ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington men's basketball (15-7, 8-5 GNAC) heads to Nampa, Idaho this week to play Northwest Nazarene (13-8, 9-4 GNAC). Both teams are coming off two wins last week against the Alaska schools. Saturday's showdown tips off at 6:00 p.m.

QUOTING HEAD COACH BRANDON RINTA
"We have been right alongside NNU in the standings all year. They are a tough team that defends and rebounds at a high level." 

GNAC STANDINGS
The top six teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) at the end of the season advance to the GNAC tournament held from March 7^th–9^th in Ellensburg, Washington. If the season ended today, both Northwest Nazarene (3^rd) and Central Washington (4^th) would make the tournament. Western Washington and Seattle Pacific are both just two games behind Central Washington.



SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
Northwest Nazarene had a slow start to the season but strung together four wins in January and are hitting their stride in the last three weeks of regular season play. The Nighthawks picked up two key victories last week over the Alaska schools. Northwest Nazarene beat Alaska Anchorage 80-74 on Thursday and got their eighth home win on Saturday beating Alaska Fairbanks 70-52.

Gabriel Murphy and Ryzin Bergersen were the top performers for the Nighthawks last week. Murphy scored 21 points and corralled seven boards against the Seawolves. Bergersen put up 13 points to go with three assists and three steals in their home win on Saturday.

Ryzin Bergerson leads the Nighthawks in scoring this season. Bergersen averages 13.2 ppg this season and leads the team with 45 made threes.

Tru Allen (12.9 ppg), Gabriel Murphy (12.3), and Aaron Murphy (10.6) round out the double-digit scoring for Northwest Nazarene. Gabriel Murphy leads the team and is fourth in the conference for rebounds averaging 7.5 boards per game.

The Nighthawks are tough on the defensive end and lead the GNAC in steals, collecting 8.8 per game. Ryzin Bergersen (35) and Tru Allen (49) have combined for 84 steals this season.

A win from Northwest Nazarene on Saturday and a Saint Martin's loss would elevate the Nighthawks to 2^nd in the conference standings.

LAST TIME OUT
Central Washington earned two big home wins last week over the Alaska Schools. Both wins came with career highs. Maverick Sanders scored a career-high 26 points in the 'Cats 88-60 victory over Fairbanks on Thursday. Two days later, Colby Gennett didn't miss a shot against Alaska Anchorage. Colby made all nine of his shots and secured a new career-high, scoring 19 points in the 75-66 win over Alaska Anchorage.

Anjaylo Lloyd and Samaad Hector are both averaging over ten points per game. Lloyd is 12^th in the GNAC in scoring averaging 13.5 points a game and Hector is 13^th in the conference averaging 13.4 points per contest.

Hector has been a factor on the glass all season. He has 180 rebounds and is averaging a GNAC leading 8.6 a game. Hector's ability to score and corral rebounds has led to seven double-doubles this season.

Camron McNeil, Jordan Clark, and Seth Dawson are the leaders in assists and steals for the crimson and black. Dawson has a team high of 59 assists. McNeil and Clark both have 49 assists. Clark leads the team with 33 steals and McNeil isn't far behind collecting 27.

With the win on Saturday, the 'Cats would be tied for third with Northwest Nazarene at (9-5) in GNAC play.

HISTORY 
This is the second meeting this season between these teams. The 'Cats won the first matchup in convincing fashion 82-58. The all-time record is in favor of Central Washington, 41-19.

UP NEXT
Central Washington plays at Simon Fraser and Western Washington next week before returning home for the final two games of the season against #13 Saint Martin's and Western Oregon.