University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — It has been three weeks since the Alaska men's basketball team played at home, but the Nanooks will be more than happy to return to the Patty Center this week where they have yet to lose this season.
 
Alaska plays host to Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Montana State Billings at 7 p.m. Thursday. Then at 7 p.m. Saturday, co-GNAC leader and No. 19-ranked Seattle Pacific visits.
 
The Nanooks (12-7, 7-4 GNAC) concluded their longest road trip of the season last week with back-to-back losses at Western Washington and Simon Fraser. That ended a four-game stretch away from Fairbanks in which they went 2-2. Alaska had won three straight road games and five games in a row overall before a 53-51 loss at Western Washington Thursday.
 
Now the Nanooks return to the Patty Center where they are a perfect 8-0 this season and have won 10 straight dating back to last season. The Nanooks have outscored opponents at home this season by an average of 11.5 points per game (76.6-65.1). Alaska is the last remaining GNAC team that is still unbeaten at home in 2013-14.
 
Alaska will lean on senior forward Andrew Kelly (Gilbert, Ariz./Justice) this week, who made an impact on both ends of the court during the team's four-game road trip, averaging 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds 2.8 steals and 2.3 assists per game. The Nanooks' only other double-digit scorer during the trip was senior forward Stefan Tica (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration), who averaged 10.3 ppg with a team-high nine 3-pointers.
 
The Nanooks beat Montana State Billings (8-11, 4-7 GNAC) in the Yellowjackets' Alterowitz Gymnasium on Jan. 11, the first time they won there in three seasons. Seattle Pacific topped Alaska 66-46 in Seattle on Jan. 9, in a matchup of the GNAC's top two scoring defenses.
 
The SPU-Alaska clash on Saturday looks to shape up the same way as the first, with the Falcons (65.3 ppg allowed) and Nanooks (65.6 ppg allowed) entering the week ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in scoring defense. Montana State Billings' scoring defense is third in the GNAC at 74.2 ppg allowed.
 
Seattle Pacific has won seven straight games in the series. Alaska last defeated the Falcons on March 4, 2010, 113-105 in overtime at the Patty Center. The Nanooks have won two straight and three of their last four matchups against Montana State Billings, including defeating them at home last season 80-73.
 
Senior guard Ronnie Baker (Vallejo, Calif./Communication) will also be a factor this week when the Nanooks return home. Baker has been the team's leading scorer all season long and is currently averaging 14.5 ppg. He has performed better at home, averaging a team-best 16.3 ppg to go with 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
 
Senior center Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration) has also seen success at home this season, scoring 15.5 ppg and grabbing 5.8 rpg compared to his overall 12.5 ppg/5.1 rpg.
 
Game #20: Montana State Billings at Alaska – Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. (AKST)
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The Yellowjackets (8-11, 4-7 GNAC) have lost four in a row and five of their last six games, including three defeats by less than 10 points. They enter the week in a three-way tie with Saint Martin's and Western Oregon for the sixth and final spot in the GNAC Tournament at season's end. MSUB has split its four GNAC road games this season with wins over the Saints and Simon Fraser.
 
Montana State Billings has been the conference's worst-shooting team this season with a GNAC-low 42.8 team field goal percentage. But it has also been one of the GNAC's best defending teams, limiting opponents to a 44.0 field goal percentage – second-best in the conference. The Yellowjackets don't get very many second chances after their misses, averaging a conference-worst 9.9 offensive rebounds per game.
 
Ironically, the worst-shooting team in the conference has one of the best-shooting players. MSUB's Austin Hudson has shot 60.1 percent from the floor this season, ranked No. 4 in the GNAC. Hudson is also tied for seventh in total blocks with 15. Kalob Hatcher is the GNAC's top assists man with 7.0 helpers per game, which has help him rank third in assist/turnover ratio at +2.9.
 
Game #21: #19 Seattle Pacific at Alaska – Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. (AKST)
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The Falcons (18-4, 9-2 GNAC) have climbed back into the national rankings at No. 19 thanks to a seven-game winning streak that began with a 66-46 home win over Alaska on Jan. 9. SPU is 3-2 in GNAC road games this season, winning three straight from Jan. 15-25.
 
Seattle Pacific's 65.3 ppg scoring defense has also helped them to a GNAC-best +13.1 scoring margin. The Falcons rank first or second in five other statistical categories: field goal percentage (1st, 51.2 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (1st, 42.5 percent), rebounds allowed (1st, 26.9 rpg), rebounding margin (2nd, +5.5) and assist/turnover ratio (2nd, +1.6).
 
David Downs (19.5 ppg) and Patrick Simon (17.3 ppg) rank No. 3 and 4, respectively, on the GNAC top scorers list. Downs is also No. 4 in assists per game (4.8) and free-throw percentage (86.2 percent). Riley Stockton tops the GNAC in assist/turnover ratio at +3.2.