ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University men’s basketball team (11-12, 5-7 GNAC) faces a crucial week as it battles to remain in playoff contention with three weeks left in the regular season. The Wildcats will host Montana State Billings (20-6, 9-4 GNAC) on Thursday, February 12, and Seattle Pacific (12-8, 7-6 GNAC) on Saturday, February 14, both at Nicholson Arena.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Thursday, Feb. 12
Central Washington vs Montana State Billings
7:30 p.m.
Nicholson Arena
Ellensburg, Wash.
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LIVE STATS
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Saturday, Feb. 14
Central Washington vs Seattle Pacific
7:15 p.m.
Nicholson Arena
Ellensburg, Wash.
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LIVE STATS
TICKETS
LAST WEEKEND:
Central Washington concluded its Alaska road trip with a pair of closely contested games, but ultimately fell short in both. On February 5, the Wildcats lost 77-70 at Alaska Anchorage, followed by an 89-81 defeat at Alaska Fairbanks on February 7. Against Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington established an early 6-0 lead and remained competitive throughout, trailing by only four points, 35-31, at halftime. The Wildcats narrowed the gap to one point midway through the second half and to three points in the final 90 seconds, but Anchorage consistently responded to maintain its advantage and secure the win at the free-throw line. Two days later in Fairbanks, Central Washington again demonstrated resilience, scoring 41 points in the first half and engaging in a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest. Despite remaining within a possession multiple times in the second half, the Nanooks consistently answered late runs and utilized timely shooting to hold off the Wildcats.
Chae Haynes led the Wildcats in Fairbanks with 23 points and a double-double, adding 12 rebounds, and shooting 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also scored 16 points and grabbed six boards at Anchorage. Jordan Clark led the offense in the first game with 16 points and six assists, and added 15 points in 18 minutes against the Nanooks. Bradley Swillie contributed 18 points and five rebounds in Fairbanks, and six assists in Anchorage. Eli Williams added 12 points on efficient shooting versus Alaska Anchorage, and Calvin Sisk chipped in eight points with two blocks in that contest.
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS:
Montana State Billings has rebounded strongly since its 85-72 home loss to Central Washington on January 17, going 5-1 in its subsequent six games. The Yellowjackets began this stretch with a 90-72 win at Alaska Fairbanks, followed by an 84-70 loss at Alaska Anchorage. MSUB then secured back-to-back road wins, defeating Saint Martin’s 77-71 and Western Oregon 84-74, before returning home to win 91-87 against Western Washington and 89-67 against Simon Fraser.
Montana State Billings is led offensively by guard Mason Landdeck, who has 463 points and averages 19.3 points per game. He also leads the team with 119 assists and an .823 free-throw percentage. Miles Gurske provides a strong secondary scoring option at 14.9 points per game, contributing 5.0 rebounds per game and a team-best 50 steals. Brandon Tchouya adds 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on .556 shooting, while Croix Cox shoots a remarkable .661 from the field and leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per game and 18 blocks. Jonas La Tour is the team’s top three-point shooter at .408 from beyond the arc, and Jakob Milling anchors the defense with a team-high 28 blocks and 5.2 rebounds per contest.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS:
Since defeating Central Washington 66-63 on January 15, Seattle Pacific has gone 4-3 over its last seven games. The Falcons suffered a one-point home loss to Northwest Nazarene (72-71), then lost a defensive battle at Alaska Anchorage (54-50) before winning 82-75 at Alaska Fairbanks. After returning home, SPU fell in another close contest at Western Oregon (50-49) but rebounded with a 76-72 road victory at Saint Martin’s and has since won back-to-back home games over Simon Fraser (81-70) and Western Washington (78-76).
Seattle Pacific features a balanced scoring lineup led by Trace Evans and Julian Mora, who average 13.7 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. Evans also pulls down 5.3 rebounds per contest and has 54 assists and 19 steals. Mora is the Falcons’ primary perimeter threat, knocking down 51 three-pointers for 38.6 percent while shooting an outstanding 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. Grant Coleman is one of the GNAC’s top shooters at 48.7 percent from three, while Theo McMillan orchestrates the offense with a team-high 114 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game while adding 9.4 points per night.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will head back out on the road for their final road trip of the regular season, taking on Western Oregon on Thursday, February 19, and then No. 21 Saint Martin’s in Lacey, Wash. On Saturday, February 21.
