Burgess Previews the Week
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Following a four-game homestand which saw Alaska go 2-2, the women's basketball team hits the road for the first time in 19 days when it takes on Montana State-Billings and Seattle Pacific in a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference road games.
The Nanooks (6-15, 2-9 GNAC) first travel to Billings, Mont., to face the Yellowjackets (15-7, 7-4 GNAC) before they face the Falcons (13-6, 7-4 GNAC) in Seattle. Earlier this season, Alaska fell 95-70 at MSUB (Jan. 7) and 67-54 at SPU (Jan. 5).
“We're definitely going to miss having our home games,” head coach
Cody Burgess said. “We like our crowd and the fans here but it takes us to the road and it gives us another opportunity to win a couple games. We're going through our second round of conference so every game is important. We have a good opportunity first in Billings then Seattle.”
Alaska dropped both games last week at home with 94-72 loss to Central Washington (Jan. 26) before falling 83-56 to Northwest Nazarene (Jan. 28).
Autumn Greene and
Benissa Bulaya led the offensive attack with 11.5 points each on average. Greene also tallied 15 total rebounds to go with three steals and two blocks. Bulaya also contributed five assists and two steals.
Nicole Bozek, who did not play Saturday due to illness, scored 11 points against Central on Thursday.
In the GNAC rankings, Bozek is the league's fifth-leading scorer (16.1 ppg), while ranking sixth in blocks (1.0 bpg) and seventh in both rebounding (8.1 rpg) and free throw percentage (.813).
Nicole Hartzog is the top-scoring freshman in the conference with 10.8 points per game as well as second in steals (2.6 spg) and 10th in free throw percentage (.779).
Taylor Altenburg ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.824) while
Kelly Logue is 11th in steals (1.7 spg), 12th in assist-turnover ratio (1.2) and 15th in assists (2.4 apg).
Jacqueline Lovato also makes the cut in 13th in three point percentage (.369).
Game 22: Alaska ( Game Notes ) at Montana State-Billings
When: Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Mountain
Where: Billings, Mont. (Alterowitz Gymnasium)
Live Stats
Video: NMTVSports (Free Streaming)
About Montana State-Billings: Located in Billings, Mont., Montana State University Billings was founded in 1927 and has an enrollment of 5,274 students. The Yellowjackets enter Thursday with a 15-7 overall record and 7-4 mark in the GNAC following a pair of road wins against Western Oregon and Saint Martin's last week.
MSUB averages 65.8 points per game while allowing 57.8 points in its 22 games this season. As a team, it shoots 37.1-percent from the floor, while its opponents shoot 38-percent. The Yellowjackets hold a slim 40.0 to 38.3 rebounds advantage on average.
Bobbi Knudsen is the lone MSUB player to average double figures with 16.6 points per game and
Quinn Peoples scores 9.9 per outing while four others score at least 6.2 per game.
Janiel Olson leads the team with 8.8 rebounds per game.
Coach: Kevin Woodin (Carroll College '87) is in his eighth season at the helm of the MSUB women's basketball program. Entering this week, he is 140-88 during his tenure in Billings. He has led the Yellowjackets to two NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over in 2004.
Game 23: Alaska at Seattle Pacific (Game Notes)
When: Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.
Where: Fairbanks, Alaska (Patty Center)
Live Stats
Video: NMTVSports (Free Streaming)
About Seattle Pacific: Located in Seattle, Wash., Seattle Pacific University was founded in 1891 and has an enrollment of 4,000 students. The Falcons enter the week with a 13-6 overall record and a 7-4 mark in conference play after splitting on the road at SMU and WOU last week.
SPU scores 74.4 points per game while allowing 63.2 points through 19 games. As a team, it shoots 44.7-percent from the floor, while limiting its opponents to 38.9-percent shooting. The Falcons are dominant on the boards, averaging 42.3 boards per game while their opponents tally 32.2 per game.
Three players average double-figure scoring, led by
Katie Benson, who scores 15.6 points per game.
Nyesha Sims (11.8) and
Rachel Murray (10.4) also score in double figures. Sims also leads the team with 9.0 rebounds per outing.
Coach: Julie Heisey (Northwest Nazarene '89) is in her seventh season at the helm of the SPU women's basketball program and has amassed a record of 157-40 since being hired. She has advanced each of her Falcon teams to NCAA postseason play, including the 2009-10 squad that reached the Elite Eight. Her career record is 314-156 which includes her nine years at Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville.
