THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL ...
 
Thur., Jan. 16, 6:30 pm AST — Nicholson Pavilion — Ellensburg, Wash.
Alaska Anchorage (11-6, 4-2 GNAC) at Central Washington (8-6, 1-5 GNAC)
&
Sat., Jan. 18, 3:15 pm AST — Johnson Sports Center — Nampa, Idaho
Alaska Anchorage at Northwest Nazarene (5-6, 2-4 GNAC [1/16 vs UAF])
 
LIVE VIDEO & STATS: gnac.tv
 
SOCIAL MEDIA: Check the @UAAMBB Twitter feed for in-game updates.
 
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2019-20 stats)
G—DeAndre Osuigwe, 6-0, Jr. (7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg, .351 3FG, .686 FT)
G—Tobin Karlberg, 6-0, So. (11.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, .526 FG, .472 3FG, .882 FT)
C—David Riley, 6-8, Jr. (2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, .472 FG, .563 FT)
F—Tyler Brimhall, 6-5, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, .358 FG, .292 3FG, .778 FT)
F—Niko Bevens, 6-6, Sr. (13.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, .451 FG, .470 3FG, .923 FT)
 
HITTIN' THE ROAD: The Seawolves begin their busiest travel week of the season, playing four games in four states in eight days ... UAA begins with Great Northwest Athletic Conference games at Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene this week, before traveling back to Anchorage for one game against UAF, then hitting the road again to Billings for a Jan. 23 tilt.
 
SCOUTING REPORTS: Hosting its first GNAC games this week since Dec. 5-7, Central Washington has dropped three of its last four, including a 92-91 overtime heartbreaker at MSU Billings on Saturday ... the Wildcats are led by Kevin Baker (14.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .656 FG, .607 3FG, .700 FT) and Jeryn Lucas (11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, .403 3FG, .778 FT) ... Northwest Nazarene has dropped six of its last eight games since its 3-0 start, earning its GNAC wins thus at Simon Fraser and at MSU Billings ... the Nighthawks are led by Ezekiel Alley (15.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 spg, .492 FG, .432 3FG, .727 FT) and George Reidy (12.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, .545 FG).
 
THE SERIES...
vs. CWU: UAA leads 23-19 overall; CWU leads 12-9 in Ellensburg
Last: UAA 92-85 (2/16/19 at CWU)
Streak: UAA 3
Notes: UAA has won six of the last eight, with both CWU victories
coming in overtime in Ellensburg ... the Seawolves' current 3-game streak matches the longest for either team in the 42-game history of the series ... UAA leads 21-15 in GNAC regular-season meetings (since 2001-02) ... first meeting was in Feb. 1979, although programs did not play again until Jan. 2000.
 
vs. NNU: UAA leads 23-14 overall; NNU leads 10-8 in Nampa
Last: NNU 87-77 (2/14/19 at NNU)
Streak: NNU 1
Notes: The teams have split the last three season series, with the home team winning the last six games ... the last 14 meetings have all been decided by 13 points or less ... UAA leads 22-14 in GNAC meetings ... first and only meeting as non-GNAC members was a 93-66 UAA home win, Feb. 3, 2001, when both teams were in the Pac West Conference.
 
SEAWOLVES SPLIT WITH CONTENDERS: The Seawolves went 1-1 at home last week against the teams picked first and third in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll, falling to preseason favorite Western Washington, 74-70, on Thursday, and defeating Simon Fraser, 81-66, on Saturday ... in the first game, Sr. F Tyler Brimhall had 15 points (4-6 3FG) and 9 rebounds and Jr. C Oggie Pantovic scored 16 points (7-12 FG) but the Seawolves could not overcome disadvantages on the boards and at the free-throw line in a last-minute loss to the Vikings ... Sr. G Jack Macdonald added 13 points (3-4 3FG, 4-4 FT) and Sr. F Niko Bevens had 12 points (4-6 3FG), while Jr. G DeAndre Osuigwe dished a UAA season-high and career-best 9 assists ... two days later, Macdonald poured in 17 points (6-6 FG, 5-5 3FG) and dished 5 assists to help UAA overcome an early eight-point deficit and improve to 21-1 all-time against the Clan ... Pantovic had 16 points (6-11 FG, 4-5 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists and no turnovers and Sr. G Tyrus Hosley accounted for 12 points (4-6 FG, 3-5 3FG), 5 rebounds and 2 steals as UAA shot a season-best .537 from the field.
 
TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves are on the periphery of the the D2SIDA West Region rankings, drawing four votes in this week's poll ... UAA leads the GNAC in assists per game (18.9), A/T ratio (1.6) and 3FGs per game (12.0), while ranking second in scoring defense (71.6) and third in turnover margin (1.53), FG% defense (.444) and 3FG% (.397) ... in the NCAA Div. II national stats, the Seawolves are 9th in A/T ratio, 11th in 3FGs per game, 12th in assists per game, 25th in 3FG% and 36th in fewest turnovers per game (12.1) ... the 12.0 3FGs per game are easily on pace for the second-highest average in program history, trailing only the 2013-14 squad's 13.0 3FGs/gm ... the 18 three-pointers in UAA's wins over Coast Guard and at Saint Martin's tied for the 7th-most in program history against NCAA opponents.
 
BALANCING ACT: The Seawolves have not relied on star power to achieve their success so far, getting at least 7.0 points per game from seven players and at least 2.0 rebounds per game from seven players, with only one player averaging more than 23.5 minutes ... Sr. F Niko Bevens leads the GNAC  and ranks 10th nationally with 3.7 3FGs  per game, along with league ranks of 15th in scoring (13.1 ppg) and 7th in 3FG% (.470, 14th nationally) ... the Beaverton, Ore., native has scored double figures in 11 of the last 13 games, including 19 points in the OT win over Western Oregon and 23 in the victory at Saint Martin's ... Bevens broke UAA's single-game record for 3FG% (min. 6 attempts) against Coast Guard, sinking 8 of 9 treys in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU ... after averaging 3.4 ppg in a reserve role as a true freshman, So. G Tobin Karlberg has emerged as UAA's 3rd-leading scorer with 11.2 ppg ... the former local Grace Christian HS star has tallied double figures in 11 games thus far, including the last six of the last seven ... Karlberg holds current GNAC ranks of 6th in 3FG% (.472), 8th in 3FGs per game (2.0) and A/T ratio (2.1), and 14th in FG% (.526) ... with his big game in the win over Western Oregon, Jr. C Oggie Pantovic became the first Seawolf to tally at least 20 points and 13 rebounds since Corey Hammell posted 24 and 15 against Chaminade on Nov. 13, 2015 ... Pantovic is the only Seawolf in the GNAC top 10 in scoring or rebounding, currently 9th with 6.6 rpg ... the transfer from Utah State-Eastern ranks 4th in the league and 21st nationally with a .593 FG%, and is 6th in the GNAC with 0.9 blocks per game ... Sr. G Jack Macdonald delivered a season-high 18 points in the win over San Francisco State and dished a career-high 8 assists (with no turnovers) in the victory over Sonoma State ... the CoSIDA Academic All-District performer is putting up 8.4 ppg, boosted by .510 3FG shooting ... in the GNAC stats, Macdonald ranks No. 1 in FT% (.960), 3rd in 3FG% and A/T ratio (2.4), 17th in 3FGs per game (1.6) and 18th in assists (2.4 apg) ... UAA has gotten major contributions from all five of its transfers, including the backcourt trio of Sr. G Tyrus Hosley, Jr. G DeAndre Osuigwe and Jr. G Amari Hale ... Hosley, from Northwest Christian, is the team's 4th-leading scorer at 10.4 ppg and holds GNAC top-15 ranks in assists (11th, 2.9 apg), A/T ratio (5th, 2.4) and 3FG% (.420) and 3FGs per game (15th, 1.8), while his 3.4 rpg are 4th on the team ...  from State College of Florida, Osuigwe leads the GNAC and ranks 55th nationally with 4.9 assists per game, dishing 17 in last week's two home contests ... Osuigwe has also proven one of the best-rebounding guards in the league, grabbing 12 boards against Western Oregon and ranking second on the team with 5.0 rpg ... Osuigwe's 5 steals at Saint Martin's were the most for a Seawolf since Suki Wiggs had 6 at NW Nazarene on Feb. 25, 2016 ... Hale, from Eastern Arizona, has delivered 44 assists and committed just 13 turnovers in 318 minutes for the 2nd-best A/T ratio in the league, while his 2.6 apg rank 15th.
 
TRUST IN RUSTY: Now in his 16th year at the helm, head coach Rusty Osborne (290-172) has led the Seawolves to 14 straight seasons of .500-plus records, along with five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2008 NCAA D-II Semifinals … the longest tenured coach in program history and in the GNAC, he became the first UAA basketball coach to reach 200 career victories when the Seawolves beat Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 10, 2015 … 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 Ryan Orton (6th season) and former Seawolf guard Kyle Fossman (1st season).
 
2019-20 SEAWOLF INDIVIDUAL HONORS
NIKO BEVENS
Preseason All-GNAC Team
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
TYLER BRIMHALL
Preseason All-GNAC Team (unanimous)
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
TOBIN KARLBERG
Alaska/Hawaii Challenge All-Tournament Team
OGGIE PANTOVIC
Alaska/Hawaii Challenge All-Tournament Team
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
D2 Power Invitational All-Tournament Team