NAMPA, Idaho – Riding a five-game win streak to close the regular season, Northwest Nazarene women's basketball will look to keep the momentum going as they enter the GNAC Tournament this weekend.
 
As the four-seed, the Nighthawks are set to face five-seed Montana State Billings on Thursday at noon Pacific at Marcus Pavilion in Lacey, Wash. The game will be a rematch of last Saturday, when the Nighthawks defeated the Yellowjackets 86-76 in Nampa.
 
Western Washington is the top seed, followed by Alaska Anchorage at No. 2 and Central Washington at No. 3. Simon Fraser, Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon, Saint Martin's, and Alaska Fairbanks are No. 6-10 in order.
 
With the tournament expanded to all 10 teams, Seattle Pacific was added as a host for first round and quarterfinal games in addition to the main host Saint Martin's. However, if the Nighthawks are to advance they will continue to play all of their games in Lacey.
 
NNU earned the fourth seed after going 12-6 in GNAC play and 18-8 overall. The Nighthawks have won five in a row and took down GNAC regular season champion Western Washington twice in February.
 
All games during the men's and women's GNAC Championships will feature a live webcast via GNAC.tv.
 
Tickets for the GNAC Basketball Championships are on sale as of Sunday. Single-session tickets will be available for $13 for general admission seats and $18 for reserved seats. General admission tickets for seniors 60 and older, high school and college students and children between 6 and 12 years of age are $8. Children five and under are admitted free.
 
Tournament passes for all games, regardless of venue, will be available for $48 for general admission seats and $65 for reserved seats. General admission tournament passes for seniors 60 and older, high school and college students and children between 6 and 12 years of age are $30.
 
County health and safety protocols will be in place for fans attending tournament contests at Seattle Pacific (King County) and Saint Martin's (Thurston County). Per current protocols at both venues, all fans attending the tournament are required to wear facemasks regardless of vaccination status.
 
Nighthawk Notes
 

• NNU has had two different five-game win streak this year, the current one as well as a stretch from Dec. 4 to Jan. 6.
• Against GNAC teams not named Alaska Anchorage or Simon Fraser, the Nighthawks went 12-2 on the season.
• NNU is just two wins away from winning 20 games in four-straight full seasons.
• The Nighthawks went 10-2 at home this year, 7-5 on the road, and 1-1 at neutral sites.
• NNU is 10-3 this season when leading at halftime, 9-4 when they outrebound their opponent, and 11-2 when the force more turnovers than they commit.
• When NNU scores 70 points or more, they are 12-3. When they hold opponents to less than 70 points, they are 12-1.
• NNU is in the top 50 nationally in five categories: 12^th with 418 made free throws, 19^th with 22 turnovers forced per game, 26^th with 11 steals per game, 38^th with 73.0 points per game, and 45^th with 13.8 offensive rebounds per game.
• Teagan Thurman leads the team with 12.6 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, 11^th and fourth in the GNAC, respectively.
• Nyalam Thabach and Erin Jenkins were both named Second Team All-Conference, with Thabach second on the team at 11.8 points per game and Jenkins third with 11.4 points per game.
• Jordan Pinson earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors, scoring 8.3 points per game and ranking fourth in the GNAC with 3.5 assists per game and sixth with 1.7 steals per game.

 
GNAC Tournament History
 

• Since the GNAC Tournament began in the 2010-11 season, the Nighthawks have qualified in nine of the 11 seasons it has been played.
• In the previous eight appearances, NNU has gone 4-6 in tournament play.
• The Nighthawks have reached the finals just once in 2018-19, but they have a 1-0 record in the championship game as they defeated top-seed Alaska Anchorage 70-64 to claim the title.
• NNU has played Western Washington the most in the tournament, going 1-3 against the Vikings.
• NNU is 1-2 against MSUB, 2-1 against Alaska Anchorage, and 0-1 against Seattle Pacific.
• The Nighthawks have never faced Central Washington, Saint Martin's, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon, or Alaska Fairbanks in GNAC Tournament action.

 
Series History vs Quarterfinal Opponent
 

• Against Montana State Billings: NNU is 18-19 against the Yellowjackets since joining Division II in 2001-02, going 11-7 at home, 6-11 on the road, and 1-1 at neutral sites. The Nighthawks are 7-3 in the last 10 matchups. NNU won eight in a row from 2016 to 2020, but the Nighthawks and Yellowjackets have traded wins in the last six meetings, with NNU taking the last matchup 86-76 in Nampa.

 
GNAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Mar. 2 - First Round
No. 8 Western Oregon vs. No. 9 Saint Martin's (at Lacey), 2:15 p.m.
No. 7 Seattle Pacific vs. No. 10 Alaska (at Seattle), 2:15 p.m.
 
Thursday, Mar. 3 - Quarterfinals
No. 4 Northwest Nazarene vs. No. 5 Montana State Billings (at Lacey), Noon
No. 3 Central Washington vs. No. 6 Simon Fraser (at Seattle), Noon
No. 1 Western Washington vs. Western Oregon or Saint Martin's (at Lacey), 2:15 p.m.
No. 2 Alaska Anchorage vs. Seattle Pacific or Alaska (at Seattle), 2:15 p.m.
 
Friday, Mar. 4 - Semifinals (at Lacey)
Semifinal Game 1, Noon
Semifinal Game 2, 2:15 p.m.
 
Saturday, Mar. 5 - Championship (at Lacey)
Championship Game, 5:15 p.m.