Submitted by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor & Convention Bureau
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Basketball Championships kicks off today at Saint Martin’s University. The three-day event is a March madness in our own backyard with men’s and women’s college basketball competing in quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games.
Saint Martin’s University men’s basketball program is competing this year and beat Concordia Thursday night in a 78-73 battle with senior Fred Jorg hitting a historic 23 points and 15 rebounds. The Saints advance to semi-final play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Western Washington. Tickets are still available at the door.
Western Washington, Alaska Anchorage and Western Oregon are the top three teams in the men’s tournament while Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington and Simon Fraser have been the top three teams in the conference standings all season. Follow your favorite teams and catch a game using the below schedule:
Championship Schedule
Session 1 — Thursday, March 2
Game 1: Noon – Women’s Quarterfinals
#3 Simon Fraser vs. #6 Central Washington
Game 2: 2:15 p.m. – Women’s Quarterfinals
#4 Northwest Nazarene vs. #5 Seattle Pacific
Note: Marcus Pavilion will be cleared between sessions 1 and 2.
Session 2 – Thursday, March 2
Game 3: 5:15 p.m. Men’s Quarterfinals
#3 Western Oregon vs. #6 Montana State Billings
Game 4: 7:30 p.m. – Men’s Quarterfinals
#4 Saint Martin’s vs. #5 Concordia
Session 3 – Friday, March 3
Game 5: Noon – Women’s Semifinal
3/6 winner vs. #2 Western Washington
Game 6: 2:15 p.m. – Women’s Semifinals
4/5 winner vs. #1 Alaska Anchorage
Note: Marcus Pavilion will be cleared between sessions 3 and 4.
Session 4 – Friday, March 3
Game 7: 5:15 p.m. – Men’s Semifinals
3/6 winner vs. #2 Alaska Anchorage
Game 8: 7:30 p.m. – Men’s Semifinals
#4 Saint Martin’s vs. #1 Western Washington
Session 5 – Saturday, March 4
Game 9: 5:15 p.m. – Women’s Championship
Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 10: 7:30 p.m. – Men’s Championship
Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
This is the second year in a row Saint Martin’s University has hosted this event. The Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor and Convention Bureau (OLTVCB), serving as the region’s sports commission, worked in conjunction with Saint Martin’s University and GNAC to sponsor and support the teams throughout the competitions, by providing hospitality, food and water along with referrals to local businesses.
