By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
Going into the GNAC Championship Playoffs, Western Washington was the only school in the conference to be nationally ranked, taking number 15 on the NCAA’s Division II table.
Though lacking the national recognition, the Western Oregon Wolves held the number three seed, and were ranked tenth overall in the western region.
Junior forward Tanner Omlid’s double double of 22 points and 11 rebounds helped guide the Wolves over Montana State Billings in the first round of play on March 2.
The 72-61 win over the Yellowjackets advanced the Wolves into the next day’s semifinals. The matchup against Alaska Anchorage. The number two seed Seawolves had the opening round bye and were fresh to face the Wolves.
But the Wolves would prove themselves to have the most stamina as they would ultimately seize victory at the end of three overtimes.
Omlid again had a double double, with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first GNAC tournament game to ever go to overtime.
A 7-0 run from the Wolves in the middle of the third overtime proved decisive, when junior guard Ali Faruq-Bey put up four points and sophomore guard Malik Leaks hit a three. The seven points were the difference in a 91-84 scoreline that sent Western Oregon to the Saturday night final.
The Wolves had met Western Washington twice during the regular season and were destroyed both times.
But the Wolves were also the reigning champions, who had fought their way to a chance to defend their title.
The game was an even balance, the two sides changing leads a total of eight times.
Junior guard Demetrius Trammell scored a career-high 33 points to help keep the game always at hand for the Wolves.
The final minutes saw Western Washington take the advantage, on a run of scoring eight points while the Wolves could only put up two. A missed three-point attempt by Trammel in the final two seconds was the end of the game, and Western Washington pulled off the win, 71-69.
The championship loss spelled the end of the men’s basketball season, as Western Oregon was not voted into the Division II tournament.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
