FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team hits the road for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests this week, taking on the Simon Fraser Clan in Burnaby, British Columbia on Thursday, Jan. 31 before facing the Western Washington Vikings in Bellingham, Washington on Saturday, Feb. 2. Tip-off both nights is scheduled for 6pm AKST.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this week's games in Burnaby and Bellingham, all home and conference contests 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 Nanooks dropped a pair of close conference contests at home last weekend, falling 62-55 to Seattle Pacific on Thursday before losing 83-74 to the Saint Martin's Saints on Saturday. The losses extended Alaska's losing streak to 13 games.
GNAC Standings
The Nooks sit in 11th place in the GNAC standings with a 0-10 conference mark. Alaska's upcoming opponents, Simon Fraser (7-3 GNAC) and Western Washington (5-5 GNAC), currently rank tied for third and tied for fourth in the league standings, respectively. In-state rival Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene sit tied for first place in the GNAC standings, each with a 9-1 conference mark.
Ranked Nooks
Three Nanooks rank within the top-10 individually in five different statistical categories:
- Field Goal Percentage
- Minutes Played
- Offensive Rebounds
- Rebounding
- Steals
All-Time Series
Against the Simon Fraser Clan, Alaska is 0-21 all-time. The first meeting between the Clan and the Nanooks resulted in an 81-47 decision on the road on Jan. 21, 1977. Since then, Alaska has yet to defeat the Clan, with their last meeting coming as a 59-46 decision at home on Jan. 5.
The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team is 4-50 all-time against the Western Washington Vikings. The first-ever meeting between the two teams resulted in a 71-53 loss on the road on Jan. 19, 1976. The Nooks are currently riding a 29-game losing streak to the Vikings, with Alaska's last official win coming as a 75-71 victory at home on Feb. 21, 2004. The Nooks also defeated the Vikings 78-72 on Feb. 28, 2008 but the win was vacated due to an NCAA infraction. In their last meeting on Jan. 3, WWU edged the Nanooks at home 59-57.
Scouting the Opponent – Simon Fraser (11-6, 7-3 GNAC)
The Clan took to the floor twice last week, staying hot with a sweep of Central Washington (79-69) and then-No. 1 Northwest Nazarene (76-73). The team now owns the second-longest winning streak in the conference at five games. Sophomore Ozioma Nwabuko was named the GNAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week after averaging 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over the two games. Senior Sophie Swant is at the top of the scoring list after 17 games, averaging 14.4 points per game.
Scouting the Opponent – Western Washington (10-8, 5-5 GNAC)
The Vikings dropped both games last week, falling to Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington at home. Sophomore Kelsey Rogers leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game after 12 weeks of action. Two other Vikings, Dani Iwami (12.1 points per game) and Anna Schwecke (11.6 points per game), are scoring in double-figures.
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.
