BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior guard Trey Drechsel has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, announced Monday by the conference office.
Drechsel (Woodinville, WA/Cedar Park Christian) helped lead the Vikings (5-2, 2-0 GNAC) in two wins to open the conference schedule, averaging 26.5 points per game and 13.5 rebounds per game during the week. He had double-doubles in both victories as WWU began GNAC play with a 99-72 win over Concordia last Thursday before defeating No.13-ranked and previously-unbeaten Western Oregon, 85-58, last Saturday.
It was a career-high night for Drechsel last Thursday, posting career-best totals of 32 points and 17 rebounds against Concordia. He had 21 points and 9 rebounds in the first half, helping the Vikings to a 56-32 advantage at halftime. He scored his first points of the game with 10:22 left in first half for his first of seven straight made field goals in the half.
Drechsel finished the game 12-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and made 4-of-4 free throws. Four of his 17 rebounds were offensive rebounds. The career night bettered his previous career highs of 27 points against Concordia (Jan. 14, 2016) and 11 rebounds against Northwest Nazarene (Feb., 2, 2016).
The scoring output by Drechsel was the 101st 30-point game in program history, while his 17 rebounds were the most in a game by a Viking since Anye Turner grabbed 20 rebounds on Dec. 6, 2014 at Simon Fraser. Drechsel’s 17 rebounds were also the most in a 30-point game for a WWU player since Austin Bragg totaled 30 points and 17 rebounds on Jan. 11, 2014 against Simon Fraser.
Drechsel finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Oregon last Saturday as one of two Vikings to post a double-double along with senior forward Deandre Dickson (Easton, CA/Washington Union, Bakersfield), who had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Balancing his scoring with 10 points in the first half and 11 points in the second half, Drechsel was 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range. He also went 3-for-4 at the free throw line.
In both games combined Drechsel played 78 of 80 minutes, also recording 6 assists and 4 steals. He was 20-for-31 (64.5%) from the field and made 6-of-9 (66.7%) 3-pointers as well as 7-of-8 (87.5%) free throws. For the season, Drechsel is averaging 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
The conference weekly honor is the first of Drechsel’s career as well as the first of the season for the Vikings.
WWU returns to action next Tuesday (Dec. 12), hosting Cal State East Bay on WECU Court in Carver Gym at 7 pm. The Vikings will then travel to Hawai’i for the Hoops in Hawai’i Holiday Classic with games against Harding (Dec. 16) and Tampa (Dec. 17) at the Hawai’i Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i. The conference schedule resumes at the end of the month with games at Seattle Pacific (Dec. 28) and at Saint Martin’s (Dec. 30).
