UAA men add road exhibitions

ANCHORAGE (Oct. 13) – The Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team has added a pair of exhibition games to its 2011-12 schedule, head coach Rusty Osborne announced Thursday.

The Seawolves will play at Westmont, in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Nov. 3, and at Azusa Pacific, in Azusa, Calif., on Nov. 4. Both opponents are NAIA programs that play in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

“These will be great tests for our team and a chance to come together early in the season,” said Osborne, who is entering his eighth year at the Seawolf helm. “Prior to adding these games, our first real competition would have been the (Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska) Shootout, so this should really help us.”

UAA is coming off a 24-10 campaign and a second-round berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2010-11. The Seawolves return two starters and nine letterwinners, including All-America candidates Taylor Rohde and Mario Gill.

--GoSeawolves.com--

 

Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director

University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr. / Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / Fax: (907) 563-4565
GoSeawolves.com

UAA men narrow favorite in coaches' poll

SPOKANE, Wash. (Oct. 12) – The Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team is a narrow favorite to win the 2011-12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, according to the league’s 11^th annual coaches’ poll, released Wednesday.

The Seawolves – coming off a 24-10 season and an NCAA 2nd Round berth – polled in nearly a dead heat with Seattle Pacific, edging the Falcons 95-94. UAA and SPU tied with four first-place votes apiece, while Western Washington claimed the other two.

This year marks just the second time the Seawolves have been favored in the preseason poll, with the original prognostication coming true in UAA’s Final 4 season of 2007-08.

The Seawolves return just two full-time starters among their nine letterwinners from 2010-11, when they placed second in the both the GNAC regular season and post tournament, however both are All-America candidates.

Senior Taylor Rohde, a 6-9 center from Phoenix, was a First Team All-GNAC selection last year after averaging 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 61 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, fellow senior Mario Gill, a 6-2 guard from Portland, Ore., was an honorable mention All-GNAC pick who averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds, shooting a league-leading 46.3 percent from three-point range.

Also featuring fourth-year senior guards Lonnie Ridgeway (6.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Steve White (4.3 ppg, 3.4 assists per game), the Seawolves are seeking their fifth NCAA Tournament berth in the last seven seasons under head coach Rusty Osborne.

2010-11 GNAC Coaches Poll  2010-11 Recs., Pl.  Pts  
1. Alaska Anchorage (4)   24-10, 13-5, 2nd    95
2. Seattle Pacific (4)    20-10, 12-6, 3rd    94
3. Western Washington (2) 16-11, 11-7, 4th    86
4. Central Washington     26-4, 16-2, 1st     75
5. Western Oregon         13-16, 8-10, 6th    54
 6. Saint Martin’s         14-15, 7-11, 7th    44
7. Montana State Billings 8-18, 6-12, 8th     36
8. Alaska Fairbanks       8-17, 5-13, 9th     33
9. Northwest Nazarene     15-12, 10-8, 5th    31
10. Simon Fraser           3-21, 2-16, 10th    12

(Note: First-place votes in parenthesis.  Points awarded on 11-9-8-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.).  

 

 

Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director

University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr. / Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 786-1295 / Fax: (907) 563-4565
GoSeawolves.com