NAMPA, Idaho – After one of their best performances of the season in a 36-point win over Western Oregon last week, Northwest Nazarene men's basketball is back out on the road this week with big games at Western Washington and Simon Fraser.
Game Information
NNU (5-5, 3-2 GNAC) at Western Washington (8-6, 1-3 GNAC)
Thursday, Jan. 27 | 7:00 PM PT | Bellingham, Wash. | Carver Gym
Live Video | Live Stats
NNU (5-5, 3-2 GNAC) at Simon Fraser (8-5, 3-2 GNAC)
Saturday, Jan. 29 | 7:00 PM PT | Burnaby, B.C. | West Gym
Live Video | Live Stats
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU excelled in their lone game last week, routing Western Oregon 95-59 at home. James Nelson was brilliant in his return to action, recording a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds on 8-13 shooting. Gabriel Murphy also had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Tru Allen (15), Julian Agosto (12), and Christian Rose (10) also finished in double figures.
- The Nighthawks were also supposed to host Western Washington last Saturday, but the game was postponed due to health and safety protocols.
- Four of NNU's five losses this year have been by single digits.
- Gabriel Murphy is averaging a double-double with 12.1 points and 10.7 rebounds a game, recording at least 10 of each in seven of the 10 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 4.1 offensive rebounds per game that is fifth in the country.
- Kobe Terashima is tied for third in the conference with 4.7 assists per game, dishing out four or more in six of the 10 games, including a season-high 10 in a double-double effort against Bushnell.
- 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 10.9 and 10.6 points per game, respectively, with Rose second on the team at 5.2 rebounds per game and Allen second in the GNAC with 2.0 steals per game.
- At the same time, Nelson is averaging 21 points per game and 11 boards per game but has only played two official contests this season, so he doesn't yet count towards the team leaders.
- As a team, the Nighthawks are first in the GNAC with a 40.0 field goal percentage defense, first in rebounding at 40.9 boards per game, second with 3.9 blocks per game, and first with 13.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Series History
- Against Western Washington, NNU is 12-27 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 4-16 in the games played in Bellingham. In the overall series, 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.
- Against Simon Fraser, NNU is 17-4 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 8-2 in the games played in Burnaby. NNU has won three in a row and 10 of the last 11 dating back to the 2015-16 season, with the only loss coming by one point in Burnaby in 2019. In the most recent meeting on Feb. 1, 2020 in Nampa, Simon Fraser came out strong to take a 44-36 halftime lead, but the Nighthawks outscored SFU by 12 in the second half to earn the 81-77 comeback win.
Scouting the Vikings
- The Vikings are 8-6 on the year but have had trouble in the four GNAC games they have played, going 1-3 with a win over Alaska Fairbanks and losses to Simon Fraser, Saint Martin's, and Seattle Pacific.
- WWU has also had six 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 14.6 per game. Jalen Green is next with 14.2, followed by Luke Lovelady at 11.2 and D'Angelo Minnis at 10.1.
- Hornbuckle is 11th in the GNAC in scoring and second in the conference with a 47.3% mark from beyond the arc, having made 43 of 91 attempts on the year. Teammate Lucas Holden leads the conference in the category, making triples at a 48.8% clip.
- Minnis is tied for first in the conference in minutes played at 36.5 per game while also tying for third with 4.7 assists per game.
- Lovelady leads the team and is ninth in the GNAC with 6.2 rebounds per game, while Green is third in the conference with 1.4 blocks per game and second on the team with 5.9 boards per game.
- As a team, the high-powered offense is second in the GNAC with 81.5 points per game. They are also third with a +10.1 scoring margin, first with a 50.6% field goal percentage, second with a 39.9% three-point percentage, second in rebounding at 38.4 per game, first in blocks with 4.6 per game, fourth in assists with 14.9 per game, and third with a +1.2 assist-turnover ratio.
Scouting SFU
- Simon Fraser is 8-5 on the season and 3-2 in conference play, entering the weekend's games in a tie with NNU for fourth in the GNAC standings.
- SFU has gone 2-2 in January, falling in their most recent game at Central Washington by a score of 84-61 on Tuesday.
- Julian Roche leads four SFU players in double figure scoring, averaging 15 points per game (ninth in the GNAC). He is also third in the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game, sixth with a 57.5 field goal percentage, and tied for sixth with 1.0 block per game.
- Jasdeep Singh is next in scoring at 13.6 per game, followed by Wilfried Balata at 13.1 per game and Jordan Lyons at 10.6 per game.
- David Penney is fifth in the GNAC with 4.6 assists per game and tied for third with 1.9 steals per game.
- As a team, SFU is tied for third in the conference in rebounding at 37.2 per game, third with 3.6 blocks per game, third with 15.8 assists per game, first with 8.9 steals per game, and second with 13.1 offensive rebounds per game.
