THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF MEN’S BASKETBALL ...
2014 GNAC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lacey, Wash. (hosted by Saint Martin’s University)
(All times AST)
Wednesday, Mar. 5 (Quarterfinals)
11 a.m. — #6 Montana State Billings (12-14, 8-10) vs #3 Alaska Fairbanks (17-9, 12-6)
1:15 p.m. — #5 Western Oregon (17-11, 10-8) vs #4 Alaska Anchorage (17-12, 10-8)
Thursday, Mar. 6 (Semifinals)
4:15 p.m. — MSUB/UAF winner vs #2 Western Washington (19-7, 13-5)
6:30 p.m. — WOU/UAA winner vs #1 Seattle Pacific (24-5, 15-3)
Saturday, Mar. 8 (Championship)
4:15 p.m. — Semifinal winners*
*winner earns automatic NCAA Tournament berth
RADIO: UAA game(s) live locally on FM-93.7 KAFC
TV: None
LIVE VIDEO & STATS: All games free via Stretch Internet (find link at GoSeawolves.com)
SOCIAL MEDIA: For game updates and more, follow @UAAMBB on Twitter. Seawolf Athletics’ main twitter handle is @UAASeawolves, while fans can like ‘Alaska Anchorage Seawolves’ on Facebook and ‘AlaskaAnchorage’ on Instagram.
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2013-14 stats)
G—Brian McGill, 6-2/185, So. (15.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.9 apg, .470 FG, .490 3FG, .831 FT)
G—Travis Thompson, 6-1/185, Jr. (21.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, .418 3FG, .897 FT)
G—Kyle Fossman, 6-0/180, Sr. (16.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, .444 3FG, .843 FT)
F—Teancum Stafford, 6-5/205, Jr. (12.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.7 bpg, .452 FG, .374 3FG)
F—Colton Lauwers, 6-3/215, Sr. (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 3-1 A-T ratio, .352 3FG, .774 FT)
SCOUTING THE WOLVES: Western Oregon has won six of its last seven, including a 88-85 home win over Western Washington in its home finale on Saturday … the Wolves are led by 6-1 Sr. G Rodney Webster (14.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg, .785 FT), 6-6 So. F Andy Avgi (13.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .575 FG, .767 FT) and 6-8 Jr. F Marwan Sarhan (11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .529 FG).
THE SERIES vs WOU: UAA leads 19-8
Last Meeting: UAA 96-77 (2/22/14 at UAA) / Streak: UAA 9 / Notes: This will mark the teams’ first-ever postseason meeting and the first meeting on a neutral court … UAA has won 13 of the last 14 encounters (since 2008) … WOU’s last win came 76-65 in Anchorage on Jan. 23, 2010 … UAA leads 19-7 in GNAC regular-season 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.
TEAM COMPARISONS UAA WOU
Neutral-Court Record 2-1 2-1
Points per Game 85.7 76.7
Points Allowed per Game 76.9 75.9
Rebounding Differential -1.6 -1.4
Assists per Game 18.0 11.1
Turnovers per Game 8.3 11.6
Steals per Game 4.9 9.3
Blocks per Game 1.8 2.7
FG% .458 .446
3-pt FG% .410 .324
FT% .799 .724
UAA AT GNACs: The Seawolves are 3-3 all-time at the GNAC Tournament, participating each year since the event was founded in 2011 … UAA was runner-up the first two tourneys, losing to Central Washington in 2011 and MSU Billings in 2012 … UAA is 1-1 all-time in the quarterfinals, beating Saint Martin’s in a 2011 home game and losing on a buzzer-beating three-pointer to Central Washington last year.
GNAC Tournament At A Glance Year Champion UAA Finish (Record) Location 2011 Central Washington 2nd (2-1) Campuses 2012 MSU Billings 2nd (1-1) Lacey, WA 2013 Seattle Pacific Quarterfinals (0-1) Lacey, WA THIS YEAR VS. WOU: UAA shut the doors on 36 years of Wells Fargo Sports Complex history with a 96-77 win over Western Oregon on Feb. 22 … the Seawolves broke or tied a slew of three-point records as they routed the Wolves and clinched a berth in the GNAC Tournament … Sr. G Kyle Fossman scored a career-high 40 points (14-18 FG, 12-16 3FG) and Jr. G Travis Thompson had 33 points (12-18 FG, 8-12 FT) and 6 assists, helping UAA to a 27-of-41 (.659) three-point percentage … Sr. G/F Colton Lauwers added 12 points (4-6 3FG), 5 assists and no turnovers as UAA tied its own school and GNAC record for 3FGs in a game … McGill dished 10 assists and Jr. G/F Teancum Stafford added 5 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists … Fossman’s 12 treys broke the old school and GNAC single-game mark of 10 … in the first game, Thompson scored 29 points (9-16 FG, 6-12 3FG) as UAA shot 51.6 percent and committed just four turnovers in a 92-58 rout in Monmouth … Fossman had 19 points, 7 assists and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double, while Stafford added 13 points and 10 boards … So. F Christian Leckband added 7 points (3-3 FG) and Jr. G Boomer Blossom had 6 points to lead a strong bench effort.
TEAM NOTES: UAA leads NCAA Div. II with just 8.3 turnovers per game and a 2.15-1 assist-turnover ratio … the Seawolves also sport top-25 national ranks in FT% (2nd, .799), 3FGs per game (3rd, 13.0), assists (10th, 18.0 apg), 3FG% (10th, .410) and scoring offense (23rd, 86.3 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%, turnover margin and scoring margin (+8.8) … UAA has clinched the program’s ninth straight winning season and the 31st in 37 years … the Seawolves also earned a plus-.500 league record for the 26th time in 32 years of conference membership … UAA has already broken 21 school records and 10 GNAC records this season, boosted by the epic three-point barrages against Western Oregon and Northland International; see page 6 for the complete list.
PLAYER NOTES: Jr. G Travis Thompson ranks No. 2 in the GNAC and 21st nationally with 21.5 points per game, along with top-10 national marks in 3FGs per game (5th, 3.7) and FT% (17th, .897) … Thompson leads the GNAC in 3FGs per game, plus ranks of 2nd in FT%, 5th in minutes (34.6), 9th in assist-turnover ratio (2.1) and 3FG% (.418), 11th in assists (3.2 apg) and 13th in steals (1.2 spg) … coming off a redshirt season, the local Dimond HS product has tallied double figures in 27 of 29 games, including six times reaching the 30-point plateau and five consecutive 25-plus games from Jan. 16-30 … Thompson has already broken UAA’s single-season record for 3FGs made (107, tied with Fossman) and attempted (256), along with the old GNAC mark for treys in a season (102, formerly held by current UAA women’s basketball coach Ryan McCarthy [NNU, 2005-06]) … on the other season lists, Thompson is 1st in 3FGs per game (3.7), 3rd in FT%, 6th in scoring average and 8th in points (623) … 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 10th (1,180) … on UAA’s other career lists, he is 4th in FT% (.873) and 3FGs made (214), 6th in 3FG% (.439), 8th in FTs made (234) and 13th in assists (241) ... 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 9th on UAA’s all-time list with 1,210 points … a First Team All-GNAC pick and team MVP as a junior, Fossman ranks 6th in the GNAC scoring race with 16.7 ppg, boosted by his 40-point performance Feb. 22 vs. Western Oregon … he is also among the league top-10 leaders in 3FGs made per game (t-1st, 3.7), A-T ratio (3rd, 2.9), 3FG% (5th, .444), minutes (2nd, 35.2), FT% (7th, .843) and assists (8th, 3.5) … in the NCAA national stats, the team’s only 4th-year senior is 5th in 3FGs per game, 19th in 3FG% and 21st in assist-TO ratio … Fossman is now the UAA career (251), season (107, tied with Thompson) and single-game (12) record-holder for 3FGs made, and he ranks No. 4 on the career GNAC list … Fossman’s other Seawolf career ranks include 4th in 3FG% (.451), 7th in FT% (.848), t-7th in games started (82), 9th in points (1,210), 10th in assists (251), t-12th in games played (105), and 8th in victories (72) … another preseason all-league pick and returning All-GNAC 2nd Team selection, Jr. G/F Teancum Stafford sits 22nd in the GNAC scoring race with 12.8 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 9th in rebounding (7.1 rpg),10th in 3FGs per game (2.0) and 15th in blocks per game (0.7) … with double-figure scoring in 42 of his 53 career games, the Snow (Utah) College transfer ranks 18th in 3FG% (.390), 20th in double-doubles (6), and 21st in scoring average (13.6 ppg) on UAA’s career lists … in February, Stafford also became just the third player in program history to earn selection to the Capital One Academic All-America Team (2nd Team), thanks to his 4.0 overall GPA in psychology … recently married and on pace to graduate in May with honors, Stafford has announced that he plans to forgo his final season of eligibility in 2014-15 … So. PG Brian McGill has made a huge impact in his first year of eligibility since transferring from Western Oregon … McGill ranks No. 2 in the league with 5.9 apg, along with other GNAC ranks of 11th in scoring (15.8 ppg), 5th in asst-TO ratio (2.5), 7th in minutes (33.6 mpg) and 9th in FT% (.831) … on UAA’s single-season lists, he is 7th in both assists (172) and assists per game, 13th in FTs made (133) and 19th 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 48th 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 2nd in the GNAC with a 3.5-to-1 A/T ratio — dishing 60 assists with just 19 giveaways in 684 minutes — and 17th in 3FGs per game (1.5) … Lauwers has scored double figures eight times this year and is averaging 10.9 ppg over the last six games … Jr. G Boomer Blossom has seen an increased role of late, seeing his playing time nearly double from 8.9 to 14.9 minutes per game over the last eight contests … the Soldotna High product has been a big reason why UAA leads the nation in assist-turnover ratio, sporting an incredible 27-to-1 ratio (in 248 total minutes) … Blossom’s only turnover came Dec. 7 against UAF.
THE OSBORNE FILE: Tenth-year head coach Rusty Osborne (192-105) has now led the Seawolves to nine 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, 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 finished two spots behind its predicted finish from the 2013-14 Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ 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 Act.
1. Seattle Pacific (9) 27-4 (16-2, 2nd) 99 1
2. Alaska Anchorage (1) 18-9 (11-7, 3rd) 86 4-t
3. Western Washington 31-3 (17-1, 1st) 80 2
4. Central Washington 15-13 (8-10, 6th) 70 6-t
5. Alaska Fairbanks 16-12 (10-8, 4th) 62 3
6. Western Oregon 10-16 (5-13, 9th) 44 4-t
7. Montana State Billings 16-14 (9-9, 5th) 41 6-t
8. Northwest Nazarene 13-13 (7-11, 7th) 30 9
9. Simon Fraser 6-20 (1-17, 10th) 20 10
10. Saint Martin’s 10-16 (6-12, 8th) 18 8
2013-14 SEAWOLF INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Kyle Fossman
Preseason All-GNAC Team
AT&T Jamboree All-Tournament Team, 11/16
GNAC Red Lion co-Player of the Week, 2/17-23
GNAC All-Academic Team, 2/27
Brian McGill
AT&T Jamboree All-Tournament Team, 11/16
GNAC Red Lion Player of the Week, 12/2-8
Teancum Stafford
Preseason All-GNAC Team
AT&T Jamboree Player of the Game vs Holy Names, 11/15
AT&T Jamboree All-Tournament Team, 11/16
Capital One Academic All-District Team, 1/30
Capital One Academic All-America Second Team, 2/19
GNAC All-Academic Team, 2/27
Travis Thompson
Preseason All-GNAC Team
AT&T Jamboree Player of the Game vs Regis, 11/16
AT&T Jamboree Most Outstanding Player, 11/16
Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout All-Tourney Tm, 11/30
GNAC Red Lion co-Player of the Week, 1/20-26
GNAC All-Academic Team, 2/27
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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