THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF MEN’S BASKETBALL ...
Thur., Feb. 20 — 7:30 pm AST — Wells Fargo Sports Complex — Anchorage, AK
Saint Martin’s (8-14, 5-9 GNAC) at Alaska Anchorage (15-11, 8-7 GNAC)
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Sat., Feb. 22 — 7:30 pm AST — Wells Fargo Sports Complex — Anchorage, AK
Western Oregon (14-10, 7-7 GNAC [2/20 @UAF])
THIS WEEK’S PROMOTIONS – Fans attending Saturday’s basketball doubleheader will receive a free ‘white-out’ t-shirt commemorating the final basketball games at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
RADIO: Live locally on FM-93.7 KAFC, both games
TV: Catch the delayed telecast at 11 p.m. each night on KCFT (GCI Ch. 19)
LIVE VIDEO: Both games free via Stretch Internet (find link at GoSeawolves.com)
LIVE STATS: Stretch Internet & GoSeawolves.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: FB — Alaska.Anchorage.Seawolves
Instagram — AlaskaAnchorage
Twitter — @UAASeawolves, @UAAMBB
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2013-14 stats)
G—Brian McGill, 6-2/185, So. (16.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.0 apg, .471 FG, .488 3FG, .828 FT)
G—Travis Thompson, 6-1/185, Jr. (21.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.0 apg, .403 3FG, .899 FT)
G—Kyle Fossman, 6-0/180, Sr. (15.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, .416 3FG, .848 FT)
F—Teancum Stafford, 6-5/205, Jr. (13.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.6 bpg, .453 FG, .377 3FG)
F—Colton Lauwers, 6-3/215, Sr. (6.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 3-1 A-T ratio, .755 FT)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Saint Martin’s has dropped five of its last seven and is on the verge of being eliminated from GNAC Tournament contention after falling at home to Western Oregon (70-62) on Saturday … the Saints are led by Evan Coulter (15.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg, .529 FG, .478 3FG, .874 FT) and Ryan Rogers (14.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .400 3FG) … Western Oregon has won three straight as it heads to Fairbanks on Thursday, and joins UAA in a logjam (4 teams within one game of each other) in the GNAC’s race for fourth place … the Wolves are led by Rodney Webster (14.5 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.7 rpg, .474 FG, .792 FT) and Andy Avgi (12.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .589 FG), who missed the teams’ last game last month in Monmouth..
THE SERIES vs WOU: UAA leads 18-8 (9-3 in Anchorage)
Last Meeting: UAA 92-58 (1/23/14 at WOU) / Streak: UAA 8 / Notes: UAA has won three straight in Anchorage, including 82-56 last year … WOU’s last win came 76-65 in Anchorage on Jan. 23, 2010 … UAA leads 18-7 in GNAC meetings (since 2001-02) … first and only non-GNAC meeting came when both teams were Pac West foes, with WOU winning 91-81, Jan. 28, 1999.
THE SERIES vs SMU: UAA leads 25-7 (17-1 in Anchorage)
Last Meeting: UAA 79-78 (1/25/14 at SMU) / Streak: UAA 1 / Notes: UAA has won four of the last five meetings, including 74-71 in Anchorage last year … UAA leads 18-7 in GNAC regular-season meetings … teams met twice as members of the Pac West (in 1999 and 2001) and four times between 1977-80.
TEAM COMPARISONS UAA SMU WOU
UAA Home/Opp. Road 8-7 4-7 3-5
Points per Game 85.8 70.1 76.2
Points Allowed per Game 77.2 74.2 75.1
Rebounding Differential -0.8 +1.1 -1.6
Assists per Game 17.6 12.5 11.2
Turnovers per Game 8.2 12.6 11.7
Steals per Game 5.0 5.7 9.2
Blocks per Game 1.7 2.6 2.9
FG% .452 .439 .433
3-pt FG% .395 .372 .367
FT% .795 .711 .718
AT HOME ON THE ROAD: The Seawolves improved to 5-1 in their last six road games with a sweep of Central Washington (96-89) and Northwest Nazarene (76-64) last week … on Thursday, Jr. G Travis Thompson scored 31 points (11-19 FG, 6-12 3FG, 3-3 FT) and Sr. G Kyle Fossman had 21 points (7-11 3FG) — including the tie-breaking three-pointer with 2:19 to play — as UAA erased a 12-point deficit to beat CWU … Thompson added 5 rebounds and a season-high 6 assists, Jr. G/F Teancum Stafford had 13 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3FG) and 4 rebounds, and So. PG Brian McGill tallied 12 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds for the Seawolves, who shot 52 percent … UAA equaled the school record with just 3 team turnovers and tied the mark for most 3FGs made against a D-II opponent — both set earlier this season … on Saturday, Thompson and Stafford scored 19 points apiece to help UAA pull away for a season sweep of NNU … Stafford scored all of his points and grabbed 4 rebounds after halftime, while Sr. G/F Colton Lauwers spotted the Seawolves an early lead with 12 of his 14 points (4-7 3FG) in the first half … Fossman had 11 points and 4 assists, and the interior duo of So. F Christian Leckband and Jr. C Brad Mears combined for 9 points on perfect shooting (4-4 FG, 1-1 FT).
TEAM NOTES: UAA leads NCAA Div. II with just 8.2 turnovers per game and a 2.15-1 assist-turnover ratio … the Seawolves also sport top-25 national ranks in FT% (3rd, .795), 3FGs per game (3rd, 12.6), assists (15th, 17.6 apg), turnover margin (20th, +4.0) and scoring offense (24th, 85.8 ppg) … in the GNAC stats, the Seawolves lead in FT%, 3FGs per game, assists and asst-TO ratio, and rank 2nd in scoring offense, 3FG% (.395) and turnover margin … UAA needs one more win to earn the program’s ninth straight winning season and the 31st in 37 years … the Seawolves have also finished with a plus-.500 league record 25 times in 31 years of conference membership.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: The first set of NCAA Div. II West Region rankings come out on Wednesday, Feb. 19 … the rankings will be updated Feb. 26 and Mar. 5, prior to the GNAC, CCAA and Pac West conference tournaments … the top five teams in the poll, along with the three automatic-bid from the league tourneys, will advance to the NCAA West Regional Championships, set for Mar. 14-17 at the region’s highest seed.
PLAYER NOTES: Jr. G Travis Thompson ranks No. 2 in the GNAC and 17th nationally with 21.5 points per game, along with top-10 national marks in 3FGs per game (6th, 3.6) and FT% (10th, .899) … Thompson leads the GNAC in 3FGs per game and FT%, plus ranks of 2nd in FT%, 5th in minutes (34.6), 8th in assist-turnover ratio (2.2), 12th in assists (3.0 apg), 13th in steals (1.3 spg), 14th in 3FG% (.403) and 15th in 3FG% (.402) … coming off a redshirt season, the local Dimond HS product has tallied double figures in 24 of 26 games, including five times reaching the 30-point plateau, and five consecutive 25-plus games from Jan. 16-30 … at NNU, Thompson broke UAA’s single-season record for 3FGs attempted (now at 233) and he need just six more makes to tie Kemmy Burgess’s mark of 100 3FGs made in 2003-04 … on the other season lists, he is 1st in 3FGs per game (3.6), 3rd in FT%, 6th in scoring average and 12th in points (560) … a 2nd-Team All-GNAC pick in 2011-12 and a preseason all-league selection this year, Thompson has become the latest member of UAA’s 1,000-point club, now ranking 14th with 1,117 … on UAA’s other career lists, he is 4th in FT% (.874) and 3FGs made (201), 8th in 3FG% (.433), 9th in FTs made (227) and 16th in assists (227) ... Thompson was named Most Outstanding Player of the AT&T Jamboree and made the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in November, and he was the GNAC Red Lion Player of the Week for Jan. 20-26 … along with Thompson, the presence of Sr. G Kyle Fossman gives UAA two 1,000-point scorers in the same lineup for the first time since 1986-87 (Jesse Jackson/Hansi Gnad), with the preseason all-league pick currently ranking 12th on UAA’s all-time list with 1,137 points … a First Team All-GNAC pick and team MVP as a junior, Fossman ranks 8th in the GNAC scoring race with 15.8 ppg, boosted by a career-high-tying 28 points in UAA’s Shootout loss to Div. I Indiana State … he is also among the league top-10 leaders in 3FGs made per game (2nd, 3.3), A-T ratio (4th, 2.9), minutes (4th, 34.9 FT% (5th, .848) and assists (8th, 3.5) … in the NCAA national stats, the team’s only 4th-year senior is 9th in 3FGs per game and 23rd in assist-TO ratio … Fossman has risen to 3rd place on UAA’s career 3FGs list at 231, leaving him just one dozen shy of Mark Drake’s record of 243 (2001-05) … Fossman’s other Seawolf career ranks include 5th in 3FG% (.441), 7th in FT% (.850), 8th in games started (78), 12th in points (1,137) and assists (240), 14th in games played (101), and 10th in victories (70) … Fossman needs just 31 more points to move into the top 10 on that list … another preseason all-league pick and returning All-GNAC 2nd Team selection, Jr. G/F Teancum Stafford sits 20th in the GNAC scoring race with 13.4 ppg, bolstered by a career-high 29 points in the 83-72 victory over No. 5 Minnesota State … in the other GNAC stats, Stafford is 7th in rebounding (7.4 rpg), 11th in 3FGs per game (2.2), and 20th in 3FG% (.377) … with double-figure scoring in 42 of his 50 career games, the Snow (Utah) College transfer ranks 17th in 3FG% (.392) and 20th in scoring average (13.8 ppg) and double-doubles (6) on UAA’s career lists … Stafford is also a top candidate for Academic All-America honors, having already been selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team with a 4.0 overall GPA in psychology; he is on pace to graduate in May with honors … So. PG Brian McGill has made a big impact in his first year of eligibility since transferring from Western Oregon … McGill ranks No. 2 in the league with 6.0 apg, along with other GNAC ranks of 7th in scoring (16.0 ppg), 5th in asst-TO ratio (2.5), 7th in minutes (33.4 mpg) and 10th in FT% (.828) … on UAA’s single-season lists, he is 7th in apg, 9th in total assists (155) and 20th in FT% … the Clackamas, Ore., native was named the GNAC Red Lion Player of the Week following his 29-point, 10-assist performance in the league-opening victory over UAF, becoming just the fifth player in 14 years to tally at least 25 points and 10 assists in a GNAC game … nationally, McGill is 20th in assists and 42nd in A/T ratio … Sr. G/F Colton Lauwers has been UAA’s lunch-pail man, spelling McGill at the point and banging for rebounds at the power forward position … a former Dimond HS teammate of Thompson’s, Lauwers in 3rd in the GNAC with a 3-to-1 A/T ratio, dishing 52 assists with just 17 giveaways in 455 minutes … Lauwers has scored double figures six times this yea and is averaging 9.8 ppg over the last four games … Jr. G Boomer Blossom has seen an increased role of late, seeing his playing time double from 8.9 to 16.8 minutes per game over the last five contests … the Soldotna High product has scored 20 points is those games after going scoreless in five of the seven previous contests, and his 21-minute stint against Central Washington (3 pts, 1-2 3FG, 2 reb., 1 asst, 0 turn.) last week proved valuable with Thompson in foul trouble … So. F Christian Leckband has been productive off the bench as well lately, averaging 5.4 ppg on over the last five games … last week he totaled 12 points — most at critical junctures — on 5-of-7 shooting, plus 8 rebounds and 0 turnovers in 31 total minutes at CWU and NNU.
THE OSBORNE FILE: Tenth-year head coach Rusty Osborne (189-104) has led the Seawolves to eight straight winning seasons, five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2008 NCAA D-II Semifinals in his tenure at the helm … with UAA’s victory over Saint Martin’s on Jan. 25, he also became the winningest coach in program history with 187, surpassing former mentor Charlie Bruns … Osborne captured his first career GNAC and NABC West District coach-of-the-year awards in 2008 after becoming the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a 24-10 record to equal the 2nd-most victories in program history; Osborne’s 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 mark … before taking over the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served 13 seasons (1991-04) as a UAA assistant, including 11 years as the top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the staff, claiming four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Osborne is assisted in by Cameron Turner (3rd season), graduate assistant Tim Mollerstrom (2nd season), and volunteer coach Dylan Hoch (1st season).
UAA PEGGED FOR SECOND: UAA was picked to finish runner-up by the league’s 10 head coaches in the 2013-14 Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason poll, released Oct. 15. Here’s a look at the poll, with actual finish denoted on the right:
2013-14 GNAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Rk Team 2012-13 Recs., Pl. Pts
1. Seattle Pacific (9) 27-4 (16-2, 2nd) 99
2. Alaska Anchorage (1) 18-9 (11-7, 3rd) 86
3. Western Washington 31-3 (17-1, 1st) 80
4. Central Washington 15-13 (8-10, 6th) 70
5. Alaska Fairbanks 16-12 (10-8, 4th) 62
6. Western Oregon 10-16 (5-13, 9th) 44
7. Montana State Billings 16-14 (9-9, 5th) 41
8. Northwest Nazarene 13-13 (7-11, 7th) 30
9. Simon Fraser 6-20 (1-17, 10th) 20
10. Saint Martin’s 10-16 (6-12, 8th) 18
Nate Sagan
Sports Information Director
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr.
Anchorage, AK 9508
(907) 786-1295 / nate@uaa.alaska.edu
GoSeawolves.com
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