ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team continues nonconference play this week, competing in the Seawolves Hoops Classic, hosted by in-state rival Alaska Anchorage, this Friday, Nov. 17 and Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Alaska Airlines Center. Alaska will take on the Western State Colorado Mountaineers on Friday before facing the Holy Names Hawks on Saturday. Tip-off on both games is scheduled for 3pm AKST.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (all times Alaska Standard)
3pm: Alaska (1-1) vs. Western State (0-2)
5:15pm: Alaska Anchorage (3-0) vs. Holy Names (0-3)
3pm: Alaska vs. Holy Names
5:15pm: Alaska Anchorage vs. Western Stats
LAST TIME OUT
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team officially kicked-off the 2017-18 season at home last week, hosting the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans in a two-game nonconference series that also counted as the Mt. McKinley Bank North Start Crossover. The Nooks split the weekend with the Vulcans, falling 49-62 on Friday before first-year head coach
Brett Sawyer earned his first win of his collegiate coaching career with a 56-50 victory on Saturday.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Nanooks are 1-0 all-time against the Western State Mountaineers, with their last meeting coming as a 74-55 victory on the road on Nov. 19, 2016. The Mountaineers and the Nanooks met once beforehand on Nov. 24, 2011 where Alaska registered a 68-58 victory over WSCU but due to NCAA infractions, the win was vacated.
Against the Holy Names, Alaska is 1-0 against the Hawks with their first and last meeting coming as a 94-48 victory on Nov. 15, 2014 at home.
CARPENTER NAMED FEMALE RAVN ALASKA NANOOK OF THE WEEK (Nov. 13)
Sophomore guard
Lexi Carpenter was named the Female Ravn Alaska Nanook of the Week on Monday for her efforts on the court last weekend against the UHH Vulcans. Carpenter's offensive efforts allowed the Nanooks to split the weekend UHH in the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Crossover, as the Yakima, Washington native tallied 12 points on Friday and 19 points on Saturday to lead her teammates on both days. Carpenter's 15.5 point per game average ranks her sixth in the GNAC. Additionally, Carpenter shot 11-for-28 (.390) from the field, including going 5-for-15 from three-point range (.330). Carpenter's five 3FG-made ties her for third in the conference, while her 3.0 steals per game average ties her for second in the GNAC.
MILESTONE MOMENT
Saturday's victory marks the first collegiate win for first-year head coach
Brett Sawyer and his first-year assistant coach
Jessie Craig. Sawyer served as the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball's assistant coach for the past two seasons under former head coach Cody Bench, while Craig, who is a hometown product of Fairbanks, is a Nanook women's basketball alumni.
FEEL THE (BLACK)BURN
Junior forward Ashlie Blackburn was the only other Nanook to register double-digit scoring last weekend, shooting 4-for-9 from the field for 11 points in Friday's loss. Blackburn also led all players in rebounds, pulling down three offensive and six defensive boards in her collegiate debut for the Nanooks.
GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll
The GNAC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll was released earlier this month, ranking the Nanooks in 10th place at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. The GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll was voted on by all women's basketball head coaches within the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with Alaska receiving 21 points. The Nanooks concluded the 2016-17 season in seventh place within the conference with an overall record of 13-14, while also going 9-11 in conference play.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT – WESTERN STATE COLORADO UNIVERSITY
The Mountaineers have started off the season with a road loss to Tarleton State (71-50) and a neutral-court loss to Texas Women's (55-50). The Mountaineers are led offensively by Gunnison, Colorado native Katie Dalton, who averages 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game and boasts a .417 field goal percentage. Also chipping in for WSCU is Jessie Erickson, who averages 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while combining for a .778 free throw percentage. Last season, Western State went 7-19 overall and 6-16 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT – HOLY NAMES UNIVERSITY
Coming off of a 3-23 overall record and a 3-17 mark in the Pacific West Conference last season, Holy names has started the year with a pair of neutral-court losses against Cal State East Bay (71-48) and MSUB (96-57) while also falling on the road to Sonoma State (78-46). Junior guard Ariana Hernandez has been pacing the Hawks' offense thus far, averaging 14.0 points per game and averaging a .425 field goal percentage. Sophomore forward Onjalise Carley-Hilliard is also chipping in on HNU's offense, averaging 13.0 points per game and boasting a .688 field goal percentage.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball team page on Facebook.
