ELLENSBURG, WASH. — The Central Washington University men's basketball team heads to Burnaby, British Columbia for a GNAC contest against Simon Fraser University.
GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, January 4
7:00 p.m.
Vs Simon Fraser
Burnaby, British Columbia
QUOTABLE
"This is as good of a Simon Frasier team as they have had in a long time, CWU Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "They have already proven they are one of the best teams in the league. It is going to be another tough road test for us."
SCOUTING SIMON FRASER
Simon Fraser is 9-3 overall and 2-1 in GNAC play this season. The Clan lost their most recent outing to Northwest Nazarene University, 74-71 in Burnaby. It was the first time Simon Fraser has lost at home this season. The Clan are 4-1 in the confines of West Gym.
Previously in GNAC play, Simon Fraser defeated both Montana State Billings and Western Washington University.
Simon Fraser is averaging 82.1 points per game and shooting 45.9 percent from the floor. They are holding opponents to 74.5 points per game and a shooting percentage of 46.8. Simon Fraser is also out rebounding opponents, 36-32. Defensively, the Clan are averaging 10.5 steals per game and hold a turnover margin of 6.1.
Individually, Jasdeep Singh leads Simon Fraser's offense. He is averaging 18.1 points per game and is 28-for-74 from beyond the three-point line. Willfried Balata (15.5), Othniel Spence (13.5), and Michael Provenzano (13.2) are all averaging double digit scoring efforts. All four are starters for the Clan. The final starter, Julian Roche, is right behind at 9.5 points per game.
Balata leads the Clan in rebounding, hauling in 8.3 rebounds per game. Roche sits second on the roster at 6.6 boards a night.
In GNAC play, Singh leads the Clan with 17 points per night. Spence is averaging 15.5 points and Provenzano is averaging 13.8.
Prior to their loss to Colorado School of Mines on December 19, the Clan had won eight straight contests.
LAST TIME OUT
Matt Poquette started the scoring for the Wildcats, before
Davon Bolton hit a pair of free throws. After a free throw from Western's Trevor Jasinsky, and one from Poquette, Bolton knocked down a trey for an 8-1 lead in favor of CWU. A jumper from
Kevin Baker put Central ahead 10-1, before the Vikings' offense found its rhythm.
Western scored nine unanswered points, tying the game at 10-10 with 12:17 left in the first half. A three from Bolton was quickly wiped away by a trey from Leif Anderson. The Vikings began slowly extending their lead reaching a double digit lead with 5:10 to play in the first half.
A pair of free throws from Poquette with 2:49 left in the opening stanza dipped the Vikings' lead to eight, 30-22, but Anderson knocked down a jumper to reestablish the double digit lead. Jumpers from
Tariq Woody and
Xavier Smith brought the half within seven, but a three from Siaan Rojas gave Western its third double digit advantage of the half with 46 seconds left.
Central scored the final three points of the half on a free throw Poquette and a layup from Bolton. The Wildcats went into the locker room trailing 39-29.
The second half wasn't kinder to the Crimson and Black. Western extended its lead to 19, on a three from Rojas, four minutes into the second half. Central chipped away at the deficit, dropping it to 10 with 13:05 left in regulation. Woody picked up six points in the run,
Jeryn Lucas added five. The Vikings' offense found another rhythm, however, and pushed their lead back to 19 with 7:38 remanning in regulation. They held the double digit advantage for the remainder fo the contest.
Bolton led the Wildcats with 18 points. He shot 50 percent from the floor and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe. Bolton also recorded five rebounds and two assists.
Micah Pollard recorded 11 points, while Poquette chipped in 10. Poquette also recorded nine rebounds and a pair of blocks. Baker copped in eight points and seven rebounds.
