CBS Sports Network to televise seven games from 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout

CBS Sports Network to televise seven games from 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout
UAA-Middle Tennessee among four 1st^t-round matchups

ANCHORAGE (Aug. 26) – The University of Alaska Anchorage has unveiled the pairings for the 2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout, with seven games slated to air on national television on CBS Sports Network.

This year’s Shootout is scheduled for Nov. 24-28 at the Alaska Airlines Center, starting with women’s first-round action on Tuesday night and concluding with the men’s championship on Saturday. Host UAA will open against Pepperdine on the women’s side and Middle Tennessee on the men’s side to begin their respective tournaments.

George Mason and Western Kentucky kick off the women’s action at 6 p.m. Tuesday, followed by Pepperdine against UAA. Women’s consolation and championship games are slated for 2:30 and 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The 38th annual men’s Shootout begins with all four first-round games on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday and Thursday nights, marking the network’s fourth straight year broadcasting the event. San Jose State faces Toledo in the opener at 7:30 p.m. AST/11:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, followed by San Diego against Loyola Chicago at 10 p.m. AST/2 a.m. EST. Thanksgiving matchups will be Middle Tennessee against host Alaska Anchorage at 5:30 p.m. AST/9:30 p.m. EST, followed by Drexel vs. UNC Asheville at 8 p.m. AST/Midnight EST.

CBS Sports Network will also air both Friday semifinals as well as Saturday night’s championship game at 8:30 p.m. AST/12:30 a.m. EST.

The GCI Great Alaska Shootout is the longest-running regular-season college basketball tournament in the nation, taking place every Thanksgiving in Anchorage since 1978. This will be the second tournament held at UAA’s new, 5,000-seat Alaska Airlines Center.

To purchase Shootout full-tournament ticket packages now, contact Chris Gerace at 907-786-7811 or cmgerace@uaa.alaska.edu. Single-session tickets go on sale Nov. 16. Click here for complete ticket information.

2015 GCI GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT
Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska
All times Alaska Standard (4 hours behind EST)

Women’s Schedule
Tuesday, Nov. 24 – First Round
6 p.m. – George Mason vs Western Kentucky
8 p.m. – Pepperdine vs Alaska Anchorage
Wednesday, Nov. 25
2:30 p.m. – GMU/WKU loser vs Pepperdine/UAA loser (3rd place)
5 p.m. – GMU/WKU winner vs Pepperdine/UAA winner (Championship)

Men’s Schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – First Round
7:30 p.m. (Game 1) – San Jose State vs Toledo (CBS Sports Network)
10 p.m. (Game 2) – San Diego vs Loyola Chicago (CBS Sports Network)
Thursday, Nov. 26 – First Round
5:30 p.m. (Game 3) – Middle Tennessee vs Alaska Anchorage (CBS Sports Network)
8 p.m. (Game 4) – Drexel vs UNC Asheville (CBS Sports Network)
Friday, Nov. 27 – Consolation Semifinals & Semifinals
Noon (Game 5) – SJSU/Toledo loser vs USD/Loyola loser
2 p.m. (Game 6) – MT/UAA loser vs Drexel/Asheville loser
5:30 p.m. (Game 7) – SJSU/Toledo winner vs USD/Loyola winner (CBS Sports Network*)
8 p.m. (Game 8) – MT/UAA winner vs Drexel/Asheville winner (CBS Sports Network*)
Saturday, Nov. 28
Noon (Game 9) – Game 5 loser vs Game 6 loser (7th/8th place)
2 p.m. (Game 10) – Game 5 winner vs Game 6 winner (4th/6th place)
5:30 p.m. (Game 11) – Game 7 loser vs Game 8 loser (3rd/5th place)
8:30 p.m. (Game 12) – Game 7 winner vs Game 8 winner (Championship – CBS Sports Network)
*delayed broadcast

2015 GCI Great Alaska Shootout Field ‘Quick Facts’
WOMEN
Alaska Anchorage

Nickname: Seawolves

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Website: GoSeawolves.com

Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 29-2/17-1 (1st)

2015 Postseason: NCAA First Round

Head Coach: Ryan McCarthy, 3 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances (Titles): All (1990, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

 

George Mason

Nickname: Patriots

Location: Fairfax, Va.

Website: gomason.com

Conference: Atlantic 10

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 13-17/5-11 (t-10th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Nyla Milleson, 2 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

Pepperdine

Nickname: Waves

Location: Malibu, Calif.

Website: pepperdinesports.com

Conference: West Coast Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 8-22/3-15 (9th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Ryan Weisenberg, 2 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: 1984 (8th), 1997 (7th)

 

Western Kentucky

Nickname: Lady Toppers

Location: Bowling Green, Ky.

Website: wkusports.com

Conference: Conference USA

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 30-5/16-2 (1st)

2015 Postseason: NCAA First Round

Head Coach: Michelle Clark-Heard, 3 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances (place): 1986 (3rd), 1988 (3rd)

 

MEN

Alaska Anchorage

Nickname: Seawolves

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Website: GoSeawolves.com

Conference: Great Northwest Athletic Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 16-13/12-6 (t-3rd)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Rusty Osborne, 11 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: All (36-75)

 

Drexel

Nickname: Dragons

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.

Website: drexeldragons.com

Conference: Colonial Athletic Association

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 11-19/9-9 (t-6th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: James ‘Bruiser’ Flint, 14 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

Loyola (Illinois)

Nickname: Ramblers

Location: Chicago, Ill.

Website: loyolaramblers.com

Conference: Missouri Valley Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 24-13/8-10 (6th)

2015 Postseason: CBI Champion

Head Coach: Porter Moser, 4 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

Middle Tennessee

Nickname: Blue Raiders

Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Website: goblueraiders.com

Conference: Conference USA

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 19-17/9-9 (6th)

2015 Postseason: CIT First Round

Head Coach: Kermit Davis, 13 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

UNC Asheville

Nickname: Bulldogs

Location: Asheville, N.C.

Website: uncabulldogs.com

Conference: Big South Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 15-16/10-8 (t-6th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Nick McDevitt, 2 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

San Diego

Nickname: Toreros

Location: San Diego, Calif.

Website: usdtoreros.com

Conference: West Coast

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 15-16/8-10 (5th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Lamont Smith, 1st season in 2015-16

Previous Shootout Appearances: 2009 (2nd)

 

San Jose State

Nickname: Spartans

Location: San Jose, Calif.

Website: sjsuspartans.com

Conference: Mountain West Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 2-28/0-18 (11th)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Dave Wojcik, 2 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

Toledo

Nickname: Rockets

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Website: utrockets.com

Conference: Mid-American Conference

2014-15 Overall/Conf. Record (Place): 20-13/11-7 (2nd, West. Div.)

2015 Postseason: None

Head Coach: Tod Kowalczyk, 5 seasons

Previous Shootout Appearances: None

 

--GoSeawolves--

 

 

Nate Sagan
Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr.
Anchorage, AK  99508
(907) 786-1295 / nate@uaa.alaska.edu
GoSeawolves.com

 

Former Alaska POY Simmers joins Seawolves

ANCHORAGE (Aug. 25) – Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball coach Rusty Osborne added another piece to his 2015-16 roster Tuesday with the announcement that former Alaska 3A Player of the Year Augustus Simmers has transferred to play his final two seasons with the Seawolves.

A 6-4, 205-pound forward, Simmers returns to his hometown after spending his sophomore season at fellow NCAA Div. II program Malone University in Canton, Ohio. He played in all 28 games for the Pioneers in 2014-15, averaging 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest, while shooting 44 percent from the field. Simmers produced four double-figure scoring performances and grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds against conference foe Ashland.

He also played one season of junior college ball, taking the court for Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, Florida, as a freshman in 2013-14.

“We are excited to welcome Augustus back home and into the Seawolf Family,” said Osborne, who now has three former Alaska prep stars on his current roster. “He has gained college experience while away the last two years and proven that he can play well at this level. He is a strong, versatile athlete who we can plug into multiple positions. In addition, Augustus is an excellent student, a young man of high character, and someone who will be a great role model for the youth of Anchorage. We feel that his best days are ahead of him and look forward to the next few years.”

Simmers was a prep star at Class 3A power Anchorage Christian Schools, where he was the Alaska 3A Player of the Year in both 2011-12 and 2012-13. In his four varsity seasons, he helped the Lions to the 2011 state championship and consecutive runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2013.

Simmers is the seventh new players to join the Seawolves this off-season, along with fellow junior transfers Corey Hammell (6-6, 220, F, Santa Rosa, CA/Cardinal Newman HS/Santa Rosa JC), Diante Mitchell (6-1, 195, G, Syracuse, UT/Western Nebraska CC), Spencer Svejcar (6-3, 195, G , Arvada, CO/Ralston Valley HS/Laramie County CC), Tayler Thompson (6-9, 220, F/C, Sonora, CA/Cuesta College), and Sekou ‘Suki’ Wiggs (6-4, 185, G, Seattle/O’Dea HS/Idaho), and true freshman Curtis Ryan (6-9, 6-9, 230, Warrnambool, Australia).

--GoSeawolves--

 

Nate Sagan
Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
University of Alaska Anchorage
3211 Providence Dr.
Anchorage, AK  99508
(907) 786-1295 / nate@uaa.alaska.edu
GoSeawolves.com