Season finale Saturday to be on national TV

With its historic win streak at an end, the Western Washington University men’s basketball team closes out its regular season Saturday (1:05 p.m.), March 2, against Simon Fraser University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the WWU campus.

The game will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network (Comcast Channel 412, 633 HD) at CBSSports.com with Jason Knapp handling the play-by-play, Lisa Byington the color commentary and Cat Anderson as the sideline reporter.

It is the Vikings’ third appearance on national TV in less than a year. Last season’s national semifinal game was televised on the CBS Sports Network and the title contest on CBS TV. The contest also can be heard on KBAI Radio (930 AM-930kbai.com) with Doug Lange and Mark Scholten calling the action. A webcast and live stats are also available at www.wwuvikings.com.

Six WWU seniors will be honored in a ceremony beginning at 12:20 p.m. They are guard John Allen, forward Damien Fisher, forward Paul Jones, center Chris Mitchell, forward Cam Severson and guard Rico Wilkins.

Last week, the Vikings had a school and conference record 30-game winning streak snapped in a 77-73 loss at Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday. They bounced back Saturday with a 63-57 win at Alaska Anchorage.

WWU, the defending national champion, dropped one spot to No.3 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll after five weeks at No.2, the school’s highest ever. The Vikings have been rated among the Top 10 in all 13 weekly polls this season, also a school best. Overall, they are working on a school-record 21 straight Top 25 weekly rankings.

WWU, 25-1 this season, was ranked No.1 in the latest West Region rating. Both the 24-0 start and streak broke school records set during the 1971-72 campaign.

The Vikings already have clinched a first-round bye in third annual GNAC Tournament which takes place next week at Lacey. Despite the streak and national title, they have yet to win a GNAC tourney game, losing in the first-round in 2011 and falling in the semifinals in 2012.

Nineteen of WWU’s wins this season have been by 10 or more points, the other margins being seven in overtime, six twice, four, three and one.

Senior guard John Allen paces the Vikings in points per game at 17.8, second in the GNAC. Overall, he leads the team and ranks among the league’s top 10 in three categories, being fifth in both treys (2.3) and free-throw shooting (85.9 percent, 55-of-64), and sixth in assists (4.0).

Allen was picked as the preseason GNAC Player of the Year and was a Division II Bulletin Super 16 selection. He has scored 1,360 career points, which ranks 10th among WWU leaders, and is 15th in assists (310) and his free-throw percentage of 89.2 (214-of-240) is on school-record pace.

Allen has had three 30-plus point games this season and seven career contests with 30 or more. The school record is nine. He scored a career-high 43 points, the second-highest figure in school history and four off the school record, against Simon Fraser on Jan. 2, 2011.

Senior forward Paul Jones is averaging 14.5 points, eighth in the league, and 6.6 rebounds, 10th in the GNAC. He is fourth among conference field-goal shooters at 57.6 percent (147-255).

Jones scored 18 points in an 86-85 win over arch-rival Central Washington on Jan. 10, including the buzzer-beating winning layup, and versus the Wildcats on Feb. 9, finished with 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He has had five double-doubles in points and rebounds this season.

Junior guard Richard Woodworth is averaging 10.5 points. He ranks seventh among GNAC leaders in both 3-point accuracy (45.5 percent, 30-of-66) and free throw shooting (84.9 percent, 62-of-73).

Rounding out the starting five are senior center Chris Mitchell, who is averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, and junior forward Austin Bragg, a transfer from Clark CC, who is averaging 9.0 points and a GNAC-leading 7.3 rebounds. Bragg has had a GNAC and team-best six double-doubles in points and rebounds this season, including a 20-point, 11-rebound effort against Seattle Pacific on Feb. 2.

Mitchell, who was a first-team CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District choice, is third among league leaders in blocked shots at 1.3 (35) and Bragg is fourth at 1.3 (33).

Outstanding contributions off the bench have come from senior guard Rico Wilkins, who is averaging 8.7 points on 41.3 percent 3-point shooting (38-of-92); junior guard Cameron Severson, who is averaging 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, shooting 57.5 percent from the floor (77-of-134) and 88.3 percent (53-of-60) at the line; and sophomore forward Anye Turner, a transfer from South Puget Sound CC, who is fifth among GNAC leaders in blocks at 1.2 (30) and is hitting 58.5 percent (31-of-53) of his field goals.

Severson has 11 double-figure point games this season and Wilkins 10.

Simon Fraser is 6-19 overall and 1-16 in GNAC play, losing its last nine games and 18 of 19 following a 5-1 start. The Clan is the NCAA’s first international member and is in its first year as a full member of that organization.

Prior to that, SFU was a member of the NAIA and Canadian Interuniversity Sports.

Three transfers pace the Clan coached by James Blake (3rd year, 13-56). They are 6-4 junior guard Taylor Dunn (12.0 ppg) from Clackamas CC, 6-1 junior guard Elijah Matthews (12.1 ppg), a transfer from Division II Pfeiffer, and 6-6 junior forward Anto Olah (13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) an Australian from Yuba JC.

WWU holds a 47-23 series advantage, winning the last nine meetings. The Vikings won 93-76 at Burnaby, B.C., on Dec. 1. David Gebru (17.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg) scored 34 points for SFU in that contest, the most by an opposing player against WWU this season. Gebru’s campaign ended after seven games because of a suspension for violating team rules.

GNAC RACE: The Vikings have already clinched no worse than a tie for their second-straight GNAC regular-season championship and have secured the No.1 seed and with it a first-round bye in the third annual GNAC Tournament which takes place next week at Lacey. WWU tops the GNAC standings at 16-1, one game ahead of second-place and No.4 nationally ranked Seattle Pacific (21-3, 14-2), but holds the tiebreaker based on its series sweep over the Falcons. A win over Simon Fraser would give the Vikings the best GNAC record ever posted. The current mark of 16-2 has been accomplished three times by WWU last season, Alaska Anchorage in 2007-08 and Central Washington in 2010-11. The GNAC title is the fifth overall for WWU, which also won conference titles in 2002, 2005 and 2009 when they weren’t separated as to regular season and tournament. The Vikings have yet to win a conference tournament game, losing in the quarterfinals, 77-75 to Northwest Nazarene, in 2011 and in the semifinals following a first-round bye to Montana State Billings, 82-78, in 2012.

NATIONAL AND GNAC TEAM STAT RANKINGS: The Vikings rank among the top 10 nationally in five team statistical categories. They are No.3 in 3-point percentage defense (28.6), No.5 in scoring margin (17.6), No.8 in scoring offense (85.9) and blocked shots (5.5), and No.9 in field-goal percentage (50.1). WWU also is No.12 in rebound margin (8.0). WWU leads the GNAC in scoring offense, scoring margin, free-throw percentage (75.0), field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage defense, blocked shots and steals (9.0).

WWU EARNS TOP RANKING IN FIRST WEST REGION POLL: WWU received the top ranking for the second straight NCAA II West Regional poll released Feb. 28. The poll will eventually help determine, which five at-large teams join the GNAC, Pacific West Conference and California Collegiate Athletic Association champions in the West Regional playoffs. The regional begins Fri., March 15 at a site to be determined.

CARVER GYM STREAK: The Vikings are 13-0 at home this season and are working on a school record 23-game winning streak at Carver Gym, breaking the standard of 21 set from 1970 to 1972. The streak is two shy of the GNAC record of 25 set by Humboldt State from 2001 to 2003.

TOP 10 RANKING: WWU has been ranked among the Top 10 in all 13 weekly polls this season, breaking the school record of 10 set during the 2005-06 campaign. The Vikings are No.3 this week after five at No.2, which matched the school’s highest ever. WWU also was ranked No.2 one time during the 2005-06 season. In all, the Vikings are working on a school-record string of 21 straight Top 25 weekly rankings.

20 WIN SEASONS: WWU reached 20 wins for the 15th time in school history in Tony Dominguez’ first year as head coach. Brad Jackson accomplished that feat 12 times during his 27 years as coach and Chuck Randall did it twice in 18 seasons.

THREE-DOT NOTES: WWU has started the same five in every game this season … The Central Washington game was televised live regionally on ROOT Sports before a sellout crowd of 2,320 … Allen and Jones have each had 21 double-figure point games this season, and Woodworth 15 … Allen was named Most Valuable Player at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic and he and Woodworth were co-MVPs at the WWU Chuck Randall Thanksgiving Classic … Also picked all-tournament at South Point was Mitchell … Allen, Bragg, Jones and Woodworth have each earned GNAC Player of the Week recognition this season, Allen being named twice.

The Vikings received one first-place vote in the NABC Preseason Top 25 while being picked No.6 … WWU was tabbed No.8 nationally in the Division II Bulletin preseason poll … WWU, which is the GNAC’s defending regular season champion, was picked second behind Seattle Pacific in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll.

WWU EARNS GNAC TEAM HONOR TWICE: The Vikings earned GNAC Team of the Week honors for Dec. 30-Jan. 5 and Jan. 27-Feb. 2, both while posting wins over Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific.

ALLEN 1,000 AND BEYOND: John Allen became the 23rd Viking to reach the 1,000 plateau in career scoring, and just the fifth who did not play four seasons at WWU to accomplish that feat, on Dec. 8 vs. Quest BC. Allen currently ranks 10th at 1,360, and is 15th in assists at 310. He is on school-record pace in career free-throw percentage at 89.2 (214-of-240) and his seven games with 30 points or more rank second in school history to Mike Franza (1970-73), who had nine.

PRE-SEASON HONORS: John Allen was picked as the preseason GNAC Player of the Year and was a Division II Bulletin Super 16 pick. Besides Allen, the Vikings’ Paul Jones and Richard Woodworth were named to the GNAC preseason all-conference team.

COACH DOMINGUEZ: Tony Dominguez (25-1, first rookie coach in school history to win 20 games and the first in NCAA II history to win his first 24 straight), who was named GNAC Coach of the Month for January, is in his first season as head coach at WWU after being an associate head coach the previous two seasons and an assistant 17 years overall, all at WWU. During that stretch, the Vikings posted a 317-165 (.658) record, made six regional appearances and won five conference championships. WWU took the NCAA II national crown in 2012, winning a school record 31 games, and reached the national semifinals in 2001. As an assistant, Dominguez was responsible for recruiting, scouting, coordinating scheduling, and budgeting. He played a major role in the recruiting classes of past 12 seasons. Those teams had a winning percentage of .711 (246-100).

FINAL SEASON FOR VISSER: This campaign will be the last for Rob Visser, who is in his 19th year as an assistant for the Vikings. A member of the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame, Visser had 1,026 points, 725 rebounds (fourth) and 168 blocked shots (second) during his three-year career.

ON THE WEB: All Viking home games are being video streamed live and are available free at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/wwu.portal#. For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the WWU Athletic web page at www.wwuvikings.com. Up-to-date league standings and statistics can be found on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web page at www.gnacsports.com.