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Northwest Nazarene University: First-Timers

By: http://www.nytimes.com

Northwest Nazarene University made its’ first-ever appearance in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll since becoming a member of the NCAA Division II in 2000. The Crusaders cracked the rankings at the No. 23 spot.

NNU topped Saint Martin’s University and Western Oregon last week to move into a three-way tie for second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.

The Crusaders set a conference record for consecutive free throws made as a team against Western Oregon, connecting on all 20 attempts. They pace Division II with a 79.4 free throw percentage, a category NNU also led last year with an 81.2 percent mark.

NNU puts its’ new ranking to the test on Feb. 2 against No. 4 Alaska Anchorage, which is perfect in GNAC play with a 7-0 record.

Augusta State Tyrekus “AJ” Bowman is getting better and better as the season unfolds, and the Jaguars’ record has been the beneficiary.

Bowman, the reigning Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, averaged 23.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in three victories last week, including a 23-point outing in an upset of then-No. 5 USC Aiken, and was named the league’s Player of the Week for his outstanding play.

The native of Tignall, Ga., followed it up with a game-high 27 points in a 75-71 loss to North Georgia which ended the No. 10 Jags’ seven-game winning streak. The performance did extend Bowman’s streak of scoring in double figures to 37 games.

No. 17 Tarleton State remained on top of the Lone Star Conference South Division standings as the Texans edged 86-85 No. 19 Abilene Christian on Jan. 29 to win their 12th straight game. The Texans are 4-0 in divisional play.

Junior forward Eric Williams, the reigning LSC South Player of the Week, posted his third double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The native of Long Beach, Calif., has led the Texans in rebounds for six of the last nine games, and paces the team with 7.6 rebounds per game.

Fort Hays State University’s Tyrone Evans garnered Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Week for helping the Tigers extend their winning streak to four games with two league wins last week. The junior guard averaged 25.5 points and 4.5 assists, highlighted by a career-best 28 points against Central Missouri on Jan. 23. Evans shot 9-of-13 from the field, including 8-of-12 three-point attempts, in the 78-69 win over CMSU. The native of Aurora, Ill., recorded a 61.9 field goal percentage and 57.1 three-point field goal percentage on the week. Evans is averaging 22.6 points over his last five contests. The Tigers are tied for second place in the MIAA standings.

Both men’s and women’s basketball programs at Fort Lewis College are ranked in their respective national polls at the same time for the first time since the Skyhawks joined NCAA Division II. The men cracked the rankings at No. 25 this week and have won 11 straight, while the women moved up to the No. 11 spot … Elizabeth City State University’s Anthony Hilliard was named Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week for the second consecutive week after posting three double-doubles last week. The junior guard then netted 17 points in a 77-67 win over Bowie State on Jan. 29 as the Vikings remained in second place in the conference standings. He leads the CIAA in both scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (11.6 rpg), and is the only player in the league averaging a double-double.