Simon Fraser University men’s basketball guard Sango Niang capped off his outstanding senior season with a Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-conference team selection.
Niang, the Great Northwest leading scorer, averaged 22.6 points per game, which is over three points more than the next highest scorer. He also led the conference in assists, averaging 6.4 per game, and shoots 36.0 per cent from beyond the arc, and was a two-time conferende athlete of the week this season.
As a team captain and leader, Niang’s presence in 2014-15 helped propel the Clan to their best season since joining the Great Northwest in 2010, including spending the entire season atop the NCAA Division II rankings, leading the nation in scoring with a 105.6 points per game average.
With Niang at the helm of a fast-paced offence, the Clan earned six wins in conference play, equaling their total wins from the past four seasons combined.
Niang scored a career-high 46 points in late January against Central Washington, surpassing Clan legend Jay Triano for the second highest single-game point total in SFU history. He trails only Clan Hall of Famer Mike Jackel, who scored 47 points in 1980 and 1981.
Niang also equaled a 2002 single-game Great Northwest record, making 18 field goals in that same game. He helped Simon Fraser set several conference records this season, including most points in a single game - 160 against Northwest Indian College.
The Clan men finished seventh in the Great Northwest standings this season, one position out of the playoffs.
2014-15 GNAC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
First Team:*Andy Avgi, Western Oregon (F, 6-6, Jr., Woodburn, OR); +Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-1, Sr., Anchorage, AK); Dom Williams, Central Washington (G, 5-11, Sr., Tacoma, WA); Riley Stockton, Seattle Pacific (G, 6-4, Sr., Spokane, WA); Julian Nichols, Western Oregon (G, 6-2, Jr., Upland, WA); Anye Turner, Western Washington (F, 6-7, Sr., Olympia, WA). *Unanimous
Second Team:Sango Niang, Simon Fraser (G, 6-0, Sr., Paris, France); Jeffrey Parker, Western Washington (F, 6-6, So., Richmond, CA); Corey Hutsen, Seattle Pacific (C, 6-8, Sr., Sammamish, WA); Kevin Rima, Northwest Nazarene (F, 6-7, Sr., Fairbanks, AK); Joseph Stroud, Central Washington (F, 6-8, Jr., Seattle, WA); Ricardo Maxwell, Western Washington (G, 5-10, Jr., Cincinnati, OH).
Honorable Mention: Brian McGill, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-2, Jr., Clackamas, OR); Almir Hadzisehovic, Alaska (C, 6-8, Jr., Belgrade, Serbia); Ashton Edwards, Alaska (G, 6-0, Jr., Compton, CA); Jace Anderson, MSU Billings (G, 5-10, So., Whitewater, MT); Erik Kinney, Northwest Nazarene (G, 6-4, Jr., Fairfield, CA); Alex Birketoft, Northwest Nazarene (F, 6-8, Fr., Oelstykke, Denmark); Riley Carel, Saint Martin’s (G, 6-2, Sr., Enumclaw, WA); Mitch Penner, Seattle Pacific (F, 6-5, Jr., Seattle, WA); Matt Borton, Seattle Pacific (F, 6-5, Sr., Yakima, WA); Shawn Reid, Seattle Pacific (F, 6-4, Sr., Post Falls, ID); Jordan Wiley, Western Oregon (G, 6-6, Jr., McKenzie, OR); Lewis Thomas, Western Oregon (F, 6-8, Sr., Perth, Australia).
SPECIAL AWARDS: Player of the Year– Andy Avgi, Western Oregon. Defensive Player of the Year – Riley Stockton, Seattle Pacific. Newcomer of the Year– Julian Nichols, Western Oregon. Freshman of the Year– Alex Birketoft, Northwest Nazarene . Coach of the Year– Brady Bergeson, Western Oregon.
