FAIRBANKS - It's rivalry weekend at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center as the Nanooks men's basketball team hosts the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves for a pivotal GNAC men's basketball matchup. The Nanooks come into this weekend's game at 9-13, 5-8 GNAC.

Saturday, Feb. 15
vs. Alaska Anchorage | 3 p.m. AKST
Fairbanks | Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center

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Last Time Out
The Nanooks are currently on a six-game slide and looking to break back into their winning ways. They battled at Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington last week, falling in both. In game one at NNU, the Nighthawks used a big second-half push to come back from a four-point deficit at the half. The Nanooks were led by Paul Johnson and Chris Lee, who both posted 13 points. Jalai O'Keith and Isaiah Saams-Hoy followed with 12 each. On night two at Central, the Nanooks got 18 from Saams-Hoy and 15 from Ketan Sidhu, but CWU pulled away in the second after holding a five-point lead at the break. Paul Johnson added 13 points and Chris Lee added a dozen. 

#NookNotes

• Paul Johnson is one of the hottest three-point shooters in the GNAC and nation. The guard is shooting 45.9% from three, good for first in the conference and seventh in the nation. 
• Jalai O'Keith has proven himself as one of the best rebounders in the blue and gold and in the GNAC. O'Keith has grabbed 146 rebounds this year, good for eighth in the conference. His 7.0 rebounds per game is third in the GNAC while his 5.24 defensive boards a game is also third in the GNAC. 
• Alaska has two of the top scorers in the conference in Chris Lee and Isaiah Saams-Hoy. Saams-Hoy is averaging 15.9 points per game while Lee follows at 15.0 points. They rank seventh and 10th, respectively, in the GNAC.
• Saams-Hoy is connecting on 50.6% of his shots, good for fifth in the conference.
• Lee is dishing out an average of four assists per game, putting him sixth in the GNAC.
• The 'Nooks have two of the top blockers in the GNAC, with Saams-Hoy (1.09) and Ketan Sidhu (0.91) ranking sixth and ninth in the GNAC in blocks per game.
• Alaska has three players in the GNAC top 10 in minutes per game, with Saams-Hoy (34:56), Lee (33:25) and Johnson (33:15) ranking fourth, seventh and ninth in the conference, respectively.
• The Nanooks are knocking down the most three-pointers per game in the GNAC, averaging 10 makes from deep. That puts them 17th in DII. Their 37.2% three-point percentage is good for second in the conference and 50th in the nation.

Meet the Opponent
Alaska Anchorage (11-15, 4-9 GNAC)
Head Coach: Rusty Osborne (21st Season)

The Seawolves dropped both their games last week, falling to Central Washington (76-66) and Northwest Nazarene (72-51). They enter the contest right behind Alaska in the GNAC standings, sitting in eighth place. UAA is led by junior guard Tyler Burraston, who is averaging 13.1 points per game this season. He is connecting on 3.23 shots from beyond the arc this season, which leads the GNAC and ranks 12th in the nation. His 39.8% three-point percentage is the fourth highest in the conference and 41st in Division II. Alaska Anchorage has given up the fewest points per game in the GNAC this season, holding opponents to an average of 63.5 points. That mark ranks seventh in the country.

White Out
It's Alaska's White Out game this Saturday against the Seawolves! Come out to the Patty Center to help cheer on the Nanooks against UAA, and don't forget to wear white!

GNAC Standings

1. Central Washington (16-7, 10-3 GNAC)
2. Seattle Pacific (14-11, 10-4 GNAC)
3. Northwest Nazarene (16-5, 9-4 GNAC)
4. Saint Martin's (19-7, 8-5 GNAC)
5. Western Washington (16-8, 8-6 GNAC)
6. Montana State Billings (17-10, 8-6 GNAC)
7. Alaska (9-13, 5-8 GNAC)
8. Alaska Anchorage (11-15, 4-9 GNAC)
9. Simon Fraser (8-16, 4-10 GNAC)
10. Western Oregon (4-19, 1-12 GNAC)

What's to Come
The 'Nooks stay in Fairbanks for their final two home games of the regular season, hosting Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and Montana State Billings on Saturday at 3:15 p.m.

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