NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene men's basketball returns home after coming away with a win in Fairbanks last week, hosting Western Oregon and Western Washington.
Game Information
NNU (4-5, 2-2 GNAC) vs Western Oregon (3-8, 2-1 GNAC)
Thursday, Jan. 20 | 7:30 PM | Nampa, Idaho | Johnson Sports Center
Live Video | Live Stats
NNU (4-5, 2-2 GNAC) vs Western Washington (8-5, 1-2 GNAC)
Saturday, Jan. 22 | 7:30 PM | Nampa, Idaho | Johnson Sports Center
Live Video | Live Stats
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU got a win in their lone game last week, defeating Alaska Fairbanks on the road 77-69. George Reidy had his second-straight 20-point game, notching 21 points and six rebounds to lead the Nighthawks.
- The Nighthawks were also supposed to visit Alaska Anchorage last Saturday, but the game was postponed due to health and safety protocols.
- All but one of NNU's five losses this year have been by single digits.
- Gabriel Murphy is averaging a double-double with 11.6 points and 10.8 rebounds a game, recording at least 10 of each in six of the nine contests. His rebounding mark leads the GNAC, while he also is tied for the lead in the conference with 1.6 blocks per game. He also ranks in the top 50 nationally in five categories, topped by his 4.22 offensive rebounds per game that is fourth in the country.
- Kobe Terashima is tie for fourth in the conference with 4.6 assists per game, dishing out four or more in five of the nine games, including a season-high 10 in a double-double effort against Bushnell.
- Three players have started every game for the Nighthawks: Kobe Terashima, George Reidy, and Gabe Murphy. The 4-spot has seen a bit of change, with James Nelson starting two games before injury, Christian Rose earning seven starts, and Timothy TenKley receiving one start in the last game.
- Reidy leads the team with 13.1 points per game while recording 4.2 rebounds per game. Rose and Tru Allen are also in double figures with 11.0 and 10.1 points per game, respectively, with Rose second on the team at 5.4 rebounds per game and Allen third in the GNAC with 2.0 steals per game.
- As a team, the Nighthawks are second in the GNAC with a 40.4 field goal percentage defense, first in rebounding at 40.4 boards per game, second with 4.0 blocks per game, and second with 13.4 offensive rebounds per game.
Series History
- Against Western Oregon, NNU is 20-18 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 13-6 in the games played in Nampa, while the last eight contests overall have been dead even at 4-4. In the most recent meeting on Feb. 22, 2020, NNU overcame a 16-point second half deficit to force overtime and eventually take an 89-87 victory.
- Against Western Washington, NNU is 12-27 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 8-11 in the games played in Nampa. NNU has won three of the last four meetings, but WWU won the seven in a row before that stretch. In the most recent meeting on Jan. 30, 2020 in Nampa, the Nighthawks dominated the Vikings from the start, taking a 46-23 halftime lead en route to an 87-64 victory.
Scouting the Wolves
- The Wolves are 3-8 on the year, having struggled mightily out of conference play at just 1-7, but have seen success with two wins in three games in GNAC play, defeating both Alaska programs in early December.
- Similar to NNU, WOU has seen a lot of time off recently due to postponements, having played just one game since Dec. 11.
- Cameron Cranston is a star for the Wolves, ranking second in the GNAC with 18.8 points per game, sixth with 1.5 steals per game, second with a 48.0 three-point percentage, seventh with 1.0 blocks per game, and second with 36.1 minutes played per contest.
- John Morrill-Keeler is solid down in the post, ranking fourth in the conference with a 62.7 field goal percentage while coming in second on the team with 10.4 points per game and leading the Wolves with 5.5 rebounds per game.
- As a team, WOU is fifth in the GNAC with a 38.1 three-point percentage, tied for fourth with 3.2 blocks per game, fifth with 14.8 assists per game, and second with 10.2 threes made per contest.
Scouting the Vikings
- The Vikings are 8-5 on the year but have had trouble in the three GNAC games they have played, going 1-2 with a win over Alaska Fairbanks and losses to Simon Fraser and Saint Martin's.
- WWU has also had five GNAC games postponed to this point.
- The Vikings are potent on offense with four players averaging double figures in points, led by Daniel Hornbuckle's 15.3 per game. Jalen Green is next with 13.9, followed by Luke Lovelady at 11.6 and D'Angelo Minnis at 10.5.
- Hornbuckle is ninth in the GNAC in scoring and first in the conference with a 48.9% mark from beyond the arc, having made 43 of 88 attempts on the year. Teammate Lucas Holden is not too far behind from deep, making triples at a 47.4% clip to rank third in the GNAC.
- Minnis leads the conference in minutes played at 36.7 per game while also ranking fourth with 4.6 assists per game.
- Lovelady leads the team and is ninth in the GNAC with 6.0 rebounds per game, while Green is third in the conference with 1.4 blocks per game and second on the team with 5.6 boards per game.
- As a team, the high-powered offense leads the GNAC with 83.2 points per game. They are also second with a +12.3 scoring margin, first with a 51.6% field goal percentage, second with a 40.2% three-point percentage, second in rebounding at 38.4 per game, first in blocks with 4.3 per game, fourth in assists with 15.3 per game, and third with a +1.2 assist-turnover ratio.
