The Wildcats tipped off this basketball season winning their first four games, their best start since the 2010-11 season.

Saturday, Central nabbed their fourth victory at home against Walla Walla University (WWU) in dominating fashion. The Wildcats racked up 119 points in their 37-point victory over WWU.

Central had six players score in double figures. Senior guard Gary Jacobs was one assist away from his first career triple-double.

The recurring theme of this season’s basketball team is the players’ selflessness.

“I think it’s the unselfishness of our squad,” head coach Greg Sparling said. “I think the guys are doing a good job of sharing the basketball…and they’re all getting along on and off the floor, and that’s half the battle.”

So far this season, the Wildcats have done a better job of handling the ball and giving themselves good opportunities to score.

“I think the biggest thing is that we are taking care of the basketball, we’re not turning it over, we’re not having silly turnovers like we’ve had in years past,” Sparling said. “We’re executing on offense and getting high percentage shots.”

Offensive and defensive rebounds have been a major point of emphasis this season, and it’s importance showed against WWU.

“Coach Sparling put an emphasis on rebounding, and [we] went up to get boards and beat them on the glass,” Jacobs said. “[It] helped us from not allowing them to get second chance points and us getting second chance points on offense.”

Jacobs was named the GNAC player of the week after his performance against WWU.

He said the team still has a lot to accomplish, and there is still a lot left to do this season. He attributes much of his early success to the team.

“Just swinging the rock, honestly. Just getting the easiest and most open shot we can get,” Jacobs said. “We are just trying not to force anything and be a team.”

One big addition to this year’s team has been redshirt freshman guard, Naim Ladd.

Ladd was the sixth man off the bench this year and has not disappointed. Ladd is averaging 11.5 points per game, including a 17 point performance against WWU.

Despite Ladd’s reputation as a top performer, he understands his role on the team.

“My role is to get people into spots, run the court, knock-down open shots and just be a leader on and off the court,” Ladd said.

On Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, Central travelled to Seattle to play against Hawaii Hilo University (HHU) and Brigham Young University of Hawaii (BYUH).

Central defeated HHU 100-87, Jacobs led the team in scoring with 23 points and senior forward Joseph Stroud netted 18 points.

The next day, Central didn’t skip a beat, earning their third victory of the season against BYUH.

Jacobs led the team in scoring 22 points. Senior guard Joey Roppo was close behind Jacobs with 20 points.

In their first game of the season, Central beat their first GNAC opponent, Simon Fraser University, in a non-conference game, 94-82.

Central has scored 100 plus points in two of their first four games. The Wildcats are averaging 102 points per game.

Central has already been tested on the road this season, making the trip up to Canada, then to Seattle. With this experience under their belts, the Wildcats should feel comfortable heading up to Alaska this weekend.

“We’ve played three games on the road, we’ve had a couple bus rides, so we got a little bit of a road test,” Sparling said. “I’m excited to see how we do in Alaska.”

Alaska Anchorage University (AAU) finished tied for third with Central last season, giving the Wildcats a formidable opponent early in the season.

Sparling wants the team to continue what they have been doing: taking care of the ball, rebounding and moving the ball around.

AAU has played in two different tournaments this season: the Conference Commissioner’s Association Classic (CCAC) and the Great Alaska Shootout (GAS).

AAU finished sixth in in the GAS and went 1-2 in the CCAC, a round-robin tournament.

“They’ve played over ten games now…so they’re playing in midseason form right now,” Sparling said.

Central plays their first game in Anchorage against AAU on Dec. 2. The Wildcats then travel north to play the University of Alaska on Dec. 5.