FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team opens the second half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at home, as the Nooks take on Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's this Thursday and Saturday. Both games are set for a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Alaska Airlines Court.
The Nanooks get the second half of the conference play started in a tie for third place with Seattle Pacific. Alaska is currently 7-3 in league games, and stands 13-5 overall. For SPU, they too are 7-3 in GNAC action, and 14-4 overall on the year. Saint Martin's opens the second half with a 2-8 mark in league games, but sport an 8-10 record overall.
| Dates & Time | Jan. 28 & 30, 2016 | 7 p.m. AKT |
| Opponent | Thursday: Seattle Pacific
Saturday: Saint Martin's |
| Location | Alaska Airlines Court | Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Live Stream and Stats | Click Here |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook |
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team fell just short of picking up its second upset of a Top 10 team on the road this season, as No. 8 Western Oregon hit a game-sealing 3-point field goal with 17 seconds remaining to hand the Nooks a 64-59 defeat.
Alaska got a team-best 16-point performance from senior Travante Williams. It is Williams' eighth-straight double-digit scoring effort, which marks a season-long streak for the Anchorage, Alaska native. Williams was a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line on Saturday, as he helped his team shoot an even 80 percent (12-of-15) from the charity stripe.
Welcome Home
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team returns home looking to improve on their 8-2 mark in games on the Alaska Airlines Court. The Nanooks two losses came on their last home stand, when they dropped a pair of overtime contests to Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage.
Regionally Ranked
Alaska moved down one spot in the D2SIDA West Regional Poll to No. 10. This marks the seventh time this season the Nooks have been featured inside the Top 10 of the D2SIDA West Regional Poll.
Looking for the Sweep
Alaska gets its first crack to sweep a pair of GNAC opponents for the first time this season. The Nanooks defeated Saint Martin's, 79-72, in Lacey, Washington, and two days later upset then No. 8-ranked Seattle Pacific, 79-75, at Brougham Pavilion.
High Octane Offense
Things have been heating up at the Alaska Airlines Court during a mild winter in Fairbanks. The Nooks offense has been firing on all cylinders this season, as they are averaging 85.7 points per game. That per game average is the fourth-highest in the GNAC.
Alaska has all five starters averaging double digits in points, led by senior Travante Williams, who is fourth in the conference in scoring with his 17.6 points per game average.
Feeding the Big Man
Senior Almir Hadzisehovic has been on quite the roll of late. The big 6-8 center has scored double-digits in six of his last seven games. The Serbian has averaged 13 points per game during the streak, a slight uptick over his 11.6 points per game average this season.
Elite Company
Senior Travante Williams is the one of two players in the GNAC to rank inside the top five of the conference's scoring and rebounding leaders. Through 18 games, the swing player is averaging 17.5 points (4th) and 7.4 rebounds (4th).
Scouting the Opposition – Seattle Pacific
Thursday's contest will be an important one for the Nanooks, as they are tied with SPU for third in the GNAC standings. Like the Nooks, the Falcons are 7-3 through the first half of the year and bring a five-game winning streak into Fairbanks.
Seattle Pacific is averaging 75.9 points per game this season. They are connecting on 47.2 percent of their field goal attempts, which is the third-best field goal percentage in the GNAC. Mitch Penner is the team's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game. Penner is one of four double-digit scorers for the Falcons.
Defensively, SPU is allowing the fewest points in the conference, as team are only managing 63.8 points against them. Seattle Pacific has made life tough from the field for its opposition, by holding teams to a league-best 39 percent from the field.
Scouting the Opposition – Saint Martin's
The Saints come to Alaska fresh off the heels of snapping a seven-game losing streak. SMU won at Montana State Billings in its last game to improve to 2-8 in conference play, which puts them in 10th in the league standings.
Saint Martin's has had a hard time scoring the basketball this season, as they rank in the bottom third of the GNAC in points per game with its 72.3 average. The Saints have equally had trouble shooting the ball, as they are second-to-last in the conference in field goal percentage, with a 40.3 success rate. Fred Jorg leads the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game.
Defense has been rock solid for the Saints this season. They are third in the league in points against, as they are allowing just 69.8 points per contest. SMU also ranks fourth in defensive field goal percentage, with teams hitting just 41.7 percent of their field goal attempts.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter.
