Mount Hood

Wolves bball hungry for more

WOUBasketballColor

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The Wolves have chewed up and spit out their competition, dominating almost everyone in their path. With cohesive team play throughout the season and stellar work from the 2015-16 GNAC Player of the Year, Andy Avgi, the men’s basketball team claimed the GNAC title and is salivating at the potential of a deep post-season run.

“Our guys have done an incredible job accomplishing a lot of historical things this year,” said head coach Jim Shaw. “I’m really amazed at the level of consistency that this group has showed.”

Western finished the season with a record of 25-3 and 18-2 in GNAC conference play. With the regular season in the books, Coach Shaw reflected on the team’s accomplishments of the season.

“We are the first team in the GNAC to win 18 conference games,” Shaw said. “We are the second school in the northwest ranked No. 1 in the country for Division I and Division II basketball, and we went undefeated at home for the first time since the 94-95 season.”

All season long, the Wolves remained consistent, playing great team ball and tough defense. Western led the league in steals per game, had the best turnover margin, and had the best assists to turnover ratio.

Aside from playing stifling defense all season long, WOU has had one of the most consistent seasons statistically in the history of the program. The Wolves rank in the top half of almost every team statistic, but more importantly, the Wolves have found ways to squeak out victories in close games.

“Our guys play with confidence,” said Shaw. “That’s one of the reasons we have been so successful this season.”

Because Western finished the regular season at the top of the conference, they earn the No. 1 seed going into the GNAC tournament. Today, Western will face Seattle Pacific University at the Marcus Pavilion on the campus of Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Portland Timbers host Columbus Crew in home opener

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

It seemed like just yesterday that the Portland Timbers celebrated their 2015 MLS Championship victory, and a city starved for championship gold rejoiced. In the December rain, tens of thousands of Timber Army fanatics packed downtown Portland for the Timbers’ victory parade to celebrate with their team; they sang, they rejoiced, and they cried.

But that was last season. Now, just a short three months later, the Timbers have to start all over.

“I think the really simple mindset our group has is, ‘Last year is over,'” head coach Caleb Porter said in an interview with ESPN. “This is a new year. It has nothing to do with last year. Teams will be fighting it out with each other as always. There will be ups and downs. There will be wins and losses. It’s going to be a tough season like it is every single year for every single team.”

Fittingly enough, the Timbers’ first regular season matchup on Sunday pits the reigning champions against the same team they defeated 2-1 in the 2015 MLS Cup, the reigning Eastern Conference champs, Columbus Crew.

Sunday’s match will take place at Providence Park in Portland with a kickoff time of 1:30 p.m., and already days before the event, the city is buzzing with excitement.

While Portland kept most of their core players from last year’s championship team intact, they did lose 2015 starters Rodney Wallace and Jorge Villanfana as well as supporting players like fan-favorite Will Johnson and Spanish striker Maximiliano Urruti.

With Porter focusing on preparing his team for the home opener, Portland’s general manager, Gavin Wilkinson, has been wheeling and dealing in an attempt to add talent to the positional voids left from the departed players.

Wilkinson’s efforts have paid off and this year’s squad, at least on paper, looks stronger than last years with the additions of league veterans Ned Grabavoy, Chris Klute, Jack McInerney and Jermaine Taylor.

“We replaced everyone we lost,” Wilkinson said to ESPN. “We had identified the likely players that we were losing, and we had a depth chart in every position of who we wanted to go after. We knew what we had to spend and what profiles we were looking for. Our focus was to get MLS-proven players.”

The new players have had limited opportunities to play with the team in the preseason, and the biggest question going into opening night is how they will fit into the team, who last year had a special chemistry.

“They’ve proven they can win it — they now have the blueprint to do it,” Porter said to ESPN. “That means when you get in that position in the playoffs the next time, there’s a positive psychology that helps you to do it again.”

Can the Timbers repeat? After the offseason moves, are they more or less talented than they were last year? Will the team still have the special chemistry that they had last year? Hopefully we will find some answers Sunday.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Blazer come away on top at trade deadline

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

For the past few years, the NBA trade deadline has come and gone without any notable moves for the Portland Trail Blazers. This trade deadline was much different as Neil Olshey, the Blazer’s general manager, made a few moves that have left Blazer fans scratching their heads.

Fans who had hoped that the Blazers would add a marquee name or a crafty veteran to the roster might have been disappointed, but in the grand scheme of things, the moves the Blazer’s front office made were brilliant.

Here’s what went down: the Blazers negotiated a three team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic in which Portland traded a 2020 second-round draft pick for Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao and a future 2018 first-round draft pick (protected 1-10).

Then, later in the day, it was announced that the Blazer’s acquired backup point guard Brian Roberts and a future second-round draft pick from the Miami Heat in exchange for cash considerations. To make room for Roberts, Portland had to waive backup point guard Tim Frazier.

“We went into the trade deadline trying to be opportunistic. We wanted to gather assets,” said Olshey to reporters after the two trades. “Clearly this group is really overachieving. There’s a lot of young guys that have a future. We wanted to make sure we were giving them a chance to win. We didn’t want to touch that core group of guys that have exceeded expectations.”

Just an hour after the Trail Blazers acquired 33 year-old Varejao, the team immediately waived him and his $9.6 million dollar salary. Portland was able to dump his contract because the team was so far under the salary cap minimum. Essentially, the Blazers gave up money to get a future first-round draft pick.

“Go back and look at the transaction record of other teams and look at what level of player they had to give up to acquire a first-round pick,” Olshey added. “We gave up cap room. I think it’s really sexy.”

The young Blazers have defied most sports analysts pre-season predictions and are currently in the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a record of 30-27. While the team arguably didn’t get much better now, the future draft picks provide hope for the future.

This was possibly the best trade deadline move in the history of the Blazers franchise. Portland kept its young core of players together, acquired future assets, and most importantly sent a message to all the Blazer fans: “We want to win.” Bravo.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Wolves shine with 4 wins

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The change in the season from winter to spring, marks the beginning of softball season, and for the Wolves, the beginning of the season has been a flurry of activity.

WOU entered the West Texas A&M Lady Buff Invite Tournament on Friday, Feb. 19 with a record of 3-6, playing four games the first weekend and five the next.

The West Texas Tournament was by far the biggest test for Western in their young season; which required the Wolves to play two games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday against different opponents.

The first double header pitted the Wolves against Newman University. Western swept the Jets, winning 2-0 in their first game and 4-3 in their second. Junior Destiny Kuehl (3B) scored both of Western’s runs in the first game, batting a perfect 3-for-3. In the second game, junior Kelsie Gardner (2B) scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to clinch the victory.

On the second day of the West Texas Invite, the Wolves played against the home team: West Texas A&M. Western dropped their first game against the Buffs by a score of 9-1 and also loss their second game of the double header 6-7.

WOU got back on track on Sunday with a dominating performance in their double header against Lincoln University of Missouri. The Wolves won their first game against the Blue Tigers with a score of 9-1 and finished the second up 10-1. In the first game, freshman pitcher Haley Fabian, had a brilliant five inning performance, only allowing one hit while striking out three.

In the second game against the Blue Tigers, Gardner had three hits and Kuehl had three RBIs, but the entire team either had a hit, scored or had an RBI.

When the dust settled from the flurry of six games in three days, the Wolves found themselves with a 4-2 record in the tournament and improved their overall record to 7-8.

Western begins their GNAC conference schedule on March 5 with a double header against Saint Martin’s University. The first game starts 12 p.m. and the second is at 2 p.m. at the WOU Softball Field.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsports

Wolves hurdle over GNAC opponents

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

The Western Oregon track and field team traveled to Nampa, Idaho on Friday, Feb. 19 to compete in the GNAC Indoor Championships, an event spanning both Friday and Saturday.

The men finished second place in the team race, behind the University of Alaska Anchorage, with a combined total of 93 points. The women finished the Championships in eighth place by accumulating 29 points.

On Friday, during the preliminaries, sophomore sprinter Cody Warner got Western off to a great start by finishing in first place in the 200-meter with a time of 21.89. Then on Saturday, Warner followed up his triumphant performance the day before with an even better time of 21.78 which earned the sprinter a league title in the 200-meter.

Warner also came in second in the 60-meter sprint with a time of 6.95.

Sophomore David Ribich, who set the Western Oregon school record for the fastest time in the mile the previous weekend at the Husky Classic, was edged in a photo-finish. Ribich finished in second place with a time of 4:10.14.

On the final day of competition, the men’s squad had seven athletes finish in top-three spots. In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Kaleb Dobson followed up his record-setting performance last weekend in the Husky Classic with a time of 8.33 which earned him second place.

As for the women, senior Emmi Collier got second place in the shot put with a distance of 14.38-meters, and senior Stephanie Stuckey finished fifth in the mile run with a time of 5:08.05.

Freshman Olivia Woods broke the Western Oregon’s school record in the 400-meter during the Friday preliminaries with a time of 57.54 which slotted her into sixth place. Woods went on to finish seventh in the final on Saturday.

Next up, on Saturday, Feb. 27, the Wolves look to make an impact at the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

We are the Champions

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team had something to prove going into their matchup with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 after a Tuesday loss to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which was their third loss of the season.

Western rebounded from their loss and defeated the Seawolves 64-58. The close-fought victory improves the Wolves’ overall record to 23-3 and 16-2 in GNAC conference play.

More importantly, the win seals the team’s first goal: winning the GNAC Regular-Season Championship.

Senior Julian Nichols (G) led the Wolves in scoring with 17 points. Nichols flirted with a triple-double but finished just short with seven assists and seven rebounds.

Three other Wolves scored in double figures: senior Devon Alexander (G) had 14 points, redshirt sophomore Tanner Omlid (G/F) had 12 points, and the 2015 GNAC Player of the Year, redshirt senior Andy Avgi, had 11 points on a tough shooting night.

Western came out firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, scoring the first eight points of the game on consecutive three-pointers from senior Jordan Wiley (G) and Omlid, followed by a fast-break layup courtesy of Nichols.

Westerns’ lead was short lived as the Seawolves started draining shots from distance and the Wolves hit a dry spell. After an Avgi layup made the score 16-11 with the advantage to the Wolves, Western failed to score in just over five minutes of play and UAA took a 17-16 lead.

Head coach Jim Shaw, unhappy with the Wolves’ inability to score, called a timeout and regrouped his troops. Just seconds out of the timeout, junior Janvier Alaby (G) broke the Wolves’ scoring drought by scoring 4 points off of a much-needed jumper and draining two free throws, but the Seawolves would still take a 26-23 lead into halftime.

The second half went back-and-forth with both teams fighting for every point. The game was so closely contested; there were 16 lead changes with 10 coming in the second half.

With 2:37 seconds remaining in the game and UAA up 56-52, Western buckled down on defense and showed why they are the No. 1 team in Division II basketball, only allowing the Seawolves two points in the final two minutes of regulation.

In the final two minutes, Wiley and Alexander both drained the deep ball and Nichols hit four clutch free throws to give the Wolves a 64-58 lead, the largest lead by either team in the game.

Before the start of the week Western looked like the consensus No. 1 seed going into the Division II playoffs, but Tuesday’s loss to Alaska Fairbanks puts the top seed in jeopardy. Regardless, the Wolves will be in a great position for a deep playoff run.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Wolves fall short against Wildcats

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

This season has been full of trials and tribulations for the women’s basketball team. With an overall record of 4-22 and 3-15 in GNAC conference play, the Wolves’ season has been a tough one.

Western looked to bounce back after losing two of their last three games in the game against Central Washington University (CWU) on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, but inevitably fell short 46-61.

Freshman Kaylie Boschma (G) had six rebounds, two assists, and a steal to go with her game-high 16 points. Sophomore Sydney Azorr finished with nine points, two boards, two assists, and a steal.

CWU jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first quarter, but with the lights-out shooting from Boschma, the Wolves clawed their way back into the game, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 10-9 lead.

Western’s lead, however, was short lived, and the Wildcats stopped the Wolves from scoring for the remainder of the first quarter to take a 16-10 lead into the second period.

All the momentum now belonged to CWU; the Wolves couldn’t find the back of the net and the Wildcat’s shots kept falling resulting in a double digit lead which reached as high as a 19 point CWU advantage.

With the cards stacked against them, the Wolves came out of the break with a never-say-die attitude and began chipping away at the Wildcats’ lead. Boschma hit two jumpers to start the Wolves’ comeback and Azorr hit two big shots from distance to bring the Wolves within 7 points of CWU.

In the final quarter, Boschma sunk a layup to bring the score to 34-39 with 8:03 remaining in the game. Just when the pendulum had swung in the Wolves direction and it looked like Western could pull off the amazing comeback, the Wildcats started draining shots from beyond the arch.

CWU hit five three-pointers in the final minutes of the game to provide a cushion which the Wolves could not come back from.

Western finished the game shooting 17-of-44 for a shooting percentage of 38 percent.

The final game of the season is on Saturday, Feb. 27 against Seattle Pacific University. Come cheer on the Wolves for senior day. The tipoff is at 2 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

From PAC to GNAC

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By: Alvin Wilson 
Staff Writer

Alex Roth is a third-year business major and basketball player who came to Western for a second chance.

As a guard for the Wolves, Roth averages 10 points per game, with an average of 43 percent from the field, 44 percent from the three-point line, and 73 percent from the free throw line.

Roth started his college career playing basketball for Oregon State, but after contracting a rare nerve disease in his shoulder, he was forced to stop playing.

He decided to transfer to Western after being contacted by a coach who believed he could be useful to the Wolves.

“My main motivation for coming to Western was a second chance to play the game I love,” said Roth. “I was contacted by Coach Shaw with the opportunity to continue playing, so I thought I’d give it a shot here.”

He said his favorite thing about Western is its size and proximity to Salem, where his family lives.

“I love the size of the school and the fact that my friends and family can come to my games,” said Roth.

“So far the biggest difference between both schools is obviously the school size,” he continued. “On the court, though, the biggest difference is the size and speed between PAC-12 and GNAC players.”

Changing schools after two years can be a difficult transition for some to make, but Roth said it hasn’t been difficult for him, saying, “Overall, the transition has been very easy. My teammates, coaches and members of the Western Oregon community have welcomed me with open arms, and I thank everyone for that.”

Roth said his role for the Wolves is different largely because he was injured for two years at OSU, and there’s more opportunity for him to improve here.

“When it comes to my role on the team, I like Western much more due to the fact that at Oregon State I was injured for two years and not playing, but now I have a chance to compete and battle for a top 5 team in the country,” he said.

Roth is optimistic about the current season. Western is currently at the top GNAC and is also ranked No. 1 in Division II.

“We want to win every single day, and hopefully that ends with a national championship victory,” said Roth.

Wolves get devoured by Seawolves

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

Coming off a heartbreaking 61-62 loss on Thursday, Feb. 4 to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Seawolves, the women’s basketball team looked to climb up the GNAC standings with an upset over the No. 2 ranked University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Saturday, Feb. 6.

UAA had dominated the GNAC conference, coming into the game in first place with a record of 12-1. Western on the other hand, was positioned at the bottom of the GNAC, but a victory would have moved the Wolves up from the bottom spot.

Although the Wolves hung in there for the first half of the first quarter, the Seawolves built an early lead and crushed Western’s hopes of an upset, winning 77-42.

Senior Emily Howey (C) led the Wolves in scoring with eight points and had six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 23 minutes of play. Senior Michelle Bromagem (G) had six points and junior Launia Davis (G) and freshman Kaylie Boschma (G) each scored five points.

From the opening tipoff, the Seawolves swarmed the Wolves on defense and showed why they belong at the top of the GNAC. UAA took the early lead but the Wolves hung in there, only trailing by five points or less with five minutes to play in the first quarter.

Western tried to keep pace with UAA but costly turnovers and the Seawolves stifling defense proved to be too much for the Wolves to handle and the score got out of hand.

The first half ended with UAA up 38-13. Western shot a dreadful 6-of-27 from the floor in the first half, including going 0-for-7 from distance.

In the second half, the Wolves’ shots started falling and they finished the second half shooting 9-of-23. Unfortunately, the Seawolves continued their red-hot shooting and increased their lead.

Western finished the game shooting 30 percent (15-for-50) from the floor.

The Achilles’ heel for the Wolves this season has been coughing up points from turnovers. This game was no different with the Seawolves scoring 26 points off of 22 Western Oregon turnovers. In contrast, the Wolves only scored two points off of 15 UAA turnovers.

Up next, the Wolves hit the road on Thursday, Feb. 18 to face Northwest Nazarene University. Western is looking for revenge against the Crusaders who edged the Wolves 63-51 last month. The next home game is on Thursday, Feb. 25 against Saint Martin’s University.

Snoozer Bowl 50

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The Super Bowl is the epitome of an American tradition. In fact, there is nothing more American than the Super Bowl, with the exception of the fourth of July. What makes the Super Bowl so special is that the event transcends the sporting world and becomes a global phenomenon. That’s why it saddens me to say that Super Bowl 50 was a letdown.

According to Sports Illustrated, Super Bowl 50 raked in 111.9 million viewers to become the third most watched television event in U.S. history. Many people tune in just for the commercials and some for the half time show.

The big game had all the makings of must-see television. Two teams, the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, battled each other on the biggest stage in the world for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

My main problem with the game itself was the lack of offensive firepower from both teams. Some football fans appreciate defense, and there is a saying that defense win championships, but let’s get real, the game was downright boring.

Let me break down some of the game’s statistics. First, neither team was able to score a touchdown through the air. There were no spectacular plays (except for a 61-yard punt return), and there were no moments that made you jump out of your seat.

Of course Broncos fans were ecstatic over their 24-10 victory, but for the fans that just wanted a good game, it had to be disappointing. The game was never close, there was no drama, there was no excitement; Super Bowl 50 just fizzed out.

Part of what made the game so disappointing was the low score. The 34 combined points in this year’s Super Bowl was the lowest since the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14 in 2008. In fact, according to ESPN, there were only two other Super Bowls in the past 40 years with a lower combined score.

Maybe I had too high of expectations, but I can only sit through a game so long when all you see are three-and-outs. Near the end of the game and the Panthers down by two scores, the CBS announcers desperate to create drama said, “can the Panthers score two more times?” The answer was no.

I wasn’t the only person who thought the game was boring. Aspiring Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump posted this message on his official twitter account: “So far the Super Bowl is very boring – not nearly as exciting as politics – MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

For me, the highlight of the game wasn’t the game itself, but rather the Puppy-Monkey-Baby Mountain Dew commercial and Lady Gaga singing the National Anthem. That’s why I’m bitter.

Baseball has begun!

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

Baseball season is officially here.

With the new season comes high expectations placed upon the WOU men’s baseball team. On Thursday, Jan. 28 the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll projected the Wolves to finish in first place in the GNAC with the best chance of claiming the 2016 regular season title.

The high expectations for the new season can be traced to last season’s success. In 2015, Western finished the season with a 29-24 overall record and a GNAC record of 22-11, but most importantly, the Wolves came out victorious in the GNAC Baseball Conference Tournament and ended a 13 year conference title drought.

“It’s nice to get some recognition early in the season, but our guys know its preseason and its meaning less,” said head coach Kellen Walker. “[The team] understand the expectations when they sign up for it and that’s why they come here.”

“Our players want an opportunity to win the conference title and compete for a regional and hope to have an opportunity to get back to the College World Series,” added Walker.

Western began the new season in whirlwind fashion, playing their first five games in four days, starting on Thursday, Feb. 4 and finishing on Sunday. Feb. 7. The first four games were against Azusa Pacific University in which the Wolves split the matchup 2-2 (W 3-1, W 8-4, L 1-2, L 6-7).

Then on Sunday, thanks to a top of the ninth sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Nathan Etheridge, Western edged California State University of Dominguez Hills 7-6.

“We used the majority of our roster which is a credit to the depth of our team,” said Walker. “[The game] was a good early season test for us to go on the road and play five games in four days against two really quality teams and come back over five-hundred.”

The Wolves’ next game is on Saturday, Feb. 13 against the California State University of East Bay in Hayward, Calif. The first home game is on Saturday, March 12 against Saint Martin’s University.

Wolves pounce on Falcons in overtime

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The Western Oregon men’s basketball team has fought hard against adversity all season long, and the 84-82 overtime victory over No. 19 Seattle Pacific University (SPU) on Saturday, Feb. 6 was a testament to the Wolves’ season-long success.

In the Wolves’ first meeting against the Falcons in early January, SPU chipped away at Western’s double digit lead in the final minutes to push the game into overtime but the Wolves eventually overpowered the Falcons for the win. This time, it was Western who came back from a 14 point deficit to take the game into extra time, and the Wolves again found themselves victorious.

Redshirt senior Andy Avgi (F), the second leading scorer in the GNAC, had a game-high of 29 points on 10-for-15 shooting from the floor. Avgi was lights out from beyond the arch, shooting 5-for-7 from distance.

The Wolves had three other players hit the double digit mark in scoring. Senior Jordan Wiley (G) had 17 points, redshirt sophomore Tanner Omlid (G/F) had 16 points, and senior Julian Nichols (G) filled out the stat sheet with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.

On their home court, Western jumped out to an early 19-12 lead on consecutive three-pointers from redshirt sophomore Alex Roth (G) and Avgi. But after the Wolves missed a few shots and the Falcons went on a scoring run, the point advantage switched to SPU.

SPU increased their lead late in the first half by hitting the long ball, shooting 7-for-10 from beyond the three-point line to take a 49-35 lead into half time.

In the second half, Western came out determined to get within striking distance. WOU forward Omlid scored seven points in the opening minutes of the second half on a 9-4 opening rally which brought the score to 44-51.

The Wolves spent the rest of the half chipping away at SPU’s lead, which the Falcons maintained all the way up until the end.

With less than one minute left to play, and the Falcons up 76-73, Avgi drained a clutch three-pointer to tie the score at 76-76 and sent the game to overtime.

In the five minute overtime period, Western put pressure on SPU by creating turnovers and never allowing the Falcons to take easy shots. Avgi, Wiley, Nichols, and Alexander all hit baskets in the overtime period to give the Wolves the 84-82 advantage.

The come-back victory improves the Wolves’ overall record to 20-2 and 13-1 in GNAC conference play. The overtime victory also brings the Wolves winning streak to a season-high 11 games.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, it was announced that the Wolves moved into the No. 1 spot in Division II basketball. It is the first time in school history that Western has earned the top spot.

Up next, WOU hosts Simon Frasier University on Saturday, Feb. 13 in the armed forces and first responder appreciation night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

To tank or not to tank?

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

Before the start of the 2015-16 NBA season, most sports analysts thought that the Portland Trailblazers had no chance of making the playoffs. The Blazers dismantled last year’s team who had the talent to compete for a NBA Championship and decided to rebuild.

The heart and soul of last year’s team, LaMarcus Aldridge, decided to part ways with the organization in the offseason and sign with the San Antonio Spurs in his home state of Texas. As soon as it became clear that Aldridge was gone, Blazer’s general manager, Neil Olshey, cleared the deck with the team’s high paid veterans Nicolas Batum, Westley Mathews, and Robin Lopez.

After the massive turnover in free agency, the Blazers were left with their starting point guard, two-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, and a bunch of young unproven players with high potential.

So, almost everyone, including myself, expected the Blazers to be in the hunt for a coveted ping-pong ball: a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

But now, the Trailblazers find themselves in a very precarious situation: with a record of 24-26, the Blazers are currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference and would make the playoffs if the season ended today.

I believe that making the playoffs would be disastrous for the organization, and I think it would be best to tank the rest of the season. Yes, I am suggesting that dirty t-word.

Of course, coaches and players do not want to tank, but rather the decision is made by the front office. Loosing for players threatens millions of dollars if players are set to sign new contracts, and for coaches, a losing season can be a quick ticket to the unemployment line.

Tanking in today’s NBA landscape is common. Smaller market teams, like Portland, have a real problem getting high profile free agents to sign contracts in the offseason. That means the only way for smaller market teams to get talented players is through trades or through the draft.

If Portland does end up making the playoffs in the eighth seed, they would most likely be playing the Golden State Warriors (44-4) in the first round of a seven-game playoff series. So, could the Blazers somehow pull off the biggest upset in NBA history? No. There’s a better chance of hell freezing over.

Looking at the rest of the Western Conference I find it highly improbable that the Blazers could come out victorious against any of the teams ahead of them in the standings, with the exception of Houston (No. 7) or Dallas (No. 6).

As a longtime Blazers fanatic I am sick and tired of my team making the playoffs only to be eliminated in the first round. Sacrificing the rest of the season would give the Blazer’s the best chance in improving their talent for the future by building through the draft. That’s how Portland got Aldridge, Lillard, Greg “Glass Bones” Oden, and Brandon Roy.

With more than half the season in the books, the Blazers have surpassed most sports analyzers’ expectations and my own. The players and coaches should be proud, but the Blazers front office should make the decision to pull the plug on the season.

In an offseason press conference, Olshey said that he and Paul Allen, the Trailblazers owner, were not worried about the next five minutes, but rather the next five years. If that’s truly the case then tanking is their best option.

Revenge is a dish best served cold

MensBBall2Color

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

As the men’s basketball team entered their home game on Saturday, Jan. 30 against Central Washington University (CWU), the New Year’s Eve loss to the Wildcats stuck in the back of their minds.

The Wildcats would later find out that revenge is a dish best served cold as the Wolves went on to defeat CWU 85-68.

Redshirt senior Andy Avgi (F), who last week earned his third GNAC Player of the Week honor of the 2015-16 season, had a game-high of 27 points. Avgi filled up the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Four other Wolves hit the double-digit mark in scoring: senior Devon Alexander (G) had 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, while Senior Julian Nichols (G), senior Jordan Wiley (G) and redshirt-sophomore Alex Roth (G) each had 10 points.

CWU came out firing on all cylinders after the opening tip, and had an 8-2 advantage early in the first half.
Western weathered the storm and closed in on the Wildcats lead by shooting high percentage shots in the paint. Alexander evened the score at 22-22 with a layup and would hit a free throw to give the Wolves a one-point advantage.

Western would finish the half up 38-29, their largest lead of the first half.

The momentum from the first half carried over into final period and the Wolves continued to build on their lead with hot shooting from Avgi and great team ball. With 9:12 remaining in the game, the Wolves increased their lead to 71-46 on an Alexander three-pointer.

The lead proved to be too large for the Wildcats to come back from and the Wolves cruised to victory. In the second half, the Wolves shot a blistering 0.643 percent from the floor including going 4-of-8 from beyond the arch.

Western held CWU to a field goal percentage of 0.356 from the floor and 0.308 from distance. The Wolves shot 0.579 (33-of-57) from the floor, finishing the game with their best shooting percentage of the year.

Equally impressive was the fact that the Wolves only coughed up five turnovers in the game, with four coming in the first half and only one in the final 20 minutes of the game.

The redemption victory improves Western’s overall record to 18-2 and 11-1 in GNAC conference play. With eight games remaining on their schedule, the Wolves find themselves in a very good position to make the College Basketball Division II playoffs.

Up next the Wolves hit the road to face Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Feb. 6. The next home game is on Thursday, Feb. 11 against the Western Washington Vikings in the New P.E. Building.

Wolves fall short in crunch time

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team stormed north of the border to Burnaby, B.C., to face Simon Frasier University (SFU), on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. After a highly contested battle, the Wolves fell short in the fourth quarter and were defeated 66-59.

Redshirt junior Kelsey Henry (F) led the Wolves in scoring coming off the bench with 8 points. Senior Emily Howey (C), freshman Kaylie Boschma (G) and freshman Ali Nelke (G/F) each tallied 7 points.

SFU jumped out to an early lead but a Howey layup gave the Wolves their first lead of the game at 6-5. The first quarter went back-and-forth with four lead changes and the Wolves found themselves up 18-17 at the end of the first quarter.

At the 7:24 mark of the second quarter, the Wolves got their largest lead of the night on a layup by sophomore guard Sydney Azorr; however, the Clan went on an 11 point unanswered run to take a 30-26 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

The Wolves buckled down on defense and Nelke was unstoppable, hitting three consecutive buckets to give the Western a 32-30 lead going into half time.

The Clan pulled away from the Wolves late in the third quarter by shooting the deep ball, getting to the free throw line, and converting their free throws. Western came within three points of the lead halfway through the fourth quarter but that was the closest they would get.

WOU finished the game shooting 0.391 percent from the floor (18-of-46) and went 2-of-14 from long range. The Wolves out rebounded the Clan 37-25.

The loss brings the Wolves’ overall record to 3-17 and 2-10 in GNAC conference play.

Next up, Western will host the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the New P.E. Building. After the matchup with the Seawolves, the Wolves hit the road for their next four matchups before returning home for the final two games on their schedule.

Wolves welcome 28 student-athletes to the Pack

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, Western Oregon Universities’ head football coach Arne Ferguson announced 28 high school football players signed their letters of intent to join the team in the fall.

Out of the 28 new recruits, 16 are from Oregon and 5 are from Washington. The 2016 recruiting class also has highly touted high school players from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Idaho.

“We are very happy with the kids that have committed to Western Oregon,” said Ferguson. “Our coaches put in the time and did a really good job recruiting players that will give us an opportunity to compete against the best teams in Division-II.”

At the Wolves’ National Signing Day event on Wednesday at Crush Wine Bar and Tasting Room, Ferguson talked about what traits and characteristics the coaching staff looks for in recruits.

“First of all, we look for a good student that’s motivated and driven,” said Ferguson. “Western Oregon does a good job recruiting student athletes who will work hard, learn, and get an education.”

“The second thing is that we are obligated to make sure that they will be successful in Division II football, and that’s not easy,” added Ferguson. “We want [the recruits] to be successful and we want them to be on the football field because we know that they all work very hard for the opportunity.”

“The last thing we look for is their leadership, being in a winning program and knowing the little things that matter in order to contribute to the team,” said Ferguson.

With the recent success of the program, Western Oregon has created a winning culture. “We have had ten winning seasons in a row and we have been second in about eight of those, so we are looking for those extra couple inches to push us over the edge,” said Ferguson.

The following is a list of the student-athletes who have committed to the program:

 

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School/Previous School
Malik Abdul-Haqq DB/WR 6-5 166 Seattle, Wash. / Cleveland
Curtis Anderson DB 6-2 180 Klamath Falls, Ore. / Mazama
Nick Bartel OL 6-5 295 Ferndale, Wash. / Ferndale
Taylor Bratton RB 6-2 205 Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon
Tyree Carson DB 5-11 175 Lynnwood, Wash. / Meadowdale
Cody Coppedge WR 6-3 175 West Linn, Ore. / West Linn
Nick Duckworth QB 6-6 230 Scottsdale, Ariz. / Notre Dame Prep / Ventura / Phoenix College
Tate Edmundson DL 6-2 320 Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon
Cody Ekwall TE 6-5 270 Grants Pass, Ore. / Grants Pass
Caden Finkley LB 6-1 245 Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly
Hunter Hickok LB/FB 6-2 250 Juneau, Alaska / Juneau-Douglas
Tamir Hill DB 5-10 175 Meridian, Idaho / Rocky Mountain
Wyatt Hutchinson QB 6-0 175 Clackamas, Ore. / Clackamas
Markus John DL 6-4 320 Salem, Ore. / West Salem
Hudson Kennedy OL 6-3 290 West Linn, Ore. / West Linn / College of the Siskiyous
Nathan Mahaffie LB 6-3 215 Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon
Blaise Manabe WR 5-9 175 Honolulu, Hawaii / Radford
Twister McComas DL 6-3 240 Banks, Ore / Banks
Chandler Obermire DL 6-2 228 Eugene, Ore. / Sheldon
Anthony Orlando OL 6-4 270 San Francisco, Calif. / Archbishop Riordan
Tayvis Passos OL 6-1 295 Honolulu, Hawaii / Radford
Jakob Pruitt OL 6-3 265 Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic
Michael Pruitt DB 6-1 200 Ashland, Ore. / Ashland
Matthew Shouldis LB 6-3 200 Dayton, Ore. / Dayton
Bobi Sims WR 6-0 175 Kent, Wash. / Federal Way
Blake Walker QB 6-3 170 Hillsboro, Ore. / Liberty
Harrison White WR 6-1 167 Lynnwood, Wash. / Meadowdale
Evander Willingham TE/LB 6-4 225 Redmond, Ore. / Redmond

Crusaders topple Wolves in a hard-fought battle

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports Editor

The Western Oregon women’s basketball team fell at home to Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) 63-51 on Saturday, Jan. 23.

Freshman Natalie DeLonge (C) led the Wolves in scoring with 10 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the floor in just 19 minutes of play. Junior Jordan Mottershaw (G) and Michelle Bromagem (G) each tallied 8 points.

After NNU scored the first four points of the game, the Wolves pounced on the Crusaders by hitting two consecutive 3-pointers, one from Mottershaw and the other from Bromagem.

Building off the momentum from the deep ball, the Wolves held the lead throughout most of the first quarter by taking high percentage shots in the paint, but costly fouls and turnovers caused the score to be even at 14-14 by the end of the quarter.

In the remainder of the half, the Crusaders started hitting shots and creating turnovers, which proved to be one of the Wolves biggest problems of the night. By the half time whistle, Western had only added eight points and NNU’s lead ballooned to 36-22.

Although the Wolves found their shooting touch again in the second half, NNU kept hitting their shots. Every time the Wolves came close to bringing the score within single digits, the Crusaders would answer by creating turnovers or going on scoring runs.

With just under two minutes remaining in the game, Western brought the score to 51-60 off two made free throws from senior Emily Howey (C), but ultimately were unable to stop NNU in crunch time.

Western shot 15 of 50 from the floor including 5 of 15 from beyond the 3-point arch. The Wolves committed 24 turnovers that led to 28 Crusader points, and only created four points on NNU’s 15 turnovers. NNU also won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding WOU 38-34.

The Wolves hit 20 of 23 from the charity stripe and set a season-high free throw percentage of 0.870 percent, up from their season average of 0.679 percent.

The loss brings Western’s overall record to 3-15 and 2-8 in GNAC play.

Up next, the Wolves travel to British Columbia, Canada to take on Simon Frasier University on Saturday, Jan. 31.

The next home game is on Thursday, Feb. 4 against the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and the game is a pink-out, meaning fans are asked to wear pink in support of their team. Two days later, on Saturday, Feb. 6, the Wolves host the University of Alaska Anchorage also at 7 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

Wolves jump to No. 1 in GNAC

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports editor

The No. 4 Wolves jumped to the top of the GNAC with two consecutive home victories. One over the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Thursday, Jan. 21 and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) on Saturday, Jan. 23.

The first match-up, against the UAA Seawolves, ended 76-66 in Western’s favor.

Redshirt-senior Andy Avgi (F) led all scorers with 31 points on 13-21 shooting from the floor, he also had 3 assists, 4 blocked shots and 2 steals. Senior Jordan Wiley (G) was the only other Western player to reach double digits, scoring 17 points. Wiley was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw stripe.

UAA came into the game ranked first in the GNAC with a conference record of 7-0; however, they had not yet played the red-hot Wolves. From the opening tip, the Wolves pressured UAA with stifling defense and held the Seawolves to 0.286 percent shooting in the first half.

The GNAC’s leading scorer, UAA guard Sekou Wiggs, was held to only 4 first half points, all of which came from the free throw line. The Wolves intensity and defensive prowess gave them a 33-23 advantage at the break.

In the second half, Wiggs and the rest of the Seawolves showed why they were undefeated in the conference. With seven minutes remaining for the game, UAA fought their way back and then took the lead when Wiggs hit a lay-up to give UAA a 60-57 advantage. Wiggs exploded with 22 second half points.

Although momentum had swung in UAA’s direction, the Wolves refused to give up. Senior Devon Alexander (G) hit a 3-pointer to even the game and then Avgi’s shot from beyond the arch gave Western the lead once again.

With 1:53 remaining in the game and the Wolves up 70-66, Western’s defense came up big again by holding UAA scoreless in the final two minutes.

On Saturday, the Wolves again found a way to come out victorious, defeating the UAF Nanooks 64-59.

Avgi again earned the game’s top scoring honors with 24 points; Wiley had 17 points and Alexander tallied 13 points.

Western struggled shooting the ball early in the first half, but with the Nanooks up by 5 points at the 9:37 mark, the Wolves began to light it up from a distance. Avgi hit two, Nichols hit one, and Wiley drained four 3-pointers to give the Wolves a 38-27 advantage going into half time.

The Wolves’ momentum carried over into the second half and they increased their lead to 47-31 with 15 minutes remaining for the game. UAF, who currently sits in third place in the GNAC, refused to back down and came within three points of the lead with 1:22 remaining.

An Avgi 3-pointer and a couple drained free throws from Nichols iced the game and proved to be too much for the Nanooks to come back from.

The two home victories improve the Wolves’ overall record to 16-2 and 9-1 in GNAC play.

Avgi’s phenomenal two games culminated his third GNAC Player of the Week award this season. Avgi, who was named to the Bevo Francis watch list last week, is currently ranked second in the GNAC in scoring (21.8 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (58.2 percent), fourth in 3-point percentage (45.8 percent), and ninth in blocked shots (1.0).

Next, Western will look for revenge on Saturday, Jan. 30 when they host Central Washington University (CWU). The 77-81 loss to CWU on Dec. 31, 2015 is the Wolves only conference blemish.

Making sacrifices and working hard

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports editor

It is 8:00 a.m. at the start of the week on a cold and brisk 39 degree morning. As the sun begins to expose itself onto the horizon through the ominous grey clouds, the football team is arriving for morning workouts in the weight room below the stadium at McArthur Field.

As the players walk through the heavy steel doors, they are greeted by their strength and conditioning coach, Cori Metzgar.

Although the football season wrapped up over three months ago, the Wolves are already working hard in preparation for the upcoming season.

The life of a student athlete is a difficult one with year-round training, including making sacrifices that regular students don’t have to make.

“[The football team] has workouts four days a week and conditioning two days in the mornings,” said tight ends coach Jason Slowey. “They are up at 6:30 in the morning.”

Sacrificing their time and sleep is nothing compared to the hard work that each player puts in.

“The offseason for us is a pretty intense time,” said coach Metzgar. “We have eight hours a week to train the guys. We train on mobility, flexibility, prehab work, conditioning, agilities, biometrics, strength, and power work in the weight room.”

“The goal coming from eight weeks off from the season is to get them ready for spring ball, but also, to put on mass and add strength and power, especially for the younger kids,” added Metzgar. “For the older kids, it’s about developing their speed and power.”

“We spend three hours a week out on the turf doing speed and conditioning work, and we spend about five hours a week in the weight room consisting of an hour of stretching, mobility and prehab work, and four hours of lifting,” continued Metzgar.

The heavy offseason routine provides every player an opportunity to improve the things that they need to work on in order to gain a bigger role before next season begins. Some players want to gain muscle mass while others want to increase their agility.

Sophomore defensive lineman Casey Gates sees the offseason as an opportunity to achieve his personal goals.

“More than anything with me being a football player, I want to gain mass, muscle and power, but especially with coach Metzgar’s contribution, I’m really looking to increase my athletic abilities as well as my overall skill work,” said Gates.

“Playing at this level requires more than just physical strength because everyone has that at our level, so you really have to work on all skills to be the best football player that you can be,” said Gates.

Last season was filled with highs and lows. After dropping three of their first five games at the start of the season, the Wolves caught fire and won their next six games, including a 24-22 victory over the No. 6 ranked team in Division-II ball, Northern Alabama.

The upset victory propelled the Wolves into playoff contention, and a victory in their last game against the GNAC’s top team, Humboldt State University, would have made Western the GNAC Champions and given them an automatic Division-II playoff berth.

Unfortunately, the Humboldt State Jacks defeated the Wolves 29-13 and the season ended on a sour note.

That loss has stuck in the back of the mind of every player and has provided motivation for improvement.

“Our mindset now is to stay dedicated and hungry because last season we had achievements, but we weren’t able to accomplish all of our goals,” added Gates. “Because we were able to achieve some of our goals but not all of them, we are really working hard.”

Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

The Wolves hope that with hard work and dedication, next year will be the year Western can win the GNAC.

Super Bowl 50 preview

By: Jamal Smith 
Sports editor

JamalColor

Mark your calendars, clear your schedule and take Sunday, Feb. 9 off of work for Super Bowl 50. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

Whether you tune in just for the commercials or host a block party, Super Bowl mania has officially arrived. Five months and 266 NFL regular season and playoffs games are in the books and two teams remain: the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos.

It has been said that defense is what wins championships, and that will certainly be true when the winner of Super Bowl 50 is crowned. According to ESPN’s defensive efficiency metric, the Denver Broncos are the NFL’s No. 1 rated defense and the Carolina Panthers are the No. 2 defense.

The main storyline for the game will most likely be about the two teams’ prolific quarterbacks, Denver’s Payton Manning and Carolina’s Cam Newton. Manning, now at the ripe, old age of 39, is at the tail end of his Hall of Fame-worthy career, and some sports analysts believe that this game will be his last.

But Payton proved his naysayers wrong in the AFC Conference Championships with a 20-18 victory against the New England Patriots.

“There’s no question, this is a sweet day. This was a sweet victory,” Manning said after winning the AFC Conference Championship. “To me, this victory sort of is a great example of what this entire season has been like. It hasn’t been easy.”

Newton, in his fifth year in the NFL, has had a break-out season, leading the Panthers to a league-best 15-1 regular season record and also winning the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player award and Offensive Player of the Year award by the Professional Football Writers of America.

The Panthers’ regular season success doesn’t make a difference in playoffs, and yet, even in the biggest moment of his young career, Newton embraced the pressure and lead his team to a 49-15 beat down of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game.

“Yeah, we are going to the Super Bowl. We are not going just to take pictures,” said Cam Newton after the NFC Championship game. “We are trying to finish this thing off.”

It is that belief in himself and his teammates, a cockiness similar to that of Floyd “Money” Mayweather, which has given Newton and the Panthers an edge all season long.

So, who has the edge? An experienced Broncos team or the new kids on the block? According to Las Vegas sports books, which sets the betting lines for sports competitions, Carolina is favored to win the game by 3.5 points. Also, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, which takes into account each team’s strengths and weaknesses, the Panthers have a 55.6 percent chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Last year’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks had all the drama and excitement expected of the biggest game in the world. This year looks to be the same as the two best football teams go head to head in the bright lights on the biggest stage in the world.

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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