The Basics

• Final Score: No. 1/1 Western Oregon 64, Alaska Anchorage 58
• Records: Western Oregon 23-3, 16-2; Alaska Anchorage 20-9, 13-5
• Win claims GNAC Regular-Season Conference Championship for the Wolves
• Location: Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Airlines Center

 
How It Happened
Four Western Oregon men's basketball players scored in double figures as the Wolves beat Alaska Anchorage, 64-58, on Saturday afternoon at the Alaska Airlines Center to claim the 2015-2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title. 

Western Oregon completed the regular season sweep of the Seawolves for the first time since the 2004-05 season, improving to 23-3 overall and 16-2 in GNAC play. The host Seawolves fell to 20-9 overall and into a second-place tie with Alaska at 13-5.
 
In a game between two teams battling for conference and NCAA West Region postseason positioning – Western Oregon began the week and the top-ranked team in the West while UAA was eighth – the Wolves streaked out to an 8-0 lead on 3-pointers from Jordan Wiley and Tanner Omlid followed by a driving lay-in from Julian Nichols. The first of 16 lead changes throughout the game, giving UAA a 16-15 advantage, came during a string of 5:01 where the Wolves did not score a field goal. Despite shooting just 29.6 percent (8-of-27) in the first half, WOU only trailed 26-23 at the break due to a 5-0 closing run from the Seawolves.
 
The Wolves opened the second half on an answering 5-0 spurt on a jumper from Devon Alexander and the second Omlid 3-pointer of the game. Anchorage did increase their lead to a game-high six points, 48-42, with 8:28 on the clock.
 
The teams traded buckets until the 2:37-mark when a jump shot from Brian McGill put the UAA advantage at 56-52. On the next two WOU possessions, Wiley and Alexander nailed threes – the latter shot pushing the Wolves ahead by two.

Two misses by the GNAC's leading scorer Suki Wiggs were cleared out by a Nichols rebound. The Seawolves used the fouls they had to give to send Nichols to the foul line with 27 seconds. Nichols sank both shots on that trip and again on the next trip after a lay-in brought the lead back down to two points. Two more charity shot makes forced UAA to shoot from distance, where a miss and rebound from Omlid allowed the Wolves to add two more points via the line for the final margin.
 
In a relatively slow-paced and deliberate game, Western Oregon posted its second-lowest point total in a victory this season. The teams combined for just 99 field-goal attempts. The Wolves edged the Seawolves in percentage, making 43.1 percent (22-of-51) while Alaska Anchorage was at 39.6 percent. WOU had the edge in rebounding with a 32-26 advantage and assisted on 16 of their 22 field goals.
 
Nichols, who scored 16 points on Thursday in Fairbanks, finished as the Wolves' top scorer on Saturday with 17 points. He made 5 of 7 shots including 3 of 4 from 3-point range and all four attempts from the foul line. He added seven assists and seven rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Alexander was 6 of 11 from the floor scoring 14 points. Omlid had 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. Andy Avgi returned to double figures for the first time in three games with 11 points while adding six rebounds.
 
Wiggs led all scorers with 22 points on 7 of 18 shooting and McGill had 15 points and six assists. Both UAA players played the full 40 minutes.
 
Up Next
Western Oregon will next host Concordia on Senior Night this Tuesday (Feb. 23) at 7:30 p.m., with the recognition of five seniors who will play their final regular season game in the New P.E. Building.