FAIRBANKS – Both Alaska basketball programs are in action this weekend, as the men's team hosts Portland Bible College and the women travel to Anchorage to play Pacific and Texas A&M-Kingsville as part of the Seawolf Classic.
The Nanook men will host the Wildcats of Portland Bible College on 7:00 p.m. on Friday before the two schools play an exhibition game on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The women play both their games at 5:00 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center, with the game against Pacific on Friday and Texas A&M-Kingsville the following day.
Men's Basketball
Alaska enters the weekend series having lost is last five games. In their previous outings, the Nanooks were defeated by No. 16 BYU-Hawaii and Humboldt State, 81-62 and 84-66, respectively.
The Nanooks return to their home court, where they have a 1-2 record, for the first time since the GCI Alaska Invitational back on November 20-22. In the tournament, Alaska defeated Black Hills State in its opening game by a score of 66-66.
Ashton Edwards leads the Nanooks with 12.7 points per game, followed by Ruben Silvas (11.0) and Adam Griffin (10.1). Edwards, who is tops on the team with 3.1 assists per game, has also made the most 3-point field goals for Alaska with 22 (2.4 per game), though Silvas leads the team with a .435 (10-23) 3-point percentage.
Silvas, who averages 30 minutes per game, currently leads the Nanooks with 5.6 rebounds per game. Almir Hadzisehovic is second on the team with 4.3 rebounds per game while Kyle Tomlinson (3.8) and Eric Fongue (3.7) are third and fourth.
Portland Bible: The National Christian Collegiate Athletics Association (NCCAA) school is two time NCCAA DII West Region Champs (2010, 2011) as well as a two time conference champion as part of the Pacific Coast Athletics Conference (2009, 2010).
This season, the Wildcats are currently 4-9, having lost back-to-back games to Alaska Anchorage earlier this week. Prior to those loses, however, Portland Bible had won three straight games against George Fox University, Linfield College and the University of Puget Sound.
In Tuesday's game, which Anchorage won 91-52, PBC was led by Marsellus Gray, who had 16 points and Miles Waggener who led the team with seven rebounds and had 12 points. Friday, in a 80-58 loss, the Wildcats were once again led by Waggener and Gray who had 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Women's Basketball
After starting the year 5-0, the Nanooks have won just one of their last five games to post a current 6-4 record. Alaska was idle last weekend, having not played since the first weekend of December where it was defeated by Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
Three Nanooks average double digit points with Jordan Wilson leading the team with 16.1 points per game, followed by Kaillee Skjold (10.4) and Benissa Bulaya (10.0). Skjold and Wilson also lead the team at the glass, as they average respective totals of 7.7 and 6.2. Stephanie Toumson is next on the team, as she grabs 5.7 rebounds per game. Toumson also has 8 blocks to lead Alaska.
Alaska has forced the third best turnover margin in the conference, including 10.4 steals per game, a mark that is just behind Alaska Anchorage for the conference lead. Kelly Logue averages 2.3 steals per game, to lead the Nanooks, while Bulaya (1.9), Victoria Milton (1.3), Skjold (1.2) and Wilson (1.2) all have been influential on the defensive side of the ball.
Texas A&M Kingsville: located 158 miles south of San Antonio, has suffered all of its losses against fellow Div. II opponents thus far, including a 70-61 home setback to 25th-ranked St. Mary's in November ... the Javelinas are led by 5-9 So. G Micah Weaver (10.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .440 FG) and 5-11 Sr. F Lauren Jay (7.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg).
Pacific: from the Portland suburb of Forest Grove, Ore., is an NCAA Div. III member and plays in the Northwest Conference ... the Boxers are led by 6-0 So. F Sarah Curl (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .381 3FG), 6-0 Sr. G Olivia Cook (12.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
