[Release]
This week...
The Western Oregon University men's basketball team looks end a six-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference losing streak as it faces Montana State Billings, Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. The Wolves will then hit the road to take on the No. 5 team in the NCAA Division II West Region, Central Washington Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:00 p.m.
Montana State Billings preview...
The Montana State Yellowjackets are 9-9 this season with a 4-3 record in the GNAC and a 0-5 record on the road. It has won four of its last five games since defeating Western Oregon in Billings, Jan. 10.
Michael Hall leads the Yellowjackets offense and is ranked fifth in the GNAC with 18.1 points per game. He also leads the GNAC and is ranked 13th in DII with 3.5 three-pointers made per game. Mario Burns is ranked fifth nationally with a GNAC-best 7.1 assists per game. He also leads the conference with a 2.27 assist-to-turnover ratio and is second with 2.06 steals per game. Travis Bunker is pacing the conference in minutes at 39.89. He is also ranked third in both rebounds (8.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95) while ranking fourth in three-pointers per game (2.83) and 16th in scoring (14.2). As a team, Montana State Billings is ranked 16th in DII in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.31), 18th in assists (18.2) and 20th in three-point percentage (.396).
Montana State Billings' 91-83 victory Jan. 15, tied the all-time series between the schools at 3-3. In the game, a furious second half rally came up just short for the Western Oregon men's basketball team when they fell to Montana State-Billings, 91-83 at Alterwitz Gymnasium. After the contest was tied at 8-8 five minutes in, MSUB went on a 10-0 run to take the lead and they never gave it back. They moved out to a 44-25 halftime lead, and pushed that margin to 23 points just two minutes into the second half. But the Wolves rallied back, going on a 21-8 run over the next six minutes, and eventually pulled to within six points (72-66) on a McLaughlin lay-up with 4:47 remaining. The hosts would allow them to get no closer. Michael Hall hit a pair of three-pointers to seal the deal for the Yellowjackets. WOU freshman point guard Blair Wheadon led the Wolves effort with a career-high 29 points and four assists.
Central Washington preview...
Central Washington is ranked No. 5 in the west region poll (Jan. 28) with a 12-4 record and a 6-2 mark in the GNAC. The Wildcats are 6-1 at home this season and have won five of its last six games overall.
The Wildcats are ranked 16th in DII in scoring with 86.1 p.p.g. They are also ranked 18th nationally in rebounding margin (7.4), assists (18.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). Matt Penocello leads the Wildcats and is ranked seventh in the GNAC in points (16.9), rebounds (6.6) and free throw percentage (.785). Jake Beitinger is the GNAC's second-leading shot blocker with 1.57 per game. He is also ranked 10th in the league in scoring (16.1) and 11th in rebounds (5.9).
Central Washington leads the all-time series 35-7 and has won the past five meetings between the schools.
Head Coach Craig Stanger...
On Montana State Billings: “They are a very explosive team which plays well together despite having a new group of players. They play well inside and out and we are going to have to defend to be successful.”
On Central Washington: “CWU is extremely athletic with an explosive offense. We must play good defense and execute on offense.”
Last week...
The Wolves lost a pair of GNAC games as it dropped its home game to Seattle Pacific 96-70 before falling to Saint Martin's 89-77.
On Thursday, Seattle Pacific scored on eight of its first nine possessions and matched its season average by shooting 52.1 percent from the floor to defeat Western Oregon. Chris Banchero scored a game-high 24 points as Rafael Moreira added 20 points on nine-of-nine shooting and eight rebounds to lead Seattle Pacific. Travis Kuhns led the Wolves with 20 points and eight rebounds. Seattle Pacific outrebounded Western Oregon 44 to 31 and used this advantage to dominate the paint with a 60 to 34 scoring advantage. SPU all had 14 assists to nine turnovers, including just three at halftime. WOU committed 14 turnovers in the game which the Falcons converted into 27 points.
Against Saint Martin's, the Saints raced out to an 11-2 lead and never trailed the entire night en route to defeating Western Oregon 89-77. Blake Poole had 22 rebounds and 19 points to pace the Saints' efforts. Poole's totals helped push the hosts to a 56-30 edge on the boards. Teammate Bill Richardson also had a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds and Jake Linton added 19 points for SMU. Mike McLaughlin led the Wolves with 20 points. Travis Kuhns added 16 points and a team-best eight rebounds. After SMU's rush out of the gate, Western Oregon would come back later in the first half to within three points on a dunk by Kuhns (25-22) with 9:07 before intermission. But that's as close as they would get, and the Saints would go on to post a double digit lead for almost the entire second half.
Kuhns in the GNAC record books...
Travis Kuhns is ranked among the GNAC career leaders in five categories. He is 15th in steals, tied for 17th in blocks, 23rd in scoring and is 24th in both assists and three-pointers. He has notched 1,244 points in his career and is 24 points from moving into the top 20. In steals, he is 17 short of passing former WOU standout Robert Day for 11th place. In blocks, he is currently tied for 17th place, two behind 16th and five short of moving into a three-way tie at 14th. He also needs 37 assists over WOU's next nine games to move among the top 20 in GNAC career leaders.
Other WOU notes...
Stanley Ratcliff was named co-GNAC Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 4-11, as he helped lead Western Oregon to a win over No. 13 Saint Martin's...Kuhns earned co-GNAC Player of the Week honors for the week of Dec. 15-21 when he helped lead WOU to wins over Humboldt State and Sonoma State in the DeBani Holiday Classic...Kuhns is ranked in the top 20 in the GNAC in assists (t-seventh, 3.78), scoring (ninth, 16.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33), free throw percentage (t-10th, .778), steals (11th, 1.22), rebounds (14th, 5.4), blocks (t-14th, 0.78) and minutes (18th, 30.78)...Mike McLaughlin is ranked fifth in the league with 8.3 r.p.g., eighth with a .784 free throw percentage and 18th with a .515 field goal percentage...Blair Wheadon is ranked in the top 20 in the GNAC in minutes (sixth, 33.71), assist-to-turnover ratio (eighth, 1.46), assists (10th, 3.33), three-pointers per game (14th, 1.61), steals (t-15th, 1.11) and three-point percentage (17th, .363)...Ratcliff is third in the league with a .648 shooting percentage...Ratcliff also ranks 14th in blocks (0.78) and 15th in rebounds (5.4)...Sam Kelly is third in the league with 34 minutes per contest and is 19th in free throw percentage (.698) and three-point percentage (.347).
