BAKERSFIELD’S AHMED NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bakersfield junior center Aly Ahmed has been named Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 1. This is his second WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and of his career.
The Alexandria, Egypt, native averaged a double-double of 21.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last week as the Roadrunners went 2-0 on the week. He shot 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field and 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line over the two games. Ahmed opened the week with 21 points and nine rebounds in only 26 minutes played against San Diego Christian. In a WAC overtime win over Seattle U, he again led the ‘Runners with 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Ahmed came through in the clutch for CSUB, as the team trailed Seattle U 48-41 with 7:35 to play before going on a four-minute, 12-0 run during which he scored nine points.
Other nominees included: Chicago State’s Trayvon Palmer averaged 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal and led the Cougars to their first WAC victory of the season, a road win at Grand Canyon ... Joshua Braun of Grand Canyon averaged 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals as the Antelopes went 1-1 on the week ... Missouri-Kansas City’s Reese Holliday averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals as the Kangaroos went 1-1 last week ... Daniel Mullings of New Mexico State finished with 14 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the floor and 100 percent from three-point range, to go along with two rebounds, one block and one steal in a win over Texas-Pan American ... Seattle U’s Emerson Murray finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in an overtime loss to Bakersfield ... Janari Joesaar of Texas-Pan American finished with 23 points, four rebounds and one assist in a loss to NM State ... Utah Valley’s Marcel Davis averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds as the Wolverines went 1-1 last week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
New Mexico State leads the WAC in scoring (68.6), scoring margin (7.0), field goal percentage (45.7), three-point field goal percentage defense (29.6), rebounding (36.0), rebounding defense (30.0), rebounding margin (6.0), blocks (3.83) and offensive rebounds (13.09). Seattle U is tops in three-point field goal percentage (39.4), assists (14.8), assist-turnover ratio (1.09), defensive rebounds (24.75) and three-pointers per game (7.55), while Bakersfield leads the league in scoring defense (60.7), free throw percentage (73.4) and field goal percentage defense (40.1). Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in steals (8.43) and turnover margin (2.43).
Individually, UTPA’s Janari Joesaar leads the WAC in scoring (18.8) and minutes per game (34.68), while New Mexico State’s Pascal Siakam is tops in field goal percentage (55.6), blocks (1.96) and offensive rebounds (3.57). Kevin Mays of Bakersfield leads the league in rebounding (8.3), while teammates Aly Ahmed and Brent Wrapp are tops in defensive rebounds (5.1) and assist-turnover ratio (2.38), respectively. Marcel Davis of Utah Valley is tops in assists (4.05) and teammate Donte Williams leads the WAC in free throw percentage (81.0). UMKC’s Martez Harrison leads the league in steals (1.83), Remi Barry of New Mexico State is tops in three-point percentage (50.9) and Seattle U’s Isiah Umipig leads the WAC in three-pointers per game (3.9).
In WAC games only, New Mexico State leads the league in scoring defense (52.0), scoring margin (13.3), field goal percentage defense (38.9), three-point field goal percentage defense (27.5), rebounding defense (27.5), rebounding margin (8.0), blocks (4.83) and defensive rebounds (23.83), and is tied with Utah Valley in rebounding (35.5). Grand Canyon is tops in scoring (70.7), three-point field goal percentage (39.2) and three-pointers per game (8.17), while Utah Valley leads the WAC in assists (15.67) and assist-turnover ratio (1.49). Chicago State leads the league in free throw percentage (76.5) and offensive rebounds (14.0), while Bakersfield is tops in steals (6.33). UMKC leads the WAC in turnover margin (4.33) and Seattle U is tops in field goal percentage (46.8).
Individually in WAC games, Grand Canyon’s DeWayne Russell is tops in scoring (18.5), while Siakam leads the league in rebounding (9.0) and offensive rebounds (4.33), and is tied with UTPA’s Dan Kimasa in blocks (2.0). Seattle U’s Jack Crook is tops in field goal percentage (60.6), while Davis leads the WAC in assists (5.0). Joesaar is tops in free throw percentage (93.5) and minutes per game (37.5), while Seattle U’s Emerson Murray leads the league in steals (1.83) and assist-turnover ratio (5.80). New Mexico State’s Daniel Mullings has a perfect three-point field goal percentage (100.0), while teammate Tshilidzi Nephawe is tops in defensive rebounds (5.4). Umipig leads the league in three-pointers per game (3.0).
MULLINGS MOVES INTO SIXTH PLACE IN NM STATE CAREER SCORING
New Mexico State senior Daniel Mullings moved into sixth place on the NM State career scoring list on Jan. 31 against Texas-Pan American. He has 1,553 career points, 98 shy of fifth place and 309 away from the record of 1,862 held by Eric Channing (1998-02).
UMKC’S HARRISON DISHES OUT 200TH CAREER ASSIST
Missouri-Kansas City point guard Martez Harrison dished out his 200th career assist at the 12:17 mark of the second half in a win over Utah Valley on Jan. 31. The sophomore now has 201 dimes on his career.
UTPA’S JOESAAR POSTS 10TH 20-POINT GAME
Texas-Pan American sophomore Janari Joesaar posted his WAC-leading 11th 20-point game this season against New Mexico State on Jan. 31, finishing with 23. He has more 20-point games than last year’s leader, Javorn Farrell, did (eight) with a minimum of nine games remaining this season.
BAKERSFIELD’S MAYS HAS SEVEN GAMES WITH 10 OR MORE REBOUNDS
With 12 rebounds against Seattle U on Jan. 31, Bakersfield’s Kevin Mays now has a WAC-leading nine games with 10 or more rebounds this season. He is currently the WAC leader in rebounding, averaging 8.3 boards per game.
UMKC’S HARRISON EXTENDS DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK TO 41 GAMES
Missouri-Kansas City sophomore guard Martez Harrison has reached double-digit scoring in all 23 games this season to extend his streak to 41 consecutive games, good for second place all-time at UMKC. He also has 17 career games with 20 or more points, including eight this season.
SEATTLE U’S UMIPIG CLIMBING CAREER THREE-POINTERS CHART
In just his second season with the program, Seattle U’s Isiah Umipig currently ranks second all-time on the Seattle U career three-pointers list with 184, 55 shy of the record. The senior currently ranks second in the nation in three-pointers per game (3.9) and third in three-pointers made (78).
NEW MEXICO STATE WINS 25TH STRAIGHT WAC GAME AT HOME
After defeating Texas-Pan American on Jan. 31, New Mexico State has now won 25 straight WAC games at the Pan American Center, dating back to Jan. 26, 2012. The Aggies are also 48-4 in their last 52 games at the Pan American Center and have had three home winning streaks of 11 games or more since the 2011-12 season.
CSUB’S MAYNOR CLIMBING CAREER THREE-POINTERS MADE CHART
In his third season at Bakersfield, senior Javonte Maynor has 193 career three-pointers, good for second place all-time. He trails only Kenny Warren, who hit 278 treys from 1990-94 in Division II.
SEATTLE U’S FLORA PLAYS IN 100TH CAREER GAME
His team’s victory over New Mexico State on Jan. 17 was the 100th career game for Seattle U senior Jarell Flora. The guard, who has now played in 103 career games, is in his fifth season with the team, having redshirted the 2010-11 season.
CHICAGO STATE’S ROSENBERG DISHES OUT 200TH CAREER ASSIST
Chicago State senior Clarke Rosenberg dished out his 200th career assist on Jan. 10 at Texas-Pan American. Rosenberg dished to Trayvon Palmer for a three-pointer with 13:54 left in the game and now has 210 assists on his career.
BAKERSFIELD’S CORBIN RECORDS 100TH CAREER ASSIST
Bakersfield senior Tyrell Corbin had one assist at Grand Canyon on Jan. 10, the 100th of his career. In his second season with the Roadrunners, the guard now has 114 assists on his career.
GCU’S GARRISON HITS TWO MILESTONES IN SAME WEEK
Grand Canyon senior guard Jerome Garrison hit his 100th career three-pointer on Dec. 17 against Incarnate Word. He followed it up with his 100th career game on Dec. 20 vs. St. Edward’s. He now has 102 career treys and has played in 110 career games.
CHICAGO STATE’S ROSENBERG SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Chicago State senior Clarke Rosenberg became the ninth player in Cougar history to surpass 1,000 career points when he hit a layup with 10:52 remaining in the game at Southern Illinois on Dec. 14. With 1,102 points, Rosenberg ranks seventh all-time in career scoring at Chicago State, 30 points shy of sixth place.
BAKERSFIELD LOSSES COME IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION
Of Bakersfield’s 14 losses this season, 11 have been my eight points or less. The Roadrunners have three one-point losses, two two-point losses, a three-point loss, a four-point loss, a six-point loss, two seven-point losses and one eight-point defeat.
UMKC’S HARRISON HAS WAC’S FIRST 30-POINT GAME IN 2014-15
UMKC point guard Martez Harrison had a career-high 34 points in a double overtime win at Indiana State on Dec. 28. The 34 points are the highest for any player in the WAC this season and the most for a UMKC player since Dane Brumagin scored 35 in February of 2007. It was Harrison’s second 30-point output of his career, making him one of just 11 players to score 30 or more points twice in his UMKC career. He tallied 29 of his 34 points after halftime.
WAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS
The 2015 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the fifth year in a row. The tournament will be held March 11-14, and will include all seven eligible men’s and women’s teams.
ESPNU TO TELEVISE WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
ESPN will once again broadcast the WAC men’s and women’s tournament championship games from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 14. The women’s game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 1 p.m. (PT). The men’s championship game will also be broadcast by ESPNU at 8 p.m. (PT).