ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 23) – The Central Washington University men's basketball team hosts Western Oregon University and Concordia University (Ore.) in a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups.
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday, Jan. 24
vs Western Oregon
7:00 PM
Ellensburg, WA | Nicholson Pavilion
LIVE STATS |
LIVE VIDEO
Saturday, Jan. 26
vs Concordia (Ore.)
7:00 p.m.
Ellensburg, WA | Nicholson Pavilion
LIVE STATS |
LIVE VIDEO
QUOTABLE
"This is a big three-game home stand for us," CWU Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "This weekend will complete the first half of league and it has become clear how competitive the GNAC is this year. You have to play well every game to put yourself in a position to win. This weekend will be no different with WOU and CU. "
SCOUTING WESTERN OREGON
The Wolves split last week and are now 13-4 overall, with a 7-2 record in GNAC play. The 64-59 loss to the Saints was WOU's second conference loss of the season. Both have come by five or fewer points. They bounced back with a tight 73-71 win over Seattle Pacific Jan. 19 to pull into a three-way tie for second place in the GNAC with SPU and NNU.
Western Oregon is currently 3rd in TO margin (+6.6), 8th in scoring margin (+14.6), 12th in scoring defense (64.5 ppg) and 17th in assist/turnover ratio (1.49) in NCAA DII.
In the conference, the Wolves rank 1st in scoring defense (64.5 ppg), scoring margin (+14.6), field goal percentage defense (.412), 3-point percentage defense (.314), assist/turnover ratio (1.5) and turnover margin (+6.65).
The WOU bench has produced at least 15 points in 16 of their first 17 games including eight games of at least 30 points. The WOU bench scored 65 points Dec. 29 vs. Portland Bible College. WOU's leading scorer has been a reserve five times this season.
Five separate Wolves are averaging seven or more points per game while eight players are averaging more than five points per game. Darius Lubom is the clubhouse leader, averaging 9.9 points per game.
SCOUTING CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY (ORE.)
The Cavaliers went 0-2 at home against two of the top teams in the conference. They started the weekend with a heartbreaking 80-78 loss to Seattle Pacific on Thursday when the Falcons made a tip-in as the buzzer sounded.
Jarrett Gray finished with a game high 23 points including the game-tying three before the Falcons' game-winner.
Cody Starr added 13 points off the bench while
Hunter Sweet had 12 points and
Dakota Ayala chipped in 11 points.
Then on Saturday, CU lost 89-77 to No. 23 Saint Martin's despite connecting on 50% of its shots from three-point range. Five Cavs scored in double digits led by Gray's 18 points. Starr added 16 points off the bench. Three other players scored in double figures in
Tyler Wells' 14 points, Ayala's 13 points and Sweet's 10 points.
Gray averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals last weekend at home. He started the week tying his season high with 23 points, going nine for 12 from the field including four-of-five from three-point range. Gray grabbed six rebounds, blocked a shot and recorded a steal in 35 minutes in CU's heart-breaking 80-78 loss to Seattle Pacific. He came back to score 18 points including 13 in the first half in CU's 89-77 loss to No. 23 Saint Martin's. Gray was six-for-11 from the field, connected on four of his five attempts from three-point land. He also had four rebounds, two steals and two assists.
For the weekend, Gray shot 65.2% from the field including 80% from three-point range while connecting on three of his five attempts from the line.
The Cavs are fifth in scoring defense in the recent GNAC team statistics' report.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats split their last week, falling to Alaska Anchorage before netting a hard-fought win over Alaska.
The Wildcats shot 50 percent in the second stanza, outscoring Alaska 40-28. A late push from the Crimson and Black whittled at the Nanooks' lead until a pair of free throws from Hudson levelled the score at 52-52 with 4:57 to play.
Malik Montoya and Zeliie Hudson knocked down threes in the waning moments of the second half to secure the victory.
In the 'Cats' first game of the weekend, Anchorage took a 45-33 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the first period, the Seawolves shot 16-for-29 from the floor, including 10 three-pointers. Central shot just 12-for-29 and knocked down five treys.
The barrage of threes slowed in the second half. The Seawolves went just 4-for-8 in the back end, while Central finished 2-for-4.
Central cut the deficit to single digits only once in the second half after a three from Lucas brought the score to 48-40.
The Crimson and Black finished with 24 points in the paint, 11 points off of turnovers, and the reserves tallied 35 points. Central held the Seawolves' bench to just five points. Six Wildcats recorded multiple assists.
