Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer
Nationally ranked number three, the Wolves travelled to Alaska this past weekend, from March 2-3, to take care of business. After a strong regular season performance, it wasn’t a surprise to see Western win the Men’s GNAC Basketball Championships. After the team collected two wins in the two nights, to secure a conference championship, the Wolves have put away 22 straight opponents.
Last Friday, March 2, the team was able to defeat Seattle Pacific in the second round of the GNAC Championships, 93-70. Seniors Tanner Omlid and Vince Boumann were highly efficient, combining for 40 points; Omlid lead the way with 23, Boumann — who collected tournament MVP honors, scored 17 points.
During the game on Saturday, March 3, against national tournament bound St. Martin’s, the team was able to secure their second GNAC Championship win in three years. In a defensive battle, the Wolves pulled away with a 65-55 win.
After the wins, the team was informed that they would be hosting the West Region Championship for the second time in three years.
Heading into the regional tournament, the Wolves earned the ability to play at home after receiving a number one seed. The team’s record currently stands at 29-1 as the postseason begins.
They will be looking to continue the winning streak through a possible three game stretch this following week. The first tournament game is March 9, at 7:30 p.m. against eighth seeded Point Loma.
If the team continues to progress throughout the weekend, they will play for an Elite 8 bid on March 12, Monday, at 7:00 p.m in the final regional game. All these games would be played at home.
In other team-related news, Omlid was announced as the GNAC Player of the Year after an impressive season; he averaged 13.6 points per game, finished first in steals and had the second most blocks in the conference.
Those who’d like to attend can purchase either a three-day tournament pass or a single ticket. Tournament passes are $30, while a single game ticket is $5 for students and $10 for seniors.
All games will also be streamed live on gnac.tv.
Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu
Photo by: wouwolves.com
