OPENING TIP
• The Western Oregon University men's basketball team will take a three-game winning streak into a big week of home basketball in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Wolves welcome Saint Martin's on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. and Seattle Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. in a game televised on ROOT Sports Northwest. Saturday's game is the annual WOU Black Out and men's basketball Alumni Day.
• WOU has separated from a logjam in the middle of the league standings to sit in third place in the GNAC with an 8-4 record. The Wolves are one game behind Alaska Anchorage for second place and a game ahead of MSU Billings in fourth place.
•   Western Oregon enters the week averaging 75.2 points and 34.2 rebounds per game. The Wolves lead the league and are 18th in Division II with 8.80 steals per game. They also lead the GNAC and are 10th in Division II with a 4.35 turnover margin.
•   Both games will have coverage on WOUWolves.com/Live with video and stats.
 
THE GNAC ROOTS IN MONMOUTH (From the GNAC Weekly release)
The eyes of a regional television audience will be on Monmouth on Saturday at the second of three GNAC games to air on ROOT SPORTS will feature Seattle Pacific and Western Oregon.
 
While both teams are down form their heights last year, both teams entering the 5 p.m. (Pacific) contest with a lot of play for. Despite turning over four starters from last year's NCAA Final Four team, the Wolves find themselves third in the GNAC with an 8-4 record, 11-9 overall, and enters the week with a three-game win streak.
 
Western Oregon is led on offense with junior transfer Ali Faruq-Bey, who leads the Wolves with an average of 14.4 points per game. He led the Wolves in scoring in both games last week, topped by a 23-point performance at Northwest Nazarene where he scored the game-winning shot in the Wolves' 69-67 victory. Junior forward Tanner Omlid, the lone returning starter from last year, is averaging 14.3 points and is ninth in the GNAC at seven rebounds per game. He is also the GNAC leader and ranked third in Division II with three steals per game.
 
HIGH (AND LOW) MARKS

• WOU allowed just 51 points to Alaska on Jan. 21, matching the lowest output for an opponent in the Jim Shaw era (NDNU; Nov. 27, 2015) while setting a new low for the Wolves for a GNAC opponent (previously 52 at NNU; Jan. 2, 2016).
• With a 98-77 win over Central Washington on Dec. 29, the Wolves set a single-game scoring mark under head coach Jim Shaw. Previously, the 96-point overtime effort against Seattle Pacific (Jan. 7, 2016) was the team's highest scoring effort.
• The Wolves shot 54.7 percent against Central Washington (35-64), the highest mark by any WOU team since Jan. 30 also against the Wildcats (57.9 percent, 33-57).

 
REIGNING CHAMPS, PRESEASON DOUBTS
Last season's GNAC regular season and tournament champions, Western Oregon entered 2016-17 picked to finish sixth in the league. The Wolves lost four-fifths of their starting lineup and return just one player (Omlid) who averaged more than 10 minutes a game.
 
ABOUT SAINT MARTIN'S
After earning an 89-64 win over Quest in non-conference play last Monday, the Saints took losses in both weekend conference games. Saint Martin's took a 67-63 loss to Alaska Anchorage on Thursday and a 74-72 loss to Alaska on Saturday. Senior guard Cole Preston leads the GNAC and is 16th in Division II in assists with six per game. He is also fourth in the GNAC in three-point percentage (.449). Senior center Fred Jorg enters the week ninth in the GNAC in field goal percentage (.533). Senior guard Tyler Copp is ninth in the GNAC in scoring at 16.7 points per game and is second in the GNAC and 23rd in Division II in free throw percentage at .893 (75-84). Saint Martin's enters the week averaging 81.2 points and 37.7 rebounds per game. The Saints lead the GNAC in three-point defense (.323) and are second in scoring defense (71.6 points allowed per game)
 
ABOUT SEATTLE PACIFIC
Seattle Pacific had a pair of overtime games over the weekend. The Falcons collected a 72-69 victory over Alaska on Thursday and then took an 83-81 loss to Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Freshman forward Tony Miller led the Falcons with a pair of double-doubles. Miller has 10 double-doubles on the season, which is 10th best in Division II. Miller is fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 17.8 points per game and second in rebounding at 9.4 boards per game. Sophomore forward Coleman Wooten is seventh in the GNAC in scoring at 17.4 points per game and is tied for fifth at 8.3 rebounds per game. Seattle Pacific has a streak of 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Falcons enter the week averaging 80.1 points per game and lead the GNAC with an average of 40.4 rebounds per game. The Falcons also lead the GNAC and are 28th in Division II with 28.15 defensive rebounds per game.