Western Oregon Men Head North to Alaska This Week

WOU’s Jacob Mitchell leads the Wolves with a 17.0 scoring average and 6.2 rebounds a game.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

MONMOUTH - The WOU Wolves will face one of the toughest tasks for any GNAC team this week, making the trip to Alaska to take on a pair of very tough conference contenders.

Up first will be Alaska Anchorage, who shut down the Wolves with suffocating defense (70-49) on Jan. 20th in Monmouth.

The Seawolves, ranked fifth in the west region, are now 13-5 overall and 4-3 in GNAC play.

UAA boasts the GNAC’s top defense, giving up only 61.9 points a game, and they also lead the league in field goal percentage (.522) and three-point percentage (.433).

The field goal percentage ranks second in the nation.

6-2 senior guard Eric Draper leads the Seawolves in scoring (15.1) and also tops the GNAC in three-pointers made per game with 3.2.

Carl Arts (Jr., 6-6) adds 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds, while Luke Cooper (Jr., 6-0) leads the conference in assists per game with 8.0 and is second in D-II statistics.

The Seawolves split games last week on the road, topping Western Washington by 20 but falling to Seattle by a single digit.

WOU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-7.

Alaska Fairbanks will be looking for revenge after falling 79-64 to WOU on Jan. 18th.

The Nanooks won both games over the weekend, in impressive fashion on the road: 57-56 over Seattle and 73-64 at WWU.

UAF is now 13-8 overall and 4-3 in the GNAC.

They have the league’s leading scorer and rebounder in 6-5 transfer Jushay Rockett (Long Beach, Calif./Texas State).

Rockett also leads the conference in double-doubles with eight.

6-3 junior guard Kenny Barker adds 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds.

Fairbanks leads the GNAC in scoring, averaging 80.1 points a game.

The Nanooks own a 12-5 all-time lead over the Wolves.

Thursday, Western Oregon (6-12 overall, 1-6 GNAC) @ Alaska Anchorage (13-5 overall, 4-3 GNAC), Wells Fargo Spots Complex, 7:30 PM (Alaska time).

Saturday, Western Oregon @ Alaska Fairbanks (13-8 overall, 4-3 GNAC), Patty Center, 4:00 PM (Alaska time).

Last Week:

The Wolves played just one game, hosting former WOU coach Tim Hills and the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders in a 74-70 setback on Jan. 25. The Wolves rallied from a 14-point first half deficit to actually take the lead twice late in the game, but NNU would answer with a 7-0 run to seal the contest.

GNAC Games This Week:

Thursday: Western Oregon at Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington at Central Washington, Saint Martin’s at Alaska Fairbanks.

Saturday: Western Oregon at Alaska Fairbanks, Saint Martin’s at Alaska Anchorage, Seattle at Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene at Central Washington.

Wolves Watch:

WOU played solid defense against a rapid-fire shooting Northwest Nazarene team, holding the Crusaders to a 37 percent shooting percentage from the field.

NNU hit 12 three-pointers, but only managed 4 of 16 in the second half.

NNU came into the game converting 41 percent of their shots from behind the arch…Travis Kuhns had 19 points off the bench for the Wolves, including a go-ahead basket with 1:45 left.

He had 15 of his points in the second half…Larry Hall had 15 points and seven rebounds, and scored the Wolves first nine points of the game on a trio of three-pointers.

By The Numbers:

WOU’s Jacob Mitchell leads the Wolves with a 17.0 scoring average and 6.2 rebounds a game.

He posted a season-best 33 counters against Cal State Monterey Bay on Dec. 16th.

He is shooting 59 percent from the field (125-210).

Ryan Schmidt (6-7, 210), a junior transfer from Hawaii, adds 15.1 ppg and a 5.2 boards a contest.

He has also nailed 36 of 85 three-point attempts (.424) in 18 games. He had a season-high 39 points in four overtimes against Cal State Monterey Bay.

Sophomore Travis Kuhns (6-8, 200) averages 9.2 points an outing and 5.1 rebounds, while senior point guard Alex Swerzbin (6-0, 190) is averaging 8.1 points and 4.6 assists.

The Hawaii Pacific transfer has been in double figure assist totals twice this season, and has converted 41 of his 44 free throw attempts (.932), including his last 21 in a row.

He has not missed a free throw in GNAC play this year.

Dominique DeWeese posts 6-7 points a game and is third on the team in steals with 19.

Probable Starters:

C - 24 Jacob Mitchell (6-7, 235, Sr., Olympia, Wash.)

F - 30 Travis Kuhns (6-8, 200, So., Salem, Ore.)

F - 3 Ryan Schmidt (6-7, 210, Jr., Keizer, Ore.)

G - 5 Alex Swerzbin (6-0, 190, Sr., Portland, Ore.)

G - 20 Dominque DeWeese (6-3, 175, Sr., Portland, Ore.) or

G- 22 Larry Hall (6-2, 185, Sr., Long Beach, Calif.)

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