Men's Basketball | 1/27/2015 5:28:00 PM

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 27) — Coming off a rare road sweep at the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Central Washington University men's basketball team (12-4, 7-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) continues its road warrior status by playing Saturday at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. It's the longest stretch of road games for the Wildcats during the GNAC regular season.
 
The trip began with a 77-68 win Thursday at UAA, followed by a 74-70 triumph Saturday at UAF. It was just the third time in CWU men's basketball program history that the Wildcats have come home with a pair of victories from the last frontier. 
 
"I thought we moved it [the ball] as good as at any time this year," said CWU head coach Greg Sparling of the victory at UAA. "We made the extra pass and our guys stepped up and made shots."
 
About the come-from-behind win at UAF, he added, "We had to quick shooting quick shots, crank it up on the defensive end and get stops. We had a big victory there."  
 
Saturday's game begins the second half of the GNAC schedule for both the Wildcats and Crusaders. CWU will be looking to avenge a Jan. 3 loss to the Crusaders in Nicholson Pavilion, as NNU came away with a 74-67 win. The defeat snapped CWU's five-game win streak, it's longest of the year so far, and also handed the Wildcats one of only two conference losses this season.
 
"They played a good game," Sparling acknowledged. "We got into taking quick shots—and bad shots—and dug ourselves a hole. They did a nice job capitalizing."

Including that victory, NNU has won five of its last seven games, the last outing being a 67-57 loss at the University of Alaska Anchorage Saturday.
 
"I think we've grown since we played them last and, I'm sure, they have," Sparling added. "It's going to be a great game. It's always a tough place to play, down at Northwest Nazarene and we're looking forward to the challenge."
 
The Crusaders are led by Kevin Rima (F, 6-6, Sr., Fairbanks, Alaska), an honorable mention GNAC all star last season, who is averaging 11.8 points, while ranking third in the conference with 7.3 rebounds per game and eighth in field goal accuracy (57.3 percent).
 
"What they've been doing lately a lot more is going in to Rima," Sparling pointed out. "Rima's an all-league guy and he's shooting a high percentage over the last four or five game. He's playing with a lot of confidence and having a big season."
 
In Ellensburg, Rima scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He's the younger brother of CWU women's basketball assistant coach Melissa Rima.
 
Following the game at NNU, the Wildcats return home for contests next week, hosting Western Oregon University on Thursday and Saint Martin's University on Saturday, which will be Hawaiian Night in Nicholson Pavilion. For the game, CWU fans are encouraged to come in their aloha wear.
 
Presently, CWU tops the GNAC in men's basketball home attendance, averaging 876 fans per game.