Matt Poquette, the 6-foot-6-inch senior forward, won men’s basketball Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) player of the week on Jan. 23. 

Poquette put up a double-double performance with 17 points and 10 rebounds versus Western Washington University (WWU) on Jan. 19, and a short few days on Jan. 21, Poquette secured 13 points and four rebounds against Simon Fraser University (SFU).

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to prove to people,” Poquette said. “ I am trying to make the best out of my senior year and do the best I can to help us win the most games that we can, and hopefully make a deep playoff run.”

After starting the season slow with a 1-9 record, the CWU men’s basketball team found themselves on a five game winning streak prior to their one-point loss to Montana State Billings. Their most recent win came against GNAC leader Seattle Pacific University (SPU), who they beat 69-62. 

The team’s winning streak comes at a pivotal point in the season, as the playoffs begin March 1. Poquette reflected on the team’s struggles at the beginning of the season, and how they’ve rallied. 

‘’We lost a lot of close games at the beginning of the season, we just kept on talking to each other,” Poquette said “Coming together and trying to improve on the little things everyday has led us to winning more games. We’re not satisfied yet; we’re still improving every day.”

The team has had its challenges throughout the season, adding new faces to the squad: Transfers like Brock Gilbert, who is averaging eight assists for the Wildcats this season, and Sammad Hector, who recently recorded a double-double versus SPU.

‘’We’ve all bonded like family since we’ve been together, they accepted me as their own and made the adjustment of how we do things here,” Poquette said. “I know it’s different having to adjust coming from a new school, but they’ve been open to it, and it’s been easy to help and communicate with them.”