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#7 UAA hosts West Region foes in new setting

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

#7 UAA hosts West Region foes in new setting

THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Friday, Nov. 13 — 7 pm AST
Alaska Airlines Center (Aux. Gym) — Anchorage, Alaska
Dixie State (0-0, 0-0 Pac West) at #7 Alaska Anchorage (5-0, 0-0 GNAC)
&
Saturday, Nov. 14 — 5 pm AST
Alaska Airlines Center (Aux. Gym) — Anchorage, Alaska
Stanislaus State (0-0, 0-0 CCAA [11/13 @UAF]) at #7 Alaska Anchorage

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: With the ASAA State Volleyball Championships being held in the main arena, the Seawolves will play West Region opponents Dixie State and Stanislaus State in the first-ever games held in the Alaska Airlines Center's 900-seat auxiliary gymnasium ... fans are encouraged to buy tickets early and be aware of parking considerations ... due to the limited capacity of the AAC auxiliary gym, UAA's women's basketball season-ticket holders will have a section reserved for them until 6:45 p.m. Friday and 4:45 p.m. Saturday, after which all seats will become general admission.

TV: Both games throughout Alaska on GCI cable Ch. 1 (SD) and Ch. 999 (HD) ... Friday's game will air live, while Saturday's telecast will be delayed until approximately 8:30 p.m.

RADIO: None

LIVE VIDEOSTREAM & STATS: Both games free at portal.stretchinternet.com/uaa

TICKETS: $10 at the door, online at alaskaairlinescenter.com, or by calling 907-786-1562 ... discounts apply for UAA staff/faculty, alumni, senior (60+), youth (3-18) and military ... groups of 10 or more can purchase in bulk for $6 per ticket ... UAA students free with valid WolfCard ... more information at GoSeawolves.com.

UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2015-16 stats)
G—Kiki Robertson, 5-5, Jr. (7.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.6 apg, .481 FG, .333 3FG, .889 FT)
G—Jenna Buchanan, 5-8, Sr. (15.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.6 spg, .556 FG, .571 3FG)
G—Jessica Madison, 5-8, Sr. (11.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.0 spg, .444 3FG, .818 FT)
F—Alysha Devine, 6-0, Jr. (8.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.4 spg, .457 FG, .600 3FG)
F—Megan Mullings, 6-0, Sr. (16.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.3 spg, .591 FG, .682 FT)

ALL-TIME SERIES...
vs. Dixie State: UAA leads 2-0 overall, 2-0 in Anch.
Last: UAA 95-58 (11/12/11 @UAA) / Notes: Only two meetings came in back-to-back seasons in 2010-11 and 2011-12 ... UAA won first meeting 68-53, Dec. 11, 2010 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
vs. Stanislaus State: UAA leads 9-2 overall, 7-1 in Anch. / Last: UAA 72-45 (11/20/08 @UAA) / Streak: UAA 4 / Notes: Teams have met only twice this century, with UAA sweeping on back-to-back nights in Nov. 2008 ... Stanislaus State's last win was a 53-51 decision, Dec. 30, 1998 in Turlock, Calif. ... series started with an 88-66 UAA road win, Nov. 21, 1983.

SCOUTING THE FOES: Dixie State returns 10 players from last year's squad, including four starters, as it looks to improve on an 8-18 record (7-13 Pac West) ... four newcomers join the St. George, Utah, program this season, including three JC transfers ... the Red Storm's leading returning scorers are 6-2 Sr. C Taylor Mann (11.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and 5-2 Sr. PG Leslie Tademy (7.5 ppg, 5.2 apg) ... coming off records of 9-17 overall and 7-13 in league, Stanislaus State (formerly known as Cal State Stanislaus) was picked to finish 9th of 13 teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association's preseason poll ... Warriors, from Turlock, Calif., return four starters, including All-CCAA honorable mention selections Jasmine Washington (5-9, Sr., G, 15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Riley Hollada (6-0, Jr., F, 8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg).

DUNKIN' DEACONS: UAA opened its home season with a pair of routs against National Christian College Athletic Association opponent New Hope Christian, beating the Eugene, Ore., program 109-48 and 101-26, Nov. 5-6 at the Alaska Airlines Center ... on Thursday, Sr. G Jessica Madison paced six teammates in double figures with 18 points and Sr. G Keiahnna Engel added 16 points, 5 assists and 4 steals ... Madison and Sr. G Jenna Buchanan knocked down four three-pointers apiece as UAA matched the school record with 15 treys ... in the rematch, Fr. F/C Hannah Wandersee earned her first double-double with 22 points (10-14 FG) and 11 rebounds, while Sr. F Megan Mullings had 16 points (6-7 FG) to help UAA equal the 5th-largest margin of victory in program history ... the Seawolves went on a 47-0 run over the 2nd and 3rd quarters as Buchanan and Madison each poured in 13 more points, and So. F Sierra Afoa grabbed 10 boards ... the 26 points allowed were the 6th-fewest in program history, while New Hope's 10 points in the 2nd half were the 2nd-fewest ever allowed by a Seawolf team.

'WOLVES SWEEP TRIO IN SO-CAL: The Seawolves started their season with wins over William Jewell and West Region clubs Cal State Dominguez Hills and Academy of Art, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Southern California at the CCA Div. II Tip-Off Classic … in the opener at the Anaheim Convention Center, Sr. G Jessica Madison led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points (4-5 3FG, 4-5 FT) to help UAA run away early for a 90-63 victory over William Jewell … Jr. F Alysha Devine and Sr. G Jenna Buchanan scored 14 points apiece, and Fr. G Tara Thompson came off the bench with 12 points (4-5 3FG) against the Missourians in her first collegiate game … on the court Saturday, UAA faced Cal State Dominguez Hills in a matchup of the top two seeds at last year's NCAA West Regional Championships, with the Seawolves pulling away in the second half for an 82-61 win … Buchanan scored 22 of her career-high 28 points (9-11 FG, 8-10 3FG) after halftime and added three steals against the Toros, while Jr. PG Kiki Robertson chipped in 14 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3FG), 4 assists and 2 steals … UAA got a big boost from the bench, too, with So. F Sierra Afoa tallying 11 points (6-6 FT) and 3 assists, and Fr. F Hannah Wandersee putting up 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT) in just 10 minutes … the final day of the Classic was played at CSUDH's home court in Carson, Calif., where UAA hung on for an exciting 87-82 win over Academy of Art … the Seawolves led throughout the second half against the Pacific West Conference club, but could never push their advantage higher than 11 … Sr. F Megan Mullings busted out with a historic 35-point (14-19 FG, 7-11 FT), 13-rebounds, 3-steal effort, while Robertson finished with 12 points (5-7 FG), 4 rebounds and 4 assists, making the game-clinching layup with 10 seconds left … Sr. G Keiahnna Engel played a big role with 9 points, 6 assists and 3 steals, and Devine tied her career high with 9 rebounds against the San Francisco school.

DISNEY DIMES: UAA's three victories Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Southern California extended the program record to 14 consecutive wins in road or neutral contests; the Seawolves' last such loss came in Mar. 2014 at Cal Poly Pomona in the NCAA Tournament 1st Round ... Sr. F Megan Mullings tied for the 7th-most points in program history with 35 against Academy of Art on Nov. 1, becoming the sixth Seawolf to reach that plateau ... Mullings's 13 rebounds against Art U were four more than her previous best, marking her first career double-double ... Sr. G Jenna Buchanan came one three-pointer shy of former teammate Sasha King's UAA single-game record of nine during her 28-point (8-10 3FG) explosion against Cal State Dominguez Hills ... Buchanan surpassed her previous career-high of 21 points, while her six treys in the 2nd half were also just one short of tying the UAA record ... the Seawolves opened with a school-record 15 team three-pointers against William Jewell, while their 12 treys the next night against CSUDH tied then for 10th on the single-game list; UAA shot 50 percent from long range in both games.

GNAC FAVORITES: UAA was a near-unanimous pick to successfully defend its league title in the 15th annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Oct. 16 ... this year marks UAA's fourth time as the favorite in the preseason poll and the first since 2011-12.

2015-16 GNAC Women's Basketball Coaches Poll
Rk Team (1st-pl. votes)   Records           Pts
 1. Alaska Anchorage (10) 29-2/17-1, 1st    120
 2. Western Washington    21-9/13-5, T-2nd  104
 3. Seattle Pacific       22-7/13-5, T-2nd   86
 4. Central Washington    12-15/7-11, 6th    83
 5. Simon Fraser          15-13/10-8, 4th    69
 6. NW Nazarene (1)       7-20/5-13, T-9th   68
 7. Saint Martin's        11-16/8-10, 5th    55
    MSU Billings          14-14/6-12, T-7th  55
 9. Alaska Fairbanks      14-14/6-12, T-7th  40
10. Western Oregon        8-18/5-13, T-9th   31
11. Concordia, Ore.       12-16/6-12,8th CCC 15

2014-15 SEASON RECAP: The Seawolves delivered a historic season in 2014-15, finishing with a program-best 29-2 overall record and ascending to No. 1 in the nation for the final month of the regular season ... UAA swept the GNAC regular-season and tournament championships, winning the league by four games and producing the GNAC's Newcomer of the Year (Megan Mullings), Defensive Player of the Year (Kiki Robertson) and Coach of the Year (Ryan McCarthy) ... the Seawolves led the nation in margin of victory and steals per game as they broke 16 school records and strung together winning streaks of 12 and 17 games ... despite earning the top seed and home court advantage for the NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships, the season ended in agonizing fashion with a 64-63 first-round upset to 8th-seeded Point Loma, Mar. 13 at the Alaska Airlines Center.

TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves are seeking their 10th consecutive winning season and ninth NCAA Tournament berth in 10 years ... UAA has gone a combined 129-12 (.915) in the last 10 seasons at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex and Alaska Airlines Center ... UAA's current string of nine straight road victories (all from last season) is a program record.

LUCKY NO. 7? UAA opened at No. 7 in the WBCA/USA Today NCAA Div. II Top 25 coaches' poll ... here is a look at the initial rankings, with UAA and opponents in bold and West Region teams in italics:
                             
Rk Team [1st-pl. votes]      '15Rk Rec.  Pts
 1 Emporia State (Kan.) [12]     4 29-5  552
 2 Lewis (Ill.) [2]              5 31-3  493
 3 Cal Baptist [3]               2 29-7  487
 4 Nova Southeastern (Fla.)      7 27-6  478
 5 California, Pa. [6]           1 32-4  453
 6 Columbus State (Ga.) [1]     14 31-2  400
 7 Alaska Anchorage             13 29-2  396
 8 Michigan Tech                15 28-3  379
 9 West Texas A&M                6 30-3  357
10 Fort Hays State (Kan.)        8 30-4  355
11 Drury (Mo.)                  17 26-4  319
12 Limestone (S.C.)              3 34-2  274
13 Union (Tenn.)                10 28-4  230
14 Adelphi (N.Y.)               19 28-4  222
15 Ashland (Ohio)               22 25-9  182
16 Winona State (Minn.)         NR 20-8  179
17 Queens College (N.Y.)        NR 22-8  175
18 Arkansas Tech                NR 23-7  156
19 Colorado Mesa                NR 23-6  146
20 Tampa (Fla.)                 NR 17-11 143
21 West Liberty (W.Va.)         NR 24-9  122
22 Anderson (S.C.)              24 27-5  113
23 Lubbock Christian (Texas)    NR 21-7   85
24 Wayne State (Neb.)           18 28-6   83
25 West Chester (Pa.)           NR 24-6   82
Others receiving votes: Bloomsburg (Pa.) 63; West Florida 61; Lander (S.C.) 50; Albany State (Ga.) 48; Missouri Western State 48; Harding (Ark.) 45; Stonehill (Mass.) 41; Colorado-Colorado Springs 41; Western Washington 39; Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 37; Virginia State 34; Benedict (S.C.) 30; Shaw (N.C.) 30; Bentley (Mass.) 27; Cedarville (Ohio) 25; Wayne State (Mich.) 23; Johnson C Smith (N.C.) 22; Kentucky State 22; Philadelphia (Pa.) 22; Holy Family (Pa.) 21; Central Missouri 17; Cal State Dominguez Hills 14; Gannon (Pa.) 13; Charleston (W.Va.) 7; Sioux Falls (S.D.) 7; Texas Woman's  4; UC San Diego 4.

MIGHTY MULLINGS: A former JC All-American at South Mountain (Ariz.) CC, Sr. F/C Megan Mullings was a near-unanimous choice as the 2015-16 GNAC Preseason Player of the Year in balloting by the league's head coaches ... Mullings has also been named to WDII Bulletin's 'Super 16' preseason All-America list after starting her NCAA Div. II career with GNAC Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-GNAC (one of two unanimous picks), Daktronics All-West Region and honorable mention All-America honors as a junior last year ... Mullings emerged as UAA's leading scorer with 13.6 ppg in 2014-15, tallying 22 double-figure efforts, including six 20-plus outings ... the Arizona native scored double figures in 15 straight games from Jan. 8-Mar. 6 and shot .500 or better in 16 of the last 17 contests, hitting at a .631 after Jan. 1 ... Mullings's final .604 FG% led the GNAC, ranked No. 4 nationally and broke UAA's single-season school record ... in the other GNAC stats, she was 9th in scoring, 4th in blocks per game (1.5), 7th in offensive rebounds per game (2.9), 12th in steals per game (1.5), and 20th in rebounds per game (4.9) ... on UAA's other single-season lists, her 46 total blocks ranked 10th and her 1.5 bpg were 12th ... with her performance against Yale and Long Beach State in November, Mullings became the fifth Seawolf (Diane Dobrich, Kamie Jo Massey, Rebecca Kielpinski, Nicci Miller) to earn GCI Great Alaska Shootout Most Outstanding Player honors and just the fourth player from a non-champion in 34 years.

HAWAIIAN PUNCH: Jr. PG Kiki Robertson was one of three Seawolves named to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team, joining Megan Mullings as a unanimous choice ... in 2014-15, Robertson became the first Seawolf to earn the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year award and was voted a Second Team All-GNAC selection for the second straight year, while capping her year with  the GNAC Tournament MVP award ... the floor general of UAA's 'Mayhem' style dished at least 5 assists in 15 straight games (7.1 apg) to end last season, including 10 against MSU Billings and 9 against Seattle Pacific ... Robertson was the only player in NCAA Div. II last season to rank among the top-10 national leaders in both assists (8th, 6.0 apg) and steals (8th, 3.3 spg), and she was 15th in assist-turnover ratio (2.12) ... in the GNAC stats, the Honolulu native led the way in assists and ranked 2nd in steals and A-T ratio ... with half of her career still ahead, Robertson is on pace to break UAA's career records for assists per game (5.5) and steals per game (3.1); in raw numbers, she has already risen to 4th in assists (348) and 5th in steals (196) ... on Nov. 20, 2014, Robertson tied the 25-year-old school record with 15 assists against Christian Brothers.

BUCHANAN FIRING: A returning honorable mention All-GNAC  performer, Sr. G Jenna Buchanan was also voted recently to the 2015-16 Preseason All-GNAC squad ... Buchanan finished as UAA's 3rd-leading scorer with 11.3 ppg in 2014-15, upping her output to 13.2 ppg over the final 11 contests ... the Galena native put up solid numbers across the board with 4.5 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.2 spg, while scoring at least 6 points in every game  and tallying double figures in 17 of the last 23 contests ... included in her spurt was a career-high 21 points against regionally ranked Hawaii Pacific, 19 points (8-13 FG) at Simon Fraser, and 17 points (5-6 3FG) at Northwest Nazarene, while she also captured Most Outstanding Player honors in the Seawolf Hoops Classic ... Buchanan was 2nd in the GNAC with a .416 3FG%, along with ranks of 6th in 3FGs per game (2.1) and 20th in steals ... with her 27 points last week, she moved up four spots to 17th on UAA's career scoring list, now at 866 ... on UAA's other career lists, she ranks 4th in 3FG% (.415), 5th in 3FGs made (151) and 7th in 3FGs per game (1.7).

VETERANS GALORE: Sr. G Jessica Madison averaged 10.5 ppg to finish as the 3rd-leading scorer among healthy Seawolves last season, tallying double figures 16 times, including four 20-plus outings ... Madison ranked 7th in the GNAC with 1.9 3FGs per game and was 16th in 3FG% at .323 … the career scoring leader among current Seawolves with 947 points, she moved into 15th place on the all-time program list with her game-high 18 in the season-opener against William Jewell ... on UAA's other career lists, the 2012-13 GNAC Freshman of the Year is 3rd in FT% (.823), 4th in 3FGs made (154) and 8th in 3FGs per game (1.7) ... Jr. F and team co-captain Alysha Devine has already shown a big statistical improvement from her sophomore season, raising her scoring average 5.3 to 8.0 ppg, her rebounding from 4.0 to 5.3 rpg, and her field-goal shooting from .369 to .457 ... after going 9 of 30 from three-point range in 2014-15, Devine is already 6 of 10 this season ... UAA suffered its second significant long-term injury last year when then-Jr. PG Adriana Dent was diagnosed with a fractured foot in late January ... a former JC All-American at College of Southern Idaho, already had four games of 5 or more steals, including a career-high 6 pilfers at Western Oregon ... at the time of her injury, Dent ranked 3rd in the league and was 13th nationally in steals per game (3.1), along with other GNAC marks of 3rd in A/T ratio (1.7) and 14th in assists per game (2.8), while shooting an efficient 12 of 30 (.400) from 3FG range ... after excelling in her role as a key reserve last year, So. F Sierra Afoa has continued her upward trajectory, averaging 7.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg and shooting .542 through the first five games of 2015-16 ... the former Dimond High standout has also been perfect on two three-pointers and seven free throws thus far, while her 3.2 offensive rebounds per game pace the team ... the return of Sr. G Christina Davis from a redshirt campaign gives the already-deep Seawolves even more backcourt riches ... the Las Vegas native played in all 28 games as a junior in 2013-14, averaging 4.4 ppg and posting GNAC ranks of 7th in A/T ratio (1.5), 9th in assists (2.9 apg) and 11th in steals (1.7 spg) ... Davis's 4.6 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game both rank second on the team so far.

ROOKIES ALREADY ROCKIN': A pair of redshirt freshmen – SG Tara Thompson and F/C Hannah Wandersee – showed they are ready to make significant contributions with good outings at the CCA Tip-Off Classic ... Wandersee, who led Kodiak to the 2014 4A state title, debuted with 19 total points in just 28 minutes of action in the three games, including 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT) in 10 minutes against Cal State Dominguez Hills, and a critical 6 points (3-5 FG) and an assist in the 87-82 win over Academy of Art ... meanwhile, Thompson poured in 12 points (4-5 3FG) in her first collegiate game against William Jewell and followed with a key three-pointer and 4 rebounds to help spark UAA to a big second-half surge in the win over CSUDH.

TRANSFER STATION: UAA gets a big lift in both the backcourt and frontcourt with the addition of Division I senior transfers Keiahnna Engel (Boise State) and Dominique Brooks (Penn State) ... Engel, a former 2-time Alaska 4A Player of the Year at Dimond High, started 39 of 87 career games at Boise, while taking a redshirt in 2012-13 ... Engel posted career averages of 6.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.3 spg for the Broncos, helping last year's team to the MWC tournament title and an NCAA berth ... meanwhile, Brooks, a 6-3 center, becomes the UAA program's first-ever transfer from a Big Ten school ... as a JC star, Brooks helped Trinity Valley (Texas) CC to a 72-1 overall record and back-to-back NJCAA national titles in 2012-13 and 2013-14 ... the Chicago native was the No. 11 post player and No. 95 overall recruit in the nation as a prep senior, acccording to ESPN HoopGurlz.

REDSHIRTS ANNOUNCED: Head coach Ryan McCarthy announced in the preseason that the Seawolves' two true freshmen – 6-0 F Rohyn Huss and 5-10 G Yazmeen Goo – will redshirt this season.

McCARTHY IN CHARGE: In his fourth season at UAA and fifth overall as a head coach, Ryan McCarthy is the reigning GNAC and NCAA West Region Coach of the Year ... along with the GNAC regular-season and tournament championships, McCarthy led the 2014-15 Seawolves to the best winning percentage in program history with a 29-2 (.935) mark ... the Anchorage native took his hometown club to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and has led UAA to an improvement in overall wins (17, 19, 29) and conference wins (11, 12, 17) in each season at the helm … playing its up-tempo 'Mayhem' style, McCarthy's 2014-15 crew led the nation in margin of victory (+19.8) and paced NCAA D-II in steals per game for the second  year in a row ... formerly an assistant at GNAC rival Northwest Nazarene, McCarthy now sports a record of 70-21 (.769) in his three-plus seasons at UAA, and an overall mark of 84-34 in four-plus years, having served in an interim capacity at NNU in 2011-12 … McCarthy is assisted in 2015-16 by 4th-year assistant coach Shaina Afoa and 1st-year assistant Alysa Horn, who starred at UAA from 2009-13.

2015-16 SEAWOLF INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Jenna Buchanan
Preseason All-GNAC Team
Megan Mullings
Women's Division II Bulletin 'Super 16' Preseason All-America Team
Preseason All-GNAC Team (unanimous)
GNAC Preseason Player of the Year
Kiki Robertson
Women's Division II Bulletin Preseason All-America Team hon. mention
Preseason All-GNAC Team

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Players Mentioned

Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Sierra Afoa

#RS Sierra Afoa

F
5' 9"
Freshman
Christina Davis

#5 Christina Davis

G
5' 6"
Junior
Adriana Dent

#RS Adriana Dent

G
5' 9"
Junior
Alysha Devine

#15 Alysha Devine

F
6' 0"
Freshman
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Megan Mullings

#11 Megan Mullings

F
6' 1"
Junior
Tara Thompson

#RS Tara Thompson

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Hannah Wandersee

#43 Hannah Wandersee

F/C
6' 1"
Freshman
Dominique Brooks

#41 Dominique Brooks

C
6' 3"
Senior
Keiahnna Engel

#21 Keiahnna Engel

G
5' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Sierra Afoa

#RS Sierra Afoa

5' 9"
Freshman
F
Christina Davis

#5 Christina Davis

5' 6"
Junior
G
Adriana Dent

#RS Adriana Dent

5' 9"
Junior
G
Alysha Devine

#15 Alysha Devine

6' 0"
Freshman
F
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Megan Mullings

#11 Megan Mullings

6' 1"
Junior
F
Tara Thompson

#RS Tara Thompson

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Hannah Wandersee

#43 Hannah Wandersee

6' 1"
Freshman
F/C
Dominique Brooks

#41 Dominique Brooks

6' 3"
Senior
C
Keiahnna Engel

#21 Keiahnna Engel

5' 7"
Senior
G