MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon men's basketball team moved within a game of the second-seed in the race for the GNAC Championship and made a statement from long distance with an 89-71 victory over Alaska Anchorage before a good crowd in the New P.E. Building on Saturday night. WOU went 14-of-24 from distance in the game and shot a season-high 56.4 percent from the floor overall. The victory earned WOU (15-11, 12-6 GNAC) a spilt of the regular season series with the Seawolves (19-7, 13-5) and a weekend sweep of the league's Alaskan schools.

How It Happened
The Wolves opened the game on a 14-4 run with a brilliant display of 3-point shooting to get the New P.E. crowd into the contest early. Ali Faruq-Bey made a pair of 3-pointers and added a lay-up to score eight points in the stretch with Tanner Omlid and Evan Garrison hitting the other triples in a 4-for-4 start from behind the arc. WOU built the lead to 11 points twice before the Seawolves chipped away from the foul line.
 
Sekou Wiggs twice trimmed the lead to three points, the last with 5:42 on the clock. Two more charity shots from Wiggs put the score at 38-33. J.J. Chirnside hit a three from the top of the key and Omlid made a tough lay-in through contact to close the half on a 6-0 to take a 44-33 halftime lead.
 
Early in the second half, Alaska Anchorage hit their opening shot to trim the lead back to single digits, but a Faruq-Bey triple and consecutive layups from Omlid surged the lead to 15, 52-37.
 
With the Wolves' lead continuing to hover between 11 and 15 points, a 12-2 run comprised of two makes from distance each from Faruq-Bey and Isaiah Edwards helped balloon the lead to 86-62 with 1:48 to play.
 
Wolves' Top Performers

• Ali Faruq-Bey led four WOU players in double figures with 22 points including five 3-pointers.
• Tanner Omlid had 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and two blocks.
• Demetrius Trammell added 11 points off the bench with three triples.
• JJ Chirnside netted 10 points with five rebounds and four blocks.

 
For the Seawolves

• Sekou Wiggs had a game-high 23 points going 12-of-14 from the foul line.
• Diante Mitchell scored 15 points while Spencer Svejcar had 13.

 
Up Next
The Wolves play a big in-state GNAC game at Concordia on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. before returning home for Senior Night on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. against Montana State Billings.