MONMOUTH, Ore. — The Western Oregon men's basketball team returns home after a 1-1 week on the road. Sitting alone in third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and two games out of first, the Wolves host Alaska Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. and Alaska Anchorage Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. Both games will take place at NPE Gym.

ABOUT UAF (4-13, 1-9 GNAC): Now on an eight-game losing streak, the Nanooks are in search of their first win since Dec. 8 when they bested rival Alaska Anchorage 68-67.

The current losing streak already includes one loss to the Wolves, 97-80 in Fairbanks Jan. 5. The 97 points allowed to Western Oregon was the most given up by UAF this season and only the second time they have allowed more than 90.

Alaska currently has the lowest-scoring offense in the GNAC, averaging 71.4 points per game while allowing the second-most points at 79.7 per contest. The result has been one of two negative scoring margins in the GNAC at -8.3.

The Nanooks have five players averaging 10 or more points per game, led by the 13.7 of Michael Kluting. Kluting is also averaging 8.5 rebounds per game, tied for the highest clip in the GNAC with MSUB's Melvin Newbern Jr.

UAF does not have a player that has started all 17 of their contests this season and only Kluting has started more than 13. Nine separate players have started a game this year for Alaska.

WOU vs. UAF: WOU is 21-15 against UAF since 2002. The Wolves have won six straight in the series and 10 of the last 11. UAF's last win came Feb. 18, 2016, 87-78 in Fairbanks. Their last win in Monmouth was Jan. 25, 2014, 60-56. WOU is 9-8 at home in the series.

ABOUT UAA (11-7, 6-4 GNAC): Alaska Anchorage has won four straight conference games to move into a tie for fourth place in the GNAC with Seattle Pacific at 6-4. One of those conference wins has come against WOU when the Seawolves defended home court, 61-57 on Jan. 3.

UAA will have a highly competitive start to February, getting consecutive matchups with WOU, Seattle Pacific, Saint Martin's and Northwest Nazarene, respectively, over the first two weeks. 

The Seawolves' defense has kept them competitive, allowing just 69.4 points per game and giving up more than 63 points just once over their last four contests. They additionally have the top perimeter shooting in the conference, hitting 39.1 percent of 3-pointers this season.

Tyler Brimhall is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 17.3 points per game, good for the fourth-best scoring average in the GNAC.

WOU vs. UAA: Western Oregon is 15-22 against UAA since 2002. Anchorage's win Jan. 3 snapped a four-game winning streak in the series for the Wolves who have won eight of the last 11 meetings dating back to March of 2014. UAA's last win in Monmouth came Jan. 23, 2014, in a 92-58 victory. They have not won consecutive games against WOU since Jan. 23 and Feb. 22, 2014. WOU is 8-9 in the series at home.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (14-5, 7-3 GNAC): For the third time in the last four weeks, Western Oregon split their pair of games, topping Central Washington 89-57 before a 78-70 loss on the road to Northwest Nazarene. The loss to the Nighthawks was the first since Dec. 31, 2016 and the first in Nampa since Jan. 9, 2014.

Senior Kaleb Warner was the only player to finish in double figures scoring in both games, combining for 34 points and 13 rebounds over the weekend. This included a game-high 21 points and seven boards at NNU.

WOU's 35.1 percent field goal shooting against NNU was their lowest of the season, finishing 26-for-74 from the field on their second-highest field goal attempts in a game.

Central Washington's 57 points scored was the lowest allowed to a GNAC opponent by WOU this year. The only teams held to fewer points by Western Oregon this year were Colorado Christian (35) and Portland Bible College (33).

NATIONAL RANKS: The Wolves are currently 5th in TO margin (+6.16), 10th in scoring margin (+14.3), 15th in scoring defense (64.8 ppg) and 21st in assist/turnover ratio (1.44) in NCAA DII.

GNAC RANKS: In the conference, the Wolves rank 1st in scoring defense (64.8 ppg), scoring margin (+14.3), 3-point percentage defense (.312), assist/turnover ratio (1.44) and turnover margin (+6.16).

OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS: Western Oregon's 22 offensive rebounds Jan. 26 at Northwest Nazarene was their most in a game since Dec. 16, 2014 in a 110-61 win over Multnomah when they pulled in 25. The Wolves set a school NCAA-era record that night with 64 total rebounds, breaking the previous record by 10.

ASSISTS LOW AT NNU: The six team assists Jan. 26 at NNU were the fewest for WOU since their March 24, 2016, meeting with Augustana (S.D.) in the Final Four when they had just five assists.

UN-THREE-LIEVABLE: WOU's 91-65 win over Concordia Jan. 8 was the second time this season they found themselves stamping the program's record books for 3-pointers. Making 14 team 3-pointers in the game, it was the 9th-highest single-game total in the school's NCAA-era history as well as 4th-highest percentage from three (.636). Riley Hawken's 6-for-7 night from deep tied for the 4th-best single-game 3-point percentage as well.

CONVINCING WINS: 11 of the 14 wins this season for WOU have come by at least 11 points. This includes five wins of at least 22.

WHEEL OF STARTERS:  10 separate players have started a game this season for Western Oregon.

BENCH PRODUCTION: The WOU bench has produced at least 15 points in 18 of their first 19 games including nine games of at least 30 points. The WOU bench scored 65 points Dec. 29 vs. Portland Bible College. WOU's leading scorer has been a reserve five times this season.

COLLINS COMING ON STRONG: After scoring just 15 combined points over his first five appearances of the season, freshman Etan Collins has finished in double figures in four of his last seven games and six times overall this year. His 24 points Dec. 8 against Corban University is the third-highest single-game total by a WOU player this season and the highest total by an underclassman. Additionally, his 20 combined rebounds between games Jan. 17 and 19 ties him for the team's highest two-game total with Riley Hawken who had 20 rebounds over that span on two separate occasions.

FOUL DIFFERENTIAL: Western Oregon's sticky defense has led to an even or positive foul differential in all but one game this season; their 129-33 win over Portland Bible College.

TURNOVER MARGINS: The Wolves are 5th in NCAA DII with a +6.16 TO margin. Including two exhibition games this season, WOU has forced at least 13 turnovers in all but three games – all losses — they have played.

RECORD-SETTING NIGHT: Western Oregon's 129-33 win over Portland Bible College Dec. 29 set several GNAC records including largest margin of victory, lowest field goal percentage defense (18.8) and fewest field goals allowed (9). The 96-point win topped the previous conference record by 11 points, set in 2008 by Central Washington. The 129 points was the most by WOU in their NCAA-era and just the third time they have topped 120 points in a game.
 
BAKER'S ALMOST DOZEN: O'landa Baker doled out 11 assists Dec. 29 for a season-high. It was the third-most assists by a WOU player in NCAA-era history and the most since 2015. He accounted for over one-third of the team's 31 assists, coming just three shy of tying the school record for assists in a game. Baker also set himself season-highs in minutes, points, 3-point field goals made, rebounds and steals in that game.
 
DEFENSIVE HAWK: Junior Riley Hawken led the Wolves or tied for the team lead in rebounds in 10 of 11 games between Nov. 23 and Jan. 5. He is also currently second in the GNAC with 1.9 steals per game.

LEADING SCORERS: WOU has had nine different leading scorers this season. By class, the Wolves have been led by two freshman, one sophomore, three juniors and three seniors.

SHARING THE LOAD: Five separate Wolves are averaging seven or more points per game while eight players are averaging more than five points per game.

MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS: WOU went 25-28 at the line Dec. 1 against Western Washington. It was the most free throws made in a game by the Wolves since March 23, 2016 when they went 28-for-31 at the stripe in an 81-68 win over Saginaw Valley State in the 2016 Elite Eight.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: The 35 points scored by Colorado Christian Nov. 17 in WOU's 64-35 win was the fewest allowed in a game by the Wolves since Walla Walla's 29-point performance on Dec. 10, 2011. It was then bested a little over a month later when Western Oregon allowed just 33 points to Portland Bible College in a 129-33 win.
 
SOUZA PERFECT FROM THE FIELD: Buster Souza tied his career-high with 14 points off the bench Nov. 17 in a 64-35 win over Colorado Christian. Souza led all scorers in 14 minutes of play. The senior forward was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field while also pulling in four rebounds and two assists. It was only the third time in the school's NCAA-era history that a player has been perfect from the field on seven or more shots.
 
CONFERENCE OPENERS: Western Oregon has won five straight GNAC openers dating back to the 2014-15 season. Their last loss in their first conference game of the season came in a tight 67-66 loss to No. 5 Western Washington on Dec. 5, 2013 in Bellingham. The Wolves got their revenge later that year with an 88-85 win in the regular season finale.

SPANISH GNAC TIES: Former Western Oregon standout Tanner Omlid and former Simon Fraser guard Kedar Salam are now professional teammates, playing for CB Moron of LEB Plata in Spain.  

HAWKEN PRESASON ALL-GNAC: Junior Riley Hawken was the only Western Oregon player selected to the GNAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team, named a unanimous selection for the 2018-19 season. Hawken is one of six juniors on the team of 15 with the remainder being seniors. Hawken is the lone returning starter off of Western Oregon's GNAC championship team. He averaged 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 79.5 percent from the free throw line and averaging 1.6 assists per contest during the Wolves' historic season.

2018-19 GNAC PRESEASON POLL: The Wolves were picked to place third in the league standings following Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific… WOU received two of the 11 first-place votes for 94 total points in the poll to SMU's 118 and SPU's 105… the Wolves were the only team outside of the Saint's to receive a first-place vote and held an 11-point buffer over fourth-place Western Washington.

2017-18 REVIEW: The Wolves went 31-2 overall last season and 19-1 in conference… They cruised to both a regular season and conference tournament title with their only regular season slip coming in the second game of conference play against Western Washington. After the loss to the Vikings, the Wolves rattled off a school-record 24 consecutive wins while setting a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record for wins. WOU returned to the West Regional Championship game for the second time in three years, falling to Cal Baptist, 80-76. Tanner Omlid pulled in several postseason accolades, being named the GNAC Player of the Year, D2CCA West Region Player of the Year, D2CCA and NABC All-American and named to the NABC DII All-District Team.

D2 WEST REGION POLL: For the fourth straight week, Western Oregon maintained a No. 7 ranking on 20 points received in the D2SIDA West Region Poll on Jan. 28. The Wolves were one of three GNAC teams in the poll behind No. 2 Saint Martin's and No.5 Northwest Nazarene. With an 18-2 record, Point Loma held the top spot in the poll after running their current winning streak to 14 consecutive games. Point Loma's two losses this season have both come to ranked opponents. 

  

D2SIDA West Region Poll (Jan. 28, 2019)
Rank / School	Record	Points
1. Point Loma (4)	18-2	58
2. Saint Martin's (2)	16-2	56
3. UC San Diego	16-4	44
4. Cal State East Bay	16-3	41
5. Northwest Nazarene	13-3	37
6. Chaminade	14-3	34
7. Western Oregon	14-5	20
8. Concordia (Calif.)	15-7	15
9. Humboldt State	15-7	14
10. Cal Poly Pomona	10-5	7
WOU in D2SIDA West Region Poll
Date	Rank	Points
Nov. 12	7th	21
Nov. 19	9th	14
Nov. 26	T-10th	8
Dec. 3	7th	27
Dec. 10	7th	25
Dec. 20	6th	23
Jan. 7	7th	26
Jan. 14	7th	29
Jan. 21	7th	29
Jan. 28	7th	20