MONMOUTH, Ore. --- The Western Oregon men's basketball team returns to GNAC action this week as it travels to take on No. 23 Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific.

THIS WEEK | LINKS TO WATCH
Western Oregon (5-6, 0-2) at #23 Montana State Billings (12-2, 1-0)
1 p.m. (PT) Thursday • Billings, MT
All-Time: 21-19 • Streak: Lost 8
Last: 90-68 loss at MSUB (Feb. 1, 2025)
Last win: Feb. 1, 2020 (98-75 at MSUB)

Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific
3 p.m. Saturday • Seattle, WA
All-Time: 26-50 • Streak: Lost 4
Last: 82-65 loss at SPU (Jan. 30, 2025)
Last win: Feb. 11, 2023 (80-74 at WOU)

The teams this season ...

• The Wolves are 5-6 on the season under first-year WOU head coach Ryan Orton - already tying last season's win total (5-23). WOU has been led by its defense, allowing 68.8 points per game - 4th in the GNAC. Jadin Penigar continues to be one of the top scorers in DII at 21.2 points per game (19th in DII, 1st in GNAC).
• MSUB enters ranked 23rd in the country and 12-2 on the season, having won five in a row. The Yellowjackets are 21st in DII and first in the GNAC in scoring at 89.1 points per game - led by Mason Landdeck (20.1 ppg, 3rd in GNAC).
• SPU is 5-3 on the year - including 0-1 in GNAC play after losing to MSUB 77-70 on the road Dec. 6. The Falcons' three losses have come to teams either ranked or receiving votes in the national poll and own a win over then-No. 4 Point Loma - 80-73 at home on Nov. 29.

Last time out ...

• The Wolves last played Dec. 18-19 in Salt Lake City, beating host Westminster 78-72 behind 27 from Penigar before falling to Eastern New Mexico, 81-79, with Olson leading WOU with 18 points.
• MSUB last played Dec. 20-21 at the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, beating Colorado School of Mines 81-66 and Dominican of New York 89-68. In the win over Dominican, Landdeck led the way with 25 points and eight assists.
• SPU last played Dec. 19 against Douglas College at home, winning 96-60 behind 15 points from Trace Evans, 12 points and eight rebounds from Brant Heppner and nine points and eight assists from Theo McMillan.

WOU SEASON NOTES
Olson white hot in final 9:18 against Linfield ...
WOU trailed Linfield 39-31 with less than 9:18 remaining in the contest on Dec. 13 when Braydon Olson drained a 3-pointer to start an epic finish for the sophomore. The 6-3 guard scored 17 of the Wolves' final 26 points the rest of the game - going 6-for-6 from the field (including 5-for-5 from 3-point range) to help WOU defeate the Wildcats 57-55. He finished with a career-high 20 points

Defensive state of mind ...
The Wolves have seen a dramatic improvement defensively as they are allowing 68.8 points per game - fourth in the conference and 52nd in the nation. Last season, the Wolves allowed 83.8 points per game - ranked last in the conference and 263rd in DII.

Penigar off to hot start ...
WOU guard Jadin Penigar leads the GNAC and is 19th in the nation in scoring at 21.2 points per game. This includes breaking 30 twice this season - a 30-point effort against Alaska Fairbanks on Dec. 4 and a 34-point effort against Westmont in Monmouth on Nov. 22 where he went 14-for-26 from the field, including 6-for-11 from 3-point range.

Penigar career numbers piling up ...
Jadin Penigar has had quite the basketball journey as the Logan, Utah, native has played at four schools during his career - but those numbers have added up to quite the collegiate career with more than 1,000 points and within reach of 200 3-pointers and 500 rebounds.

Penigar Career	Points	3FG	PPG	REB	RPG	G
Everett (22-23)	527	75	16.0	190	5.8	33
Seattle Pacific (23-24)	300	45	9.4	149	4.7	32
UT Tyler (24-25)	159	25	5.9	56	2.1	27
Western Oregon (25-26)	233	33	21.2	63	5.7	11
Totals	1,219	178	11.8	458	4.4	103

The Orton era begins ...
Creswell, Oregon, native Ryan Orton returns to his home state as he begins his first year as the Western Oregon head coach. Orton comes to Monmouth from Alaska Anchorage where in 10 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach (two stints, 2009-12 and 2017-2025) he helped the Seawolves reach the NCAA Tournament three times (2011, 2012, 2024) as they went 175-122 during his time in Anchorage.

During the time between his two stints at UAA, Orton was the head coach at Western Wyoming Community College where in five seasons he took WWCC to five Region IX postseason tournaments, averaged 20 wins per season over his final three years and went 82-72 overall. Prior to his first stint at UAA, Orton was an assistant coach at Montana State (2006-08), Northwest Nazarene (2004-06) and Eastern Washington (2000-03) with a year as the Lane Community College head coach during the 2003-04 season. He was also a graduate assistant at EWU from 1998-2000.

Orton played basketball at Eastern Oregon (named the 1996 team MVP and All-Cascade Conference Honorable Mention) and at Northwest Christian University in Eugene (1991-93).

Penigar named Preseason All-GNAC
Western Oregon's Jadin Penigar was named to the All-GNAC Preseason Team as the UT Tyler transfer gets set for his second stint in the GNAC (he played at Seattle Pacific in 2023-24 (averaging 9.4 points per game). Last season at UT Tyler he averaged 5.9 points per contest.

10th Anniversary of WOU Final Four Team
The Western Oregon men's basketball program 10 seasons ago in 2015-16 had its best season in program history, going 31-4, winning the GNAC regular season and tournament title, winning the NCAA West Region (hosted the event) and winning an Elite 8 game before falling in the Final Four. WOU was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation that season.