Men's Scores: 1/29 & 1/31

[northernGNAChoopfan]

February is right there, and I thought the GNAC scores last night were interesting enough to put a post up about them:

• SMU finally gets beat (at home) by MSUB (77-71)! MSUB was up in Alaska last week, so that's quite the road trip. Usually when UAF is on the road 2 weeks in a row, one of the weeks is the Anchorage game, which mellows out the 2 weeks on the road thing. I saw the end of this game with double technicals and even some fans having to be held back. I saw C. Cox get ejected a few weeks ago against NNU too, and there seem to be technicals in most MSUB games this year. Not a great look if you ask me, but they are a really talented team. It would be great for them to get their emotions and talking in check, because the rate at which they pick up technicals is going to eventually cost them an important game.
• WWU gets revenge on UAA (after their thorough thrashing in Anchorage) - 84-75: Just caught the very end as it was a little behind the UAF game, but sounds like there were a million reviews and it was close the whole way. I don't usually have much love for WWU, but more competitive teams and games is good for the league.
• WOU nips SPU in Oregon, 50-49: Just like the Nooks dropping two at home last week, this one might haunt SPU a little bit, but I think most of the GNAC has a few "haunting" games already this year too. Didn't see anything except the score, but again - am happy to have a more competitive league.
• UAF gets SFU, in Canada (69-57): The Nooks lacked energy at home last week, with zero hustle on rebounds, while MSUB and SPU were crisp, and executing well. The Nooks were with more energy and sharpness last night (but still getting destroyed on the rebounds after being pretty successful there early in the season), but losing those two at home last week is def going to haunt them later this season, cause getting them on the road is a tall order. I think SFU beat CWU and MSUB early in the year, so there is potential there, but it's been boxed up for a bit now...

Games on Saturday will be interesting. NNU is hosting CWU and probably looking for revenge!

[tsull]

Thanks for the report, Northern. I was going to go to the Western Oregon game last night and I wish I would have. Western Oregon won on a last second three-pointer by Jayden Penigar. Pretty thrilling. I'm very pleased with the rebuild, obviously, especially when you're holding a pretty good SPU team to 49 points.

As how it's been all season, just when I start hyping up a team they lose a game. This time St. Martin's. Got to admit, that score surprised me.

[Anchorage]

Thanks for the report, Northern. I was going to go to the Western Oregon game last night and I wish I would have. Western Oregon won on a last second three-pointer by Jayden Penigar. Pretty thrilling. I'm very pleased with the rebuild, obviously, especially when you're holding a pretty good SPU team to 49 points.

As how it's been all season, just when I start hyping up a team they lose a game. This time St. Martin's. Got to admit, that score surprised me.

it’s pretty wild, I guess it was just time for Osborne and Orton to part ways. You guys seem happy with what’s going on down there under Ryan. And UAA had the best recruiting class and best team that they have had for years now that Orton isn’t the chief recruiter.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

• SPU also beats SMU at Saint Martin's (76-72): Not sure what to make of SMU's week at this point, but maybe it makes me feel better about the Nooks getting beat by the same two teams at home last week??? And maybe that makes Anchorage look a lot better for not letting the same fate happen to them???
• UAA gets it done over SFU (69-54): Hopefully the positive chatter about UAA doesn't jinx them going into this week with a homestand against CWU and NNU.
• WOU falls to MSUB (84-74): No info on the game.
• WWU completes the weekend sweep at home of the Alaska schools, downing UAF 96-89: UAF blew a 15 or so point lead in the second half to let WWU creep back in and nab it at the end. This time they took care of rebounding but coughed up the ball way too many times.
• CWU wins fairly convincingly at NNU, 91-76: My confusion continues...

[Inkblot]

This is the part of the season where St. Martin's started to slide the last two years. A year ago they lost 10 of their last 13, and the year before they lost 7 of their last 11. Both seasons they went from 5th in the region two weeks before selections to missing entirely.

[tsull]

it’s pretty wild, I guess it was just time for Osborne and Orton to part ways. You guys seem happy with what’s going on down there under Ryan. And UAA had the best recruiting class and best team that they have had for years now that Orton isn’t the chief recruiter.

I know I speak for myself and many Western Oregon fans who are extremely pleased with what Ryan Orton has done this year. He inherited a program that was 10-50 the last 2 years and has made them competitive. Yes, the rebuild will be long and arduous, but the difference between this program and the previous one is like night and day. Attention to defense, ball security, and rebounding is just tremendous. We're a top 70 defensive team in America and I believe last year we were in the 200s on defense. Very pleased with Ryan Orton, I think he's done a great job at Western and I'm really glad they hired him.

[northernGNAChoopfan]

This is the part of the season where St. Martin's started to slide the last two years. A year ago they lost 10 of their last 13, and the year before they lost 7 of their last 11. Both seasons they went from 5th in the region two weeks before selections to missing entirely.

True! I guess that had faded (pun intended) from my memory a bit, due to the fact that the last few seasons their head coach was not on the sidelines very much (I think it was a health issue), and he's back this year. That along with turning over a number of players that graduated last year and I "thought" things might be different, but maybe that fading problem is a deeper issue... We'll see. They have a lighter week this coming week, but then their last 3 weeks of conference play are a pretty tough and loaded schedule, so they'd better figure it out quick!