With only six games left before the GNAC tournament the Central men’s basketball team (13-6, GNAC 8-4) looks to sink their claws into Simon Fraser en route to a high playoff seed.

The Wildcats currently sit at 8-4, tied for third in the conference with Northwest Nazarene, but only a game back of Alaska Anchorage (9-3), for second place and a coveted first round bye in the tournament.

With the tournament nearing, Central players could easily start looking ahead, as every game becomes more important as the standings shape out.

Senior guard, Dom Williams knows that the Wildcats face two tough challenges this week.

“Every game is tough,” Dom Williams said. “I know that it is about trust with me and my teammates and when we are all plyaing with trust we can beat any team.”

The Wildcats will go on a two game road trip north to face archrival Western Washington University Vikings (6-7) and the run-and-gun scoring machines of Simon Fraser Clan (4-9).

The Wildcat’s last meeting versus the Vikings was one for the ages, as Dom Williams hit a three-point buzzer beater that sent a capacity crowd at Nicholson Pavilion into a frenzy.

That win sent the Vikings on a short slide that saw them lose three of their next four games.

Since that meeting, the Wildcats have seen the reemergence of junior guard, Gary Jacobs, who had been dealing with a few nagging injuries.

In the last three games, Jacobs has scored 14 points per game, and nabbed four steals.

Jacobs knows he needs to continue to be aggressive against upcoming opponents.

“Since I got hurt I had a lot of time to learn from the bench,” Jacobs said.

Central travels to Bellingham to face the Vikings at Carver Gymnasium, where the Vikings have been almost unbeatable, winning 10 of 12 home games.

The Vikings will rely on the rebounding of senior forward, Anye Turner and junior center, Mac Johnson, to control the boards for the Vikings. The two combine to average 14.7 rebounds per game.

The Wildcats can expect to have a tough night rebounding but, junior forward, Joseph Stroud, hopes he can fight for position and keep Western off the glass.

“I need to help spark my team, because it’s all about the boards in this game,” Stroud said.

In the second game of Centrals northern road trip, the Wildcats will cross into Canada, to face the Simon Fraser Clan.

The Clan has made a name for themselves this season as a scoring juggernaut, averaging 108.9 points per game.

This is highest in the nation, and more than 27 points per game higher than the second ranked scoring team in the GNAC.

While the Clan scores often, the Wildcats like to play stingy defense.

The Wildcats defense starts and ends with their rim protector, Stroud.

Stroud is currently 8th in the nation with 2.9 blocks per game.

Stroud understands that the Clan will keep a fast pace, but that will not change how he plays defense on Saturday night.

Central’s last meeting versus the Clan saw four players reach double figures in scoring, including 28 points by Dom Williams.

Williams is currently second in the GNAC in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game. Williams should expect to see many opportunities to create on the offensive end.

“I’ll get my shots,” Williams said.