ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Jan. 9) – The Central Washington University men's basketball team hosts Simon Fraser and Western Washington in a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games.
GAME INFORMATION
Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
vs Simon Fraser
Ellensburg, WA | Nicholson Pavilion
Live Stats |
Live Video
Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
vs Western Washington
Ellensburg, WA | Nicholson Pavilion
Live Stats |
Live Video
QUOTABLE
"This is a very good Simon Fraser team," CWU Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "They have taken a large step from last year to this year and proved that by going on the road and beating Concordia. Western is big and talented again this season. They are coming off a win versus St. Martin's who had positioned themselves at the top of the conference early on. This will be the first taste of this rivalry for many of our new players and I know they are looking forward to it."
SCOUTING SIMON FRASER
Simon Fraser is 7-5 on the season and 1-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Clan dropped both of its games last week, falling to No. 21 Saint Martin's (96-76) and Seattle Pacific (94-66).
Prior to the start of the new year, the Clan had won three consecutive games. They recorded wins over Concordia (Ore.) (81-79), Langara (110-60), and Trinity Western (127-75).
Simon Fraser is led offensively by Othniel Spence, who averages 15.4 points per game. Julian Roche (13.7), Wilfried Balata (13.0), and Drew Bryson (10.1) all average 10 or more points per game as well. The Clan are shooting 48 percent from the floor as a unit, including a 38.9 mark from beyond the arc. They are also converting at a clip of 74.1 percent from the charity stripe. As a unit, Simon Fraser averages 84.33 points per game, while allowing just 73.33.
Roche is atop the clubhouse leaderboard for rebounding, hauling in 6.4 rebounds per game. He is followed by Balata, who averages 5.6 rebounds per game. The Clan reel in 36 rebounds, while allowing 31 per game.
Last season the Wildcats and Clan split the season series. Simon Fraser captured a 91-78 victory in Burnaby, before the Wildcats returned the favor in Ellensburg with an 81-67 win.
SCOUTING WESTERN WASHINGTON
The Vikings enter the week at 8-8 overall and 2-2 in GNAC contests. Most recently, the Vikings split a pair of contests against Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's. They fell to Seattle Pacific, 86-72, before picking up a 75-68 victory over No. 19 Saint Martin's. Western overcame a 10-point second half deficit to knock off the Saints, finishing the game on a 16-2 run in the final five minutes.
Trevor Jasinsky leads the Vikings' offense, averaging 19.7 points per game. Jasinksy shoots 41.5 percent from the floor, including a 33.7 percent clip from the beyond arc. He is also second in rebounding, hauling in 7.1 boards per outing and is tied for the clubhouse lead with 13 blocks. In only GNAC contests, Jasinsky is averaging 24 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Outside of Jasinsky, Micah Winn (11.3), Luke Lovelady (10.7), and Siaan Rojas (10.5) are all averaging double-digit scoring efforts. The Vikings are shooting 45.6 percent from the floor and averaging 87.29 points per game. They hold opposing teams to 77.79 points per game and out rebound their opponents 40-35.
The Wildcats and Vikings split the 2017-18 season series with each team winning at home. Western came away with a 77-67 win in Bellingham, while the Wildcats held on for a 92-81 win in Ellensburg.
LAST TIME OUT
Central Washington also split its contests last week, falling to Northwest Nazarene (90-87) and defeating Montana State University Billings (111-102) in overtime.
The victory over Billings marked the first GNAC win of the season and the first GNAC win for first year head coach
Brandon Rinta.
The Nighthawks jumped out to an early lead and pushed their advantage to 21-11 with 12:17 to play in the first half. Northwest Nazarene extended its lead to 18 in the next 10 minutes of playing, going up 53-35 with 2:06 to play in the opening stanza.
Central cut the deficit to 13 at the halftime buzzer, trailing 53-40. The Wildcats shot 58.3 percent from the floor, while NNU finished the first half with a shooting percentage of 55.9. The Nighthawk reserves scored 28 points in the first half and NNU recorded 10 points off of turnovers. The Crimson and Black committed 10 turnovers, while Northwest Nazarene managed just three.
The Crimson and Black staked out a 76-66 advantage with 9:42 to play in regulation, completing a 36-13 run since the start of the second stanza.
The Nighthawks mounted a comeback of their own, dwindling the Wildcats' lead to one, 81-80, with 4:23 left to play. A jumper from Boykin, and free throws from Poquette, kept the lead momentarily. Jayden Bezzant gave the Nighthawks a late lead on a jumper with just 56 seconds remaining, 88-87. A late push from the Crimson and Black fell short as the Nighthawks hung on for the 90-87 win.
Against the 'Jackets, the Crimson and Black erased an 11-piont deficit to force overtime.
Gamaun Boykin nailed a three from the corner as time expired in regulation, forcing overtime.
After trading baskets for the opening few minutes of overtime, Central finally took the lead 96-95 after two made free throws. The Wildcats defense locked down from that point on, allowing the visitors just seven more points down the stretch.
Boykin led Central with 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Zellie Hudson chipped in 26 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
The Wildcats own the 11
th best offense in Division II, averaging 89.8 points per game. That mark also sits atop the GNAC leaderboard.
