FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team opens up Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on the road this week, as they take on the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks on Thursday, Nov. 29 before facing the Central Washington Wildcats on Saturday, Dec. 1. Thursday's game in Nampa is set for 5pm AKST, while Saturday's tip-off in Ellensburg is set for 6pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this week's games in Fairbanks, both Thursday and Saturday's games, along with every home and conference game for the remainder of the season, will be broadcasted live through the Alaska Nanooks Stretch Internet Portal in the link posted above. Please be advised that when on the road, the broadcast is produced by the home school and not the Alaska Nanooks Department of Athletics.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team hosted the Gannon Golden Knights and the Tampa Spartans last weekend in the 2018 Mt. McKinley State Bank North Star Invitational in Fairbanks. Alaska fell in both games to the regionally ranked opponents, dropping Friday's game to Gannon 74-65 before falling to Tampa 67-49 on Saturday.
Evans, Wamsley Named to NSI All-Tournament Team
On Saturday, senior guard
Emily Evans and senior forward
Marian Wamsley were both named to the 2018 Mt. McKinley State Bank North Star Invitational All-Tournament Team. Evans only appeared in Friday's game against Gannon but tallied 19 points, shooting 6-for-14 from the field, 3-for-6 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Wamsley tallied 31 points, shooting 13-for-25 from the floor, 1-for-1 from beyond the arc and 4-for-6 from the free throw line, while also chipping in 18 rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Ranked Nooks
Four Nanooks are ranked within the top-10 individually in the GNAC in six different statistical categories:
- Assists
- Field Goal Percentage (minimum of 2.8-made per game)
- Free Throw Percentage (minimum of 1.8-made per game)
- Rebounding
- Scoring
- Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (minimum 1.0-made per game)
All-Time Series
All-time against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks, Alaska trails 6-30. The first meeting between the two teams resulted in a 95-81 loss for the Nanooks on the road. The Nanooks are currently on a seven-game losing streak against NNU with their last win coming as an 82-76 decision at home on Jan. 3, 2015. In their last meeting, Alaska fell on the road to Northwest Nazarene 89-66 on Feb. 24.
Against the Central Washington Wildcats, the Nanooks trail the all-time series 13-38 with the first meeting between the two teams coming as a 78-58 loss for the Nanooks on the road on Feb. 15, 1977. The Nooks are currently on a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats with their last win being a 69-56 victory at home on Jan. 14, 2017. In their last meeting, Alaska fell 84-74 to CWU on Feb. 22 in Ellensburg.
Scouting the Opponent – Northwest Nazarene (6-0, 0-0 GNAC)
Northwest Nazarene opens up GNAC play against the Nanooks this Thursday after sharing the regular-season conference championships with Alaska Anchorage last season. The Nighthawks are a perfect 6-0 so far this season and currently lead the conference in scoring offense, scoring margin and turnover margin. Individually, NNU is led by Avery Albrecht, who boasts a team-best 11.3 points per game average with 68 points total.
Scouting the Opponent – Central Washington (5-0, 0-0 GNAC)
Like the Nighthawks, Central Washington remains undefeated through five nonconference games this season. As a team, the Wildcats lead the GNAC in free throw percentage, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense and assists. Individually, Central Washington's Taylor Shaw ranks fourth in the GNAC and first among her teammates in scoring with a 16.3 points per game average.
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.
