Coaches vs. Cancer event takes place at home basketball game Thursday
Returning home following a split on the road, the Western Washington University men's basketball team entertains University of Alaska Fairbanks on Thursday (7 p.m.) and league-leading University of Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m.) in a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests at Sam Carver Gymnasium on the 草榴社区 campus.
Both games can be heard live on KBAI Radio (930 AM) and viewed via video stream at .
Thursday's contest will be Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness night, a collaborative initiative of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society. Both head coaches and their staffs will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during the game to demonstrate their support for the American Cancer Society and the fight against cancer. Fans are encouraged to wear blue and sneakers to the game.
The Vikings, undefeated in six home games this season, are 8-4 overall and third in the GNAC standings at 3-1 behind 4-0 Alaska Anchorage, which has won its last 11 games and is ranked No.25 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, and 4-1 Central Washington, rated No.17. Last week, they fell 84-81 in overtime at Western Oregon after posting an 80-74 win at Saint Martin's.
Western has dropped three of its last five contests, shooting just 42.2 percent (135-of-320) from the field during that stretch. The Vikings opened the season with six victories in their first seven games as they hit 51.8 percent (233-of-450) from the floor.
The Vikings rank No.15 nationally among NCAA II schools and lead the GNAC in scoring offense, averaging 85.8 points per game. They also pace the conference in 3-point makes (108, 9.0 avg.) and assists (17.1).
Western is led by senior forward Michael Duty, who is averaging a team-leading 13.9 points per game, shooting 50.8 percent (62-of-122) from the floor and 82.0 percent (41-of-50) at the free-throw line. He scored a career-high 27 points in the overtime loss at Western Oregon and is averaging 5.8 rebounds, second on the team.
Junior forward Rory Blanche is scoring at a 13.4 clip. He is shooting 59.3 percent (70-of-118) from the field and is averaging a team-best 7.4 rebounds.
Blanche, who has been named to two all-tournament teams this season, is second among conference leaders in offensive rebounds at 3.3 per game and ranks fourth in both rebounds and floor accuracy.
Sophomore point guard John Allen, a transfer from NCAA I Washington State, is averaging 12.8 points. He paces the Vikings in assists (3.8, 46) and is second among GNAC leaders in steals (2.2, 26) and third in free-throw accuracy (91.9 percent, 34-of-37).
Allen scored 43 points in a 99-92 win over Simon Fraser on Jan. 2. That was the second-most points ever scored by a 草榴社区 player in a game and was a school record at Carver Gym.
Junior guard Shedrick Nelson, who missed one contest this season with a foot injury, is averaging 11.5 points. He returned to his "sixth man" role last week following three straight starts.
Sophomore center Chris Mitchell is averaging 8.5 points on team-leading 60.0 percent (39-of-65) field-goal accuracy, which ranks third in the conference, and 5.0 rebounds. He is fifth in the GNAC in 3-point accuracy at 48.1 percent (13-of-27).
Junior guard Zach Henifin is averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, and freshman guard Derek Dickerson is third in the GNAC in 3-point shooting, hitting 50.0 percent (24-of-48) while averaging 6.7 points.