FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team returns to the Alaska Airlines Court for a one-off Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest this weekend, hosting in-state rival Alaska Anchorage this Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2pm AKST.
 

Opponent	Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (5-4, 0-1 GNAC)
Date & Time	Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2pm AKST
Location	Alaska Airlines Court | Fairbanks, Alaska
Promotion	The first 100 student will receive a "Growl Towel"
GNAC Weekly Notebook	Week of Dec. 3
Follow Along	Live Stream & Stats
Social Media	Twitter | Facebook

Where to Watch & Listen
if fans aren't able to make this week's games in Fairbanks, Saturday's game, along with every home and conference contest for the remainder of 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.

Promotion
The first 100 students to enter the door on Saturday will receive a "Growl Towel," courtesy of the UAF Student Recreation Center on campus. Be sure to get there early! All UAF students receive free admission to any Alaska Nanooks athletic event by showing their Polar Express Card at the door.

Last Time Out
Alaska opened GNAC play on the road last week, taking on the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets last Tuesday, Nov. 27 at the Alterowitz Gymnasium in Billings, Montana. Despite MSUB taking an early lead, Alaska fought to close the gap but was edged by the Yellowjackets 79-76.

GNAC Rankings
In the early GNAC standings

All-Time Series
All-time against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, the Nanooks trail 28-81 with the first-ever meeting between the two programs resulting in a 79-65 win for the Nanooks in the 1975-76 season. Unfortunately for the Nanooks, Alaska is currently riding an eight-game losing streak to the Seawolves with their last win being a 70-68 decision for the Nanooks at home on Feb. 27, 2014. In their last two meetings last season, Alaska fell 65-35 on the road on Nov. 28, 2017 before dropping a close one at home on Feb. 20, 44-43.

Nationally Ranked
The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team currently ranks in the top-15 nationally in two different statistical categories, including free throw attempts (216) and free throws made (149), where they rank fifth and 12th, respectively.

Additionally, two Alaska Nanooks rank within the top-30 nationally individually through games as of Dec. 2. Junior forward Michael Kluting ranks eighth in the nation in total rebounds with 80, while junior guard Jalon McCullough is 30th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio with a 3.22.

Ranked Nooks
Four Alaska Nanooks rank in the top-10 individually in the GNAC in seven different statistical categories:

• Assists
  • Jalon McCullough (T-9th): 3.25 per game average (26 total)
• Assist to Turnover Ratio
  • Spencer Sweet (3rd): 7.00 ratio
  • Jalon McCullough (8th): 2.89
• Blocks:
  • Tymoryae Glover (T-9th): 0.75 per game average (6 total)
• Free Throw Percentage
  • Spencer Sweet (T-5th): .889 (24-for-27)
• Defensive Rebounds
  • Michael Kluting (T-2nd): 5.63 per game average (45 total)
• Offensive Rebounds
  • Michael Kluting (1st): 3.50 per game average (28 total)
• Rebounding
  • Michael Kluting (2nd): 9.1 per game average (73 total)

Scouting the Opponent – Alaska Anchorage
Like the Nanooks, UAA opened the weekend against Montana State Billings last week, falling 89-74 in Billings. Junior guard/forward Tyler Brimhall scored 10 points in Saturday's loss, continuing to lead the Nanooks in scoring and ranking third in the GNAC with 17.4 points per game. The Seawolves enter the week average 73 points and 32.9 rebounds per game. Currently, UAA leads the GNAC ranks 24th in Division II with 17.89 assists per game. Junior guard Niko Beavens is 13th national with 69 three-point attempts and is tied for 28th with 26 three-pointers made.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks page on Facebook.