dom playing a lot of minutes for us this year," Sparling said. "I thought he did a good job and did some nice things on the offensive and defensive ends."
 
Sparling goes on to say that he is still evaluating players and determining what are his team's most effective combinations.
 
"It doesn't matter who starts, it's who finishes the game," he noted. "I think we have some crews out there who can really cause some havoc on the defensive end. Where we're going to improve on the offensive end is to get the ball out of the net or off the iron quicker and get out and run between the free throw lines. I think we can pick up a lot of points in transition."
 
Both CWU games this week are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. They're part of doubleheader action and will be preceded by CWU women's basketball games on Thursday, against Saint Martin's, and Saturday, versus Western Oregon. Both of those contests are scheduled to tipoff at 5:15 p.m.