ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Feb. 25) — On the eve of March Madness, teams are making their final pushes to get into the post season. The Central Washington University men's basketball team has already punched its ticket to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference "big dance." (Game notes).
 
It's an arduous event, which requires teams to win three games in three days to secure the GNAC championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II West Region playoff that comes with it. However, the teams that finish in the top two spots in the conference during the regular season get first round conference tournament byes.
 
Second place in the GNAC is squarely on the line Thursday when the Wildcats face Seattle Pacific University (SPU) in Royal Brougham Pavilion in Seattle. The teams are tied for the conference's silver medal with 11-5 GNAC marks. 
 
"Our guys know the importance of a first-round bye," said CWU head coach Greg Sparling. "The neat thing about it is we're playing over on the I-5 corridor. We played there during the opening weekend in that [SPU Sodexo Tip-Off Classic] tournament. It's going to be nice to be able to play in front of friends, family and alumni. I think you're going to see a pretty good following for the Wildcats there."   
 
CWU won the two games it played in the tourney this year, on SPU's home floor, getting past Minnesota Crookston, 65-52, and Academy of Art, 70-68. Over the last decade, in regular-season games in Brougham Pavilion, the Wildcats are 5-5 against the Falcons.
 
CWU also won the earlier meeting of the squads this season in Nicholson Pavilion, 73-67. But that game came during the first weekend of conference play in early December. 
 
"We had different personnel and they were playing different lineups at that time," Sparling recalled. "They're a lot better defensive team then they were the first time we met them and they're a lot more patient on offense. They have the same faces but they're doing some different things." 
 
Those Falcon faces include center Cory Hutsen, who is sixth in the GNAC in both scoring (16.0) and field goal percentage (58.7). Forward Matt Borton (6.8) and guard Riley Stockton (6.7) are the Nos. 4-5 rebounders in the conference. Stockton, the nephew of NBA legend John Stockton, is also sixth in the GNAC in assists (3.9). Forward Shawn Reid is third in the conference in three-point percentage (46.5).
 
As a team, the Falcons' top the conference in three-point percentage (32.2) defense, scoring defense (64.9) and scoring margin, beating teams by 15.3 points per game. They're also outrebounding opponents by a conference best 12.5 boards per game, which is No. 2 in the nation.
"The last thing you want to do on somebody's home floor is give them extra possessions in a game," Sparling pointed out. "If we can limit that, and get out and run, I like our chances our between the free throw lines."
 
Offensively, SPU is the GNAC's top shooting team, and fifth in the country, hitting on 51.6 percent from the field. They'll be facing a CWU team that tops the GNAC in field goal percentage defense (42.6).
 
Following the game at SPU, CWU concludes the regular season Saturday at Montana State University Billings (MSUB). The Yellowjackets will offer a significant contrast to what Central will face at SPU.
 
"It's two different styles of basketball," Sparling acknowledged. "SPU is trying to run the shot clock down. Billings is trying to push the basketball and shoot a lot of threes."  
 
MSUB, at 5-21 on the season and 3-13 in the GNAC race, is out of the playoff hunt. The game against the Wildcats will be the team's Senior Night as guard Antoine Hosley and forward Tyler Nelson will be honored prior to tipoff. Hosley is scoring 12.7 points per game. Nelson averages 4.3 points and grabs 6.0 rebounds per game, which is the ninth best average in the GNAC.
 
"Anything can happen on Senior Night over at their place," Sparling admitted. "Hopefully, we come out ready to go the second night." 
 
Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.