IRVINE, Calif. -- Six PacWest teams won multiple games during the first weekend of the 2021-22 season as the conference posted an overall combined record of 16-7 in non-conference play, including a 9-3 record against CCAA teams.
Hawai`i Hilo finished the weekend in first place with three wins, including a triumph in overtime against NCAA Division I opponent Northern Colorado.
Darren Williams had 18 points i the win for Hawai`i Hilo with four assists, while
Donald McHenry scored 19 points.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones led all scorers for the week with 21 points and eight rebounds per game with a 54.3 field-goal percentage in three wins for the Vulcans.
Academy of Art won each of its first two games in San Francisco, earning exciting wins against San Francisco State and Sonoma State for the team’s first 2-0 start to the season in six years.
Fresno Pacific and Point Loma each went 2-0 last week as well. The Sea Lions and Sunbirds each earned wins over Stanislaus State and Cal State East Bay. Point Loma was led offensively by
Hugh Baxter who had a 75.0 field-goal percentage as he averaged 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Jelani Watson-Gayle averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds for the Sunbirds in their two wins.
Biola and Chaminade went 2-0 on the week with the Eagles beating Cal State LA and The Master’s. Chaminade won both of its games against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks with
Isaac Amaral-Artharee being named the MVP of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge after averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Weekly awards for the week of November 8-14
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Wayne Arnold, Concordia
G, Jr., 6-3 -- South Central, Calif.
Arnold helped lead Concordia to a win in its only game against an NCAA Division II opponent, beating Cal State LA 114-80 on Saturday. It was the 19th most points by a team in a single game in PacWest history and the team’s 18 3-pointers is tied for the seventh most in PacWest history. Arnold made six of those 3-pointers, going 6 for 10 from beyond the arc as he scored a team-high 32 points. Arnold also had three steals and three assists in the win. The previous night against The Master’s, Arnold scored a team-high 24 points. He made 8 of 12 shots including 5 of 9 from beyond the arc to go along with his two steals and block on the defensive end. Arnold finished the week with a league-best 28 points per game with a 57.9 three-point percentage and a league-best 11 treys. He also had a total of five steals for the week.
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Christian Popoola, Academy of Art
G, Jr., 6-4 -- East Palo Alto, Calif.
Popoola recorded seven steals last week and earned recognition as the Tournament MVP as he led Academy of Art to a pair of wins over San Francisco State and Sonoma State to open the season. Against San Francisco State, Popoola tallied four steals as he helped the Urban Knights hold the Gators to 73 points in a 77-73 victory. He made a jumper and a pair of free throws in the final 15 seconds of the game to secure a season-opening victory for Academy of Art. The following day, he tallied three steals for a league-best total of seven steals last week. He helped hold Sonoma State scoreless in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game to overtime, tied 66-66. In overtime, he got a steal which led to two made free throws. Then after forcing the Seawolves into a turnover on the next possession, he made a jumper from in the paint to help lead Academy of Art to its second win in a row. He also had seven defensive rebounds for the week.