FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball will open the 2022-23 GNAC season at home. They welcome Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings on Thursday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 3. 

Thursday, Dec. 1
Seattle Pacific | Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
7:30 p.m. | Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks, Alaska

Saturday, Dec. 3
Montana State Billings | Live Video | Live Stats | Tickets
5:15 p.m. | Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center | Fairbanks, Alaska

Last Time Out
The Nanooks are fresh off their first win on their home court against Westminster College on Saturday, Nov. 26. After falling to Texas A&M International on Friday, Nov. 25, 65-56, the 'Nooks turned around and knocked off Westminster 72-65. Bryan Nguyen led Alaska with 15 points on 5-10 shooting, connecting from downtown three times and posting one rebound and block. Demarcus Hall-Scriven added 13 points, shooting 7-8 from the free-throw line and Jaycson Bereal, Jr. added 10 and seven rebounds in the win. 

#NookNotes

• The Nanooks are currently 39th in the nation in team field goal percentage (49.7%) and 47th in field goal percentage defense (39.9%).
• Alaska is currently 10th in the nation in free throw percentage, shooting 82.9% from the line. They are also 30th in free throws made per game, making an average of 17.0 per game. 
• Jaycson Bereal, Jr. is 93rd in the nation and fifth in the GNAC while averaging 1.40 blocks per game. BJ   Kolly from Western Washington leads the GNAC with a 1.83 average. 
• Abdullahi Mohamed is in the top-100 in the nation in two categories; he's 98th in free throw attempts with 31 on the season and 78th in the nation in free throws made with 25.
• Mohamed is leading the 'Nooks in scoring with 11.8 points per game. He has scored 71 points this season through six games and five starts. 
• Tyler Mrus is the leading scorer among freshmen; he's scored 11.0 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game. He has started in all six games this season. 
• Nick Hopkins leads the 'Nooks in rebounding with 6.0 rebounds per game while also scorign 6.8 points per game. He's grabbed 36 rebounds on the year, seven offensive and 29 defensive. 
• SPU won the lone-matchup last season, grabbing a 74-72 OT win in Seattle on Jan. 27, 2022.
• The Nanooks and MSUB split their season-series last year. MSUB grabbed the first matchup in Billings, 73-64, before the Nanooks tied their program-record for fewest points allowed in a GNAC conference game. They beat the Yellow Jackets 62-36 behind a Coleman Sparling double-double.
• Abdullahi Mohamed was named All-Tournament in the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational.

First Responders Night
Thursday's game against SPU is First Responders Night; all who show up with proof of ID will get in free!

Meet the Opponents

Seattle Pacific (4-2, 0-0 GNAC)
The Falcons enter this week's matchup on a three-game win streak. They first got on the board on Nov. 11 with a five-point win over Chico State. They then fell to Cal Poly Pomona on Nov. 12 for their first loss of the season. Azusa Pacific gave them back-to-back losses before the Falcons went on a three-game win streak with wins over Concordia Irvine, Douglas College and Warner Pacific. 

SPU is led by Shaw Anderson, who through six games is averaging 22.5 points per game. Zack Paulsen follows with 15.3 points per game. Ben Baker-McCann leads SPU in the rebounds category, grabbing a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game on 5.7 defensive rebounds per game. Two other Falcons grab over four rebounds per game. Baker-McCann also leads the way in assists, dishing 3.8 assists per game. 

Montana State Billings Yellow Jackets (4-2, 0-0 GNAC)
The Yellow Jackets will face UAA before playing Alaska on Saturday but they enter their trip to the 49th State with a 4-2, 0-0 GNAC record. They kicked off the season with four-straight wins over Holy Names, Cal State San Marcos, Rocky Mountain College and Minot State before a blowout loss to #6 Black Hills State and a five-point loss to South Dakota Mines. 

MSUB is led by Carrington Wiggins who is averaging 15.8 points per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor, 32.3% from deep and 93.5% from the free-throw line. Steven Richardson and Bilal Shabazz add 11+ points per game. Shabazz leads the way on the glass for the Jackets, grabbing 7.2 rebounds a game. He and Wiggins also lead the team in steals, grabbing 11 through six games.

Nanook65 Golden Ale
The Alaska Nanooks' concessions stand will serve the newly released Nanook 65 Golden Ale (read more here) for $8 a pint with $1 of each purchase going towards student-athlete scholarships and other options including; hard seltzer and cider, individual sized sangria/red/white wine options and limited selection of Bud Light, Coors Light and Michelob Ultra. The northwest side of the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium (across from benches) will act as the "wet" area while the bench, scorer's table side and upper mezzanine area will remain "dry" with no alcoholic drinks allowed. 
 
Everyone seated in the lower bowl "wet" area will be carded upon entrance and anyone under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a legal parent or guardian over the age of 21.