University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The 2013-14 regular season has finally arrived, and the Alaska women's basketball team kicks it off at home at 5:15 p.m. Friday in the Patty Center by hosting Western New Mexico of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
Both teams are fresh off exhibitions last weekend. The Nanooks (0-0) faced a team of Alumnae Saturday and won handily, 95-45. The Mustangs (0-0) played two exhibitions against NCAA Division I teams in four days. Saturday they played at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, staying within four early in the second half before falling 75-60. Tuesday the team played at the University of New Mexico and suffered an 85-47 defeat.
 
Two Nanooks rookies were among the team's scoring leaders Saturday against the Alumnae, including Kaillee Skjold (Kasilof, Alaska/Emergency Management), who notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Wilson (Henderson, Colo./Business Administration) scored in double figures with 11.
 
Alaska will look to its two senior forwards, Samantha Thornton (Bremerton, Wash./Business Administration) and Ruth O'Neal  (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Justice), for leadership in the season's first contest. It will be the first NCAA Division II basketball game for 10 of the 15 players on the roster – all newcomers.
 
Friday marks the beginning of head coach and former Nanooks player Cody Bench's fourth season at the helm of the program. The team will look to improve upon its 5-21 overall and 3-15 Great Northwest Athletic Conference records from a year ago.
 
Alaska also began its season last year against another RMAC team – Colorado School of Mines – falling 87-73 to the Orediggers.
 
Game #1: Western New Mexico at Alaska – Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:15 p.m. (AKST)
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The Mustangs (0-0) dropped both of their preseason exhibitions against NCAA Division I teams in the last week, falling to both New Mexico State and New Mexico. WNMU was picked to tie for 13th out of 14 teams in the RMAC, picking up 151 points in the preseason poll after going 5-21 last year and 4-18 in the RMAC.
 
RaTanya Newsome was the Mustangs' leader against New Mexico State with 10 points and four steals. Jordan Gutierrez had eight points Tuesday against New Mexico.
 
Friday's match-up will be the21st meeting all-time and first since 2004 between the programs. WNMU leads the all-time series 13-7. The teams played three times during the 2003-04 season. The Nanooks beat the Mustangs 78-65 at home in December before dropping back-to-back contests at Western New Mexico in January.