ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men's basketball team (9-9, 3-4 GNAC) returns home this week to start a two-game homestand at Nicholson Arena, starting on Thursday, Jan. 22, taking on No. 12 Saint Martin's (15-2, 7-0 GNAC), followed by a matchup against Western Oregon (7-9, 2-5 GNAC) on Saturday, Jan. 24.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026
Central Washington vs No. 12 Saint Martin's
7:30 p.m.
Nicholson Arena
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
TICKETS: HERE
HISTORY: HERE
 
Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026
Central Washington vs Western Oregon
7:15 p.m.
Nicholson Arena
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
TICKETS: HERE
HISTORY: HERE
 

LAST WEEKEND:

Central split its last two matchups, dropping a narrow 66-63 road decision at Seattle Pacific on Jan. 15 before bouncing back with an 85-72 comeback win at Montana State Billings on Jan. 17. Against SPU, the Wildcats stayed within striking distance all night and trimmed the deficit to one point in the final seconds but were unable to complete the comeback after trailing 41-36 at halftime. CWU responded two days later with one of its strongest halves of the season, erasing a five-point halftime deficit at MSUB by outscoring the Yellowjackets 54–36 in the second half, shooting over 65 percent after the break to pull away for the road victory.
 
Individually, Jordan Clark led the way in both games, averaging 27 points over the two contests. He scored 22 points against Seattle Pacific and followed it up with a 32-point performance at Montana State Billings, knocking down six three-pointers and going 19-21 from the free-throw line across the two games. Bradley Swillie contributed consistently with 10 points at SPU and 13 points, nine assists, and five rebounds at MSUB, while Jamari Harris provided a spark off the bench with nine points in each game. Calvin Sisk was dominant in the win at MSUB, scoring 15 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, while Garrett Marrs paced the Wildcats on the glass against SPU with nine rebounds.
 

SCOUTING THE SAINTS:
 
Saint Martin's has put together an outstanding first half of the 2025-26 season, compiling a 15-2 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark in GNAC play, riding a 12-game winning streak. The Saints opened the season with back-to-back wins in Hawaii before suffering early nonconference losses to Hawaii Pacific and Cal State East Bay but quickly rebounded and gained momentum with a dominant stretch that included decisive wins over Evergreen State, Stanislaus State, Chico State, and both Alaska schools.
 
Kaden Hansen leads the team across the board offensively with 291 total points, while also adding 45 total rebounds, 40 assists, and 27 steals. Dae'Kwon Watson follows as the second-leading scorer with 238 points, and contributes 59 rebounds, 38 assists, and a team-high 36 steals. Anthony Simo dominates the glass for the Saints with 114 total rebounds including 47 offensive boards. Diego Trejo-Delgado anchors the rim defense, totaling a team-leading 16 blocks, while also dishing out 38 assists and recording 85 boards. Omer Ege Peksari moves the ball well, leading in assists with 55, while adds 17 steals and 45 rebounds, while Pablo Navarro provides strong efficiency and interior presence with 120 points and 108 rebounds, second-most on the team. Mark Clegg Jr. rounds out the top contributors with 106 points and 83 rebounds, giving the squad balanced production across scoring, rebounding, and playmaking.
 
The Wildcats take on the Saints on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. following the conclusion of the CWU women's basketball team's game, also against SMU.
 

SCOUTING THE WOLVES:

Western Oregon has seen its season start in not the best way, tallying a 7-9 overall record and a 2-5 mark in GNAC play. However, most recently, the Wolves found a two-game winning streak entering this week after defeating Simon Fraser on Jan. 15, and Western Washington on Jan. 17. WOU opened the season on the road with a loss at Cal State Monterey Bay before responding with a win over Menlo, then split a series at the Wolves Athletic Center, highlighted by a victory over Westmont. On the road, the Wolves finished 1-4, with their lone away win coming at Westminster.
 
Western Oregon is led by Jadin Penigar with 333 total points for an average of 20.8 per game while also leading the team in rebounding with 91 boards for 5.7 per contest. Noah Ogoli serves as the key playmaker with a team-high 58 assists, while also leading the defense with 38 steals. Inside, Peter-Kaci Gwananji provides a strong presence, leading the team in blocks with nine, alongside Penigar, and shooting 65.7 percent from the floor.

The Wildcats and the Wolves hit the court on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:15 p.m. following the end of the women's basketball team's game against WOU.
 

UP NEXT:
 
Central will head back out on the road next week for a single matchup in Nampa, Idaho, to take on Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tip-off from the Johnson Sports Center is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PST