University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The Alaska women's basketball team's schedule gets no easier, even as the season draws to a close.
 
The Nanooks will end their 2013-14 regular season this week the same way it began their Great Northwest Athletic Conference slate in December – against two competitive, and now playoff-bound, teams. Only this time Alaska will have to face the road crowds.
 
Alaska (9-15, 3-13 GNAC) goes on its final road trip of the season this week for its final set of games in 2013-14, first traveling to GNAC leader Montana State Billings (21-6, 13-3 GNAC) for a 5 p.m. AKST start on Thursday, then facing Seattle Pacific (17-7, 10-6 GNAC) for a 6 p.m. AKST tip-off Saturday.
 
Thursday's game against the Yellowjackets will be Alaska's ninth this season and third straight against a team ranked or receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association top-25 poll. The Nanooks are 0-8 against teams ranked or receiving votes, losing four times by five or less points.
 
One of those close losses came against then-No. 6 ranked and undefeated Seattle Pacific on Dec. 5. The Nanooks came back from a 10-point deficit with 5 1/2 minutes to play, cutting their deficit to two with five seconds left. The Falcons made one of two free throws, giving Alaska a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but junior guard Benissa Bulaya's (Sacramento, Calif./Communication) last-second 3-point heave was blocked and SPU escaped with a 71-68 victory.
 
Two days later Montana State Billings handed the Nanooks their biggest loss of the season with Bobbi Knudsen scoring a game-high 24 points and Janiel Olson going for 18 points and 17 rebounds in an 83-46 win at the Patty Center.
 
Alaska has lost five straight games and 10 of its last 11, including six losses by less than 10 points. One more win and the Nanooks would have their first double-digit wins season since 2007-08 when they won 12 games. It would also give them their most conference victories since the 07-08 season.
 
The rookie seasons of several standout freshmen will conclude this week, including those of forwards Jordan Wilson (Henderson, Colo./Business Administration) and Kaillee Skjold (Kasilof, Alaska/Emergency Management), and guard Victoria Milton (Lansing, Mich./Business Administration).
 
Wilson has been Alaska's leading scorer and rebounder all season long. She is the GNAC's top freshman and ranked among the conference's top 10 in scoring (15.4 ppg, 6th in GNAC) and rebounding (7.3 rpg, 7th). She holds the GNAC's top field goal percentage, shooting 55.3 percent, and is 10th in free throw shooting at 80.2 percent.
 
Skjold earned a spot in the starting lineup seven games ago and has made the most of her time. She has scored in double figures four times in the past four weeks after doing so three times in the first 17 games of the season. She was the team's leading scorer in both games last week and has been the Nanooks' top rebounder twice since joining the starting five.
 
Milton has been a stalwart in the Nanooks' back court, first off the bench and now as a starter. She has started 10 straight games after coming off the bench in the team's first 14 contests of 2013-14. She is tied for third in the GNAC with 2.0 steals per game and is Alaska's third-best scorer with 8.6 ppg.
 
Offensively Alaska is averaging more points per game (71.5) than it has in 13 years. The Nanooks averaged 72.6 ppg in 2000-01, the year of their only NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. It has been the scoring defense that has caused trouble for the Nanooks, as they have allowed a GNAC-high 72.9 ppg.
 
They have been one of the best rebounding and 3-point defending teams in the GNAC this season, ranking among the top three in both categories. Alaska has averaged 40.1 rebounds a game (third) and have held opponents to 26.1 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line – second-best in the conference.
 
Game #25: Alaska at R/V Montana State Billings – Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. (AKST)
Important Links:  LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO
The Yellowjackets (21-6, 13-3 GNAC) saw their 11-game winning streak come to an end Saturday at Saint Martin's. But the streak had already propelled them into the WBCA top-25 last week with a 20-win season. This week the Yellowjackets are receiving 27 votes in the poll.
 
Knudsen leads Montana State Billings with 17.5 ppg. Janiel Olsen is the GNAC's best rebounder, averaging 10.4 rebounds per game. Chelsea Banis trails only Alaska's Wilson in field goal percentage, shooting 55.2 percent on the year. The Yellowjackets have the GNAC's second-best scoring defense at 62.4 ppg allowed and the conference's second-best scoring margin at 10.5 ppg.
 
Game #26: Alaska at Seattle Pacific – Saturday, March 1 at 6 p.m. (AKST)
Important Links:  LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO
The Falcons (17-7, 10-6 GNAC) have won three of their last four games, including a sweep last weekend over Saint Martin's and Western Oregon. They have already clinched their spot in the 2014 GNAC Tournament and can clinch a No. 4 seed with two wins this weekend.
 
Katie Benson is averaging nearly a double-double this season with 19.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg. Aubree Callen is SPU's second-leading scorer with 14.7 ppg. Suzanna Ohlsen was named Red Lion GNAC Player of the Week last week and is averaging 3.9 assists per game. SPU is the second-best shooting team in the GNAC with a 74.7 season field goal percentage.