BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team looks to build off of their runner-up finish in last week's Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational, as they open up Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a pair of road games against Western Washington and Simon Fraser. The Nanooks open the trip with a 4:15 p.m. contest against the Vikings on Thursday and follow that up with an 11 a.m. matchup against the Clan on Saturday.
Alaska enters GNAC play with a 5-3 overall record. The Nanooks are riding the momentum of a runner-up finish at the North Star Invitational, where they went 2-1, while picking up a win over 2015 NCAA Division II Tournament participant, Wisconsin-Parkside. Alaska was led by its post play last weekend, as senior Stephanie Toumson and Jordan Wilson were each named to the North Star Invitational All-Tournament team.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team got a remarkable performance from senior Stephanie Toumson, as the 6-1 center scored 18 points and grabbed an outstanding 17 rebounds, but her effort could not lift the Nanooks past Northwood University, as the Timberwolves won the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational with a 90-78 victory over Alaska.
Toumson dominated in the post all afternoon, as the 17 caroms are a new career-high for the Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe native. The 17-rebound performance is the most by a Great Northwest Athletic Conference this season. The center added 18 points, which gave Toumson her third-straight double-double and her fourth over the last five contests. The four double-doubles is the most in the GNAC. The long-armed post player also added a season-best four blocks to her performance on Saturday.
All-Time Series
Western Washington: The Vikings own a 34-4 advantage in the all-time series. WWU has won 22-straight in the series. Alaska's last win over Western Washington came on Feb. 21, 2004, when they knocked off the Vikings, 75-71, in Fairbanks.
Simon Fraser: Alaska will seek its first-ever win against the Clan this weekend, as they are currently 0-13 against SFU all-time.
GNAC Player of the Week
On Monday, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced that Alaska Nanooks women's basketball senior center Stephanie Toumson has been named this week's GNAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week. It is the first GNAC weekly honor for Toumson.
The 6-1 center's presence was felt in all three-games at the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational, as she averaged 16.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. Toumson collected three-straight double-doubles in the Invitational, with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance against Sonoma State, followed by a 20-point, 12-rebound outing against Wisconsin-Parkside and capped of the week with a remarkable 18-point, 17-rebound effort against Northwood. The 17 rebounds against NU is the most collected in a single game by a GNAC player this season.
On The Road Again
This season will mark the second-straight year that the Nanooks have opened the GNAC season on the road. Last season, Alaska went 0-2 on its season-opening GNAC weekend at Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings. The Nanooks went 3-7 on the road last season, and they've already picked up two wins on the road, as they defeated Chaminade and Hawai'i-Hilo two weeks ago.
Double-Double Machine
Senior Stephanie Toumson has been on quite the run lately, as she has picked up four double-doubles in her last five contests. The center enters play on Thursday on a three-game double-double streak, as she reached the mark in each game of the Mt. McKinley North Star Invitational. The streak has been highlighted by an 18-point, 17-rebound performance against Northwood University in the championship game of the Invitational. The 17 rebounds are the most by a player in the GNAC this season on both the men's and women's side.
Posting Up
The Alaska Nanooks have been led this season by the remarkable play of post players Stephanie Toumson and Jordan Wilson. The duo is averaging a combined 33 points per game this season, as Wilson leads the team with her 16.9 points per game averaged. Wilson is followed closely by Toumson's 16.1 ppg average. The post players have also helped Alaska collect 43.6 rebounds per game. Toumson leads the team with her 9.9 caroms per game, while Wilson is pulling down 7.3 boards a contest.
Immediate Impact
Junior college transfer Jaylee Mays has provided the Nanooks with a spark this season. Through eight games, the Hardesty, Oklahoma is averaging 15.8 points and 3.0 assists per game. She currently leads the team in 3-point percentage (33.9%), 3-point field goals made (20) and steals (21). Mays has also recorded three 20-point performances on the year.
Scouting the Opposition – Western Washington
The Vikings open GNAC play at an even .500, as they are 3-3 through six games. WWU is riding a two-game winning streak, after knocking off Chaminade and Hawai'i Pacific at the Oahu Thanksgiving Classic. Western Washington returns just two starters from a 21-9 team a year ago, and were selected as preseason No. 2 in the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Taylor Peacocke leads the team in scoring, as she is one of three players averaging double-digits in the scoring column. Peacocke is putting up 15.2 points per contest. She has recorded double figures in each of the six games she has played this season. The guard is coming off a 16-point performance against Hawai'i Pacific. As a team, 68.3 points per game while shooting a blistering 47.4 percent from the field.
Defensively, Western Washington is giving up 67.5 points per contest. Teams are shooting 44.4 percent against the Vikings. WWU is averaging 14.3 turnovers per game.
Scouting the Opposition – Simon Fraser
The Clan enters this weekend with a 2-3 mark through five games. Simon Fraser has won two-straight games, with victories over Cal Poly Pomona (77-74) and Cal State Los Angeles (71-60). SFU was selected as preseason fifth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as they return two starters from a team that went 15-13 a year ago.
The Clan is averaging 65.6 points per game on a 36.1 field goal percentage. Meg Wilson leads the team in scoring with her 16.5 points per game pace. Wilson is one of four player who are averaging double figures. Defensively, SFU is giving up 70 points per game, as teams are shooting 40.6 against them.
Coaches Corner
"Conference play is always tough, and WWU and SFU are strong as usual. We played strong competition in our non-conference schedule, which I believe helped prepare us for these upcoming games. For the most part, we are a veteran team and they know what it is going to take to be successful. We have to apply solid defensive pressure, rebound well, and make the easy baskets. I expect us to play hard and compete with both teams." – Head Coach Cody Bench on this weekend.
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