NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene women's basketball will play their final three games of the regular season this week, visiting Western Washington on Monday before hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday.
Game Information
NNU (15-8, 9-6 GNAC) at No. 6/11 Western Washington (17-2, 9-2 GNAC)
Monday, Feb. 21 | 3:00 PM PT | Bellingham, Wash. | Carver Gym
Live Video | Live Stats
NNU (15-8, 9-6 GNAC) vs Seattle Pacific (10-15, 6-9 GNAC)
Thursday, Feb. 24 | 5:15 PM | Nampa, Idaho | Johnson Sports Center
Live Video | Live Stats
NNU (15-8, 9-6 GNAC) vs Montana State Billings (16-9, 10-3 GNAC)
Saturday, Feb. 26 | 5:15 PM | Nampa, Idaho | Johnson Sports Center
Live Video | Live Stats
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU went 2-1 last week, falling on the road to Simon Fraser for the second game in a row before notching a pair of come-from-behind victories at Saint Martin's and Western Oregon.
- The Nighthawks were ranked seventh in the first NCAA DII West Region rankings of the year last Wednesday, with the top eight making the NCAA postseason after the conference championships conclude.
- When NNU holds opponents under 70 points, they are 11-1. When NNU scores 70 or more, they are 10-3.
- If NNU forces more turnovers than they commit, they are 10-3 in such games on the season.
- Teagan Thurman has only started three games this year and plays under 19 minutes per game, but the sophomore forward is nearly averaging a double-double with 12.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. The rebounding mark is tied for third in the GNAC and scoring is 12th. She has also recorded five double-doubles on the season.
- Nyalam Thabach leads the Nighthawks and is 11th in the GNAC with 12.3 points per game and has made five of the nine triples she has attempted this year. She also pulls down 7 rebounds per game (7th in the GNAC) and has notched 17 blocks.
- Emma Clark is fourth in the GNAC in steals (1.9 per game).
- Erin Jenkins is third on the squad with 11.3 points per game and 5.1 boards per contest.
- As a team, NNU is second in the GNAC in scoring at 72.5 points per game, third in field goal percentage at 41.0%, tied for first in rebounding with 40.5 per game, second in steals with 11.1 per game, and first in offensive rebounding with 14.4 per game.
Series History
- Against Western Washington, NNU is 14-30 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 4-15 in the games played in Bellingham, but have won the last three matchups in Carver Gym. NNU defeated WWU in an overtime thriller in Nampa on Feb. 10, handing the Vikings just their second loss of the season with a 77-70 victory.
- Against Seattle Pacific, NNU is 16-25 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 8-11 in the games played in Nampa. NNU has definitely had the upper hand as of late, though, as the Nighthawks have won eight of the last nine and 11 of the last 13 dating back to the 2015-16 season. In the most recent meeting way back on Dec. 4 of this season, the Nighthawks outlasted the Falcons on the road 63-54.
- Against Montana State Billings, NNU is 17-19 since joining Division II in 2001. The Nighthawks are 10-7 in the games played in Nampa. Prior to last season, the Nighthawks had won eight-straight meetings, but MSUB has now won three of the last five. In the most recent game on Dec. 2 of this season, MSUB outscored NNU 31-16 in the fourth quarter to steal a 71-67 victory.
Scouting the Vikings
- WWU has only lost two games all year, at home to Central Washington and on the road to NNU.
- They have not lost since falling to the Nighthawks on Feb. 10, taking their last three games.
- Emma Duff is sixth in the GNAC with 15.9 points per game, sixth with 7.2 rebounds per game, fifth with an 82.3 free throw percentage, second with a 39.4 three-point percentage, and sixth with 1.0 block per game.
- Carley Zaragoza and Avery Dykstra and one and two in the GNAC in field goal percentage, at 59.4% and 55.7%, respectively.
- Mollie Olson is second on the team with 9.1 points per game.
- As a team, the Vikings are first in the conference with just 54.6 points allowed per game, first with a +15.7 scoring margin, first with a 45.8 field goal percentage, first with a 34.7 three-point percentage, tied for first in rebounding at 40.5 per game, and second in blocks with 4.5 per game.
Scouting the Falcons
- Seattle Pacific enters the week seventh in the standings at 6-9 in GNAC play and 10-15 overall.
- The Falcons have stumbled down the stretch, losing their last three games and seven of their last nine.
- SPU will play Western Oregon on the road on Monday before traveling to Nampa on Thursday.
- Natalie Hoff leads the team in scoring with 11.2 points per game and is ninth in the GNAC with 6.7 rebounds per game.
- Abril Rexach Roure is fifth in the conference with 3.4 assists per game.
- As a team, the Falcons are third in the GNAC with 59.6 points allowed per game, second with a 35.5 field goal percentage defense, and fourth in blocks with 3.3 per game.
Scouting the Yellowjackets
- MSUB enters the week as one of the hottest teams in the conference, having won eight of their last nine games with the only loss in that stretch coming as a stunner to last-place Alaska Fairbanks at home on Jan. 29.
- The Yellowjackets have vaulted up to second in the GNAC standings at 10-3 in conference play and 16-9 overall.
- MSUB will visit Central Washington on Thursday before making their way over to Nampa for Saturday's contest.
- Taryn Shelley leads the team and is eighth in the GNAC with 14.5 points per game, second in rebounding with 8.0 per game, eighth with a 49.2 field goal percentage, and tied for fourth in blocks with 1.2 per game.
- Cariann Kunkel is second on the team and 13th in the conference with 12.0 points per game, fifth with a 52.0 field goal percentage.
- As a team, the Yellowjackets are fourth in the GNAC with 60.5 points allowed per game, first with a 75.4 free throw percentage, second with a +5.9 rebounding margin, fourth in assists with 15.2 per game, and first with a +1.2 assist-turnover ratio.
