SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play at home this weekend when they host Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. before playing #23 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"The first week of GNAC is always a big moment. It's nice to be at home for the first two games on our conference schedule. We've been able to learn a lot about our team throughout our nonconference schedule. I think our guys are excited to get this portion of the season." – interim head coach Keffrey Fazio
GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The GNAC named Seattle Pacific men's basketball standout Shaw Anderson its Player of the Week on Monday afternoon.
Anderson played 115 minutes over three games during Thanksgiving week. He scored 62 points for an average of 20.6 points per game. The Kelso Native shot 23-for-26 from the field with 16 rebounds, nine assists, three blocks, and a steal to his week's totals.
Anderson's biggest game of the week came last Tuesday against Sonoma State. The Falcons hung on for an 82-78 victory over the Seawolves. Anderson poured in 29 points on an efficient 11-for-18 shooting. He didn't attempt a 3-pointer in the game but went 7-for-8 from the free throw line. He pulled down seven boards and dished out a pair of assists.
MAKING HISTORY
Anderson continued to climb the all-time scoring leaderboard. He passed Divant'e Moffitt (2017-2022) for eighth all-time in program history on Tuesday. Anderson's career total sits at 1,494 points. He's 16 points away from Harry Cavell's 1,510 career mark that sits seventh all-time. Howard Heppner (1962-1966) is in sixth all-time with 1,521, while Jim Ballard (1970-1973) is in fifth with 1,530 points.
LAST TIME OUT
SPU played three games during Thanksgiving week. The week featured tightly contested games with quality opponents.
Anderson led the way with 29 points in the Falcons 82-78 win over the Sonoma State. Trace Evans was crucial for the Falcons in Tuesday's game. He had the tough task of slowing down Dillon Iyawe and still contributed offensively. The big man from the land down under scored 18 points and had five rebounds and two assists.
Newcomers Owen Moriarty and Jadin Penigar are fitting in well with the Falcons. Moriarty had 12 points and hit both of his 3-point attempts. Penigar was a rebound away from a double-double with 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Jonas La Tour was big on the glass as well, with eight rebounds.
On Friday, the team took on 15th-ranked MSU Denver in a game that featured 10 ties and 14 lead changes, the Falcons led with 33 seconds left before late free throws lifted the Roadrunners to a narrow 77-75 win.
Anderson led the Falcons with 17 points on 8-for-17 shooting. He pulled down six rebounds and had four assists. Moriarty and Kyle Luttinen scored 15 points each. Morarity hit three 3-pointers, while Luttinen splashed home five from deep.
The Falcons shot 50 percent (29-for-58) from the field, including 12 made 3-pointers. SPU forced MSU Denver into nine turnovers and scored 18 points off turnovers.
The Falcons wrapped up a holiday trip to the Centennial State with a game against Regis on Saturday afternoon. Both teams struggled offensively before a late run from the home team gave the Rangers enough to take the game.
Anderson led the Falcons with 16 points, powered by a perfect 8-for-8 performance from the free throw line. He had three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal on Saturday. Evans had 11 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field. Luttinen scored 10 points and knocked down three 3-pointers.
ABOUT ALASKA FAIRBANKS
The Alaska Nanooks followed their Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 in 2021-22 with a record of 11-15 and an eighth-place finish in the GNAC last year. UAF was tabbed to place ninth in the preseason poll. Abdullahi Mohamed returns as one of the top talents in the conference, earning Second Team All-GNAC last year with 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Bryan Nguyen and Nick Hopkins are the other two returning starters for Greg Sparling's team as he enters his sixth year in charge at Fairbanks.
The Nanooks have as talented a transfer class as any GNAC team, with Clackamas Community College guard/forward TJ Doman averaging 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds, Green River College guard Trey Anderson averaging 15.8 points and shooting 52.6 %, and Fairbanks native Tyriq Luke averaging 14.1 points at Everett Community College in 2022-23.
ABOUT #23 ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Alaska Anchorage checked in at No. 7 in the preseason coaches poll, after finishing ninth in the conference standings a season ago at 7-11. Honorable Mention All-GNAC guard Tyson Gilbert and forward Sawyer Storms are the top returners for seasoned veteran head coach Rusty Osborne, both averaging in double figures for scoring in 2022-23.
Bishop Tosi, a teammate of SPU transfer Owen Moriarty at Bellevue College, figures to provide a sturdy presence after averaging 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Peninsula College transfer Malik Jackson is coming off a sophomore season averaging 12.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in the NWAC.
