University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The new year starts with a bang this week for the Alaska men's basketball team, as it hosts two opponents with .700-or-better winning percentages to kick off Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in 2014. Thursday brings Simon Fraser, and Saturday No. 15-ranked Western Washington travels to the Patty Center.
 
Alaska (5-4, 0-1 GNAC) puts an undefeated 4-0 home record on the line this weekend against the Clan (7-3, 0-2 GNAC) and Vikings (8-2, 2-0 GNAC). The 4-0 record is the Nanooks' best home start in 11 years. They began the 2002-03 season 11-0 at home before finishing with a 13-1 mark in Fairbanks.
 
This week marks the beginning of nine straight weeks of GNAC action for the Nanooks. Alaska will jostle for positioning in the standings over the next two months in hopes of grabbing one of six spots in the GNAC Tournament on March 5-8, in Lacey, Wash.
 
Both Simon Fraser and No. 15 Western Washington saw long winning streaks come to an end in December. The Clan dropped a 78-62 decision to Saint Martin's in their GNAC opener on Dec. 5 to wave goodbye to a five-game streak, while the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season on Dec. 22 when they fell to Cal State San Bernardino 99-91 in Las Vegas after starting the year 8-0.
 
Alaska played twice in December, going 1-1 for its third straight .500-or-better showing during the month over the past three seasons. The Nanooks opened GNAC play on Dec. 7 with a 96-76 loss at rival Alaska Anchorage. They wrapped up a 5-3 non-conference slate this season with an 84-66 win over visiting Northland International on Dec. 19. It's the second straight year the Nanooks have posted a winning non-conference record after going 6-4 last year.
 
Senior guard Ronnie Baker (Vallejo, Calif./Communication) has been the Nanooks' leading scorer through the first nine games of the season, averaging 17.6 points per game – fifth-best in the GNAC. He has also corralled 4.6 rebounds and dished 2.8 assists per game. Baker was named GNAC Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 18-24 and was twice named to all-tournament teams during the 2013 portion of the Nanooks' schedule
 
Junior guard Joe Slocum (San Francisco/Communication) has played a big part in Alaska's defense this season, which ranks second in the GNAC limiting opponents to 68.4 ppg. The Nanooks also have the second-best turnover margin in the conference (+4.44) and have the third-best 3-point percentage defense (opponents shooting 32.2 percent). Slocum leads the GNAC in steals with 2.1 per game (19 in nine appearances). He is fifth in assists per game at 4.8 and is among the conference's top 30 scorers, averaging 10.6 ppg.
 
Senior forward Andrew Kelly (Gilbert, Ariz./Justice) enters 2014 third in the conference in rebounds with 8.6 per game, including tying a career high with 16 boards against Northland International on Dec. 19. He is also fourth in field goal percentage at 63.8 percent while averaging 11.9 ppg. Senior center Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration) has averaged 11.8 ppg and 4.9 rpg while shooting a team-best 87.5 percent from the free-throw line in nine appearances (eight starts).
 
Game #10: Simon Fraser vs. Alaska – Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. (AKST)
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The Clan (7-3, 0-2 GNAC) is 3-3 against NCAA Division II competition this season, including a 69-67 edging of Fresno Pacific on the road to open the year – a team the Nanooks beat 83-72 at home on Nov. 23. After losing its five-game winning streak on Dec. 5, Simon Fraser got back on the winning track with a 100-72 win over Capilano University on Dec. 19.
 
The Clan is the third-best shooting team in the GNAC, posting a 48.1 team field goal percentage. On the opposite end, however, it is the worst field goal defensive team, allowing opponents to shoot a GNAC-worst 48.3 percent. Simon Fraser is led in scoring by Justin Cole (12.7 ppg) and David Gebru (12.0 ppg). Sango Niang is the conference's third-best assists man with 5.4 a game, while Ibrahim Appiah is the Clan's top rebounder with 6.2 boards per contest.
 
Game #11: No. 15 Western Washington vs. Alaska – Saturday, Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. (AKST)
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The No. 15 Vikings (8-2, 2-0 GNAC) were ranked as high as No. 5 in the country this season after starting 8-0. WWU dropped both of its games at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas on Dec. 21-22, for its first losses of the season, including an 86-69 loss to then-No. 11 Tarleton State (Texas).
 
Western Washington has the GNAC's top offense, averaging 92.0 ppg and outscoring opponents by an average of 13.7 points. The Vikings don't lack on defense either, leading the GNAC in field goal percentage defense (43.1 percent), 3-point field goal percentage defense (25.9 percent) and rebounding (42.8 rpg). Richard Woodworth is the Vikings' leading scorer at 17.5 ppg. He's also sparked the team on both sides of the ball with a team-leading 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Austin Bragg has chipped in 15.4 ppg and a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game.