Men's Basketball | 2/19/2013 3:49:00 PM

MEN'S BASKETBALL - MONTANA STATE BILLINGS AT WESTERN OREGON
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 – 7:00 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)
LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

MEN'S BASKETBALL - NO. 5 SEATTLE PACIFIC AT WESTERN OREGON - SENIOR DAY
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 – 2:00 p.m. – Monmouth, Ore.

LIVE VIDEO: WOU TV (Stretch Internet)
LIVE STATS: http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm

MONMOUTH, Ore.- The Western Oregon men's basketball team returns to action this week as the Wolves resume conference play for their final two home games of the season as they host Montana State Billings on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m. before a meeting with No. 5 Seattle Pacific for Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2:00 p.m.

The Wolves enter the week with a record of 10-12 overall and 5-9 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play after defeating Simon Fraser before falling at No. 2 Western Washington on the road. The Wolves are still in the hunt for a berth into the GNAC Men's Basketball Championship; however, the Wolves currently stand two games behind sixth-place Central Washington for the race to earn a spot in the postseason tournament.

WOU enters the week averaging 75.9 points per game as freshman forward Andy Avgi continues to lead the Wolves in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game to rank fourth in the conference, while leading the team in rebounds with 5.5 per game. WOU has three other players in double figures, including senior center Kolton Nelson (11.1 ppg) and guards Devon Alexander (10.1 ppg) and Rodney Webster (10 ppg). Junior guard Tyler Funk leads the Wolves in assists at 3.1 per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Alexander leads WOU in steals (2.4 steals per game) and Nelson leads the team in blocks with 12.

Montana State Billings enters the week with a record of 14-11 overall and 7-7 in GNAC play. They have won two straight and three of their past four following victories last week at home over Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington.

Senior forward Jarrell Crayton leads the Yellowjackets in scoring (16 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg), steals (1.4 spg), and blocks (17). As a team, the Yellowjackets average 76 points per game and give up an average of 74.7 points per contest.

No. 5 Seattle Pacific enters the week with a record of 19-3 overall and 12-2 in GNAC play following victories at home last week over Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.  Junior guard David Downs leads the Falcons in scoring (14 ppg) and assists (5.5 apg) as the Falcons average 77.6 ppg as a team.

Last season, the Wolves split the season series against the Yellowjackets and Falcons as WOU dropped contests on the road at MSUB and SPU earlier this season.

The contest against the Falcons will mark the final home game for three WOU seniors as Nelson, James Gehring and Brandon Troxel will be playing in a Wolves uniform at the New PE Building for the last time in their careers.

Admission to each contest is $6 for adults and $4 for non-WOU students and seniors while current WOU students are admitted for free with a valid identification card.

Following this week, the Wolves return to action at Central Washington on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.