THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Thur., Feb. 3 - Alaska Airlines Center - Anchorage, Alaska - 5:15 pm AST
Simon Fraser (9-6, 4-3 GNAC) at Alaska Anchorage (8-5, 3-3 GNAC)
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Sat., Feb. 5 - Alaska Airlines Center - Anchorage, Alaska - 7:30 pm AST
Western Washington (11-6, 4-3 GNAC [2/1 @UAF]) at Alaska Anchorage
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Tue., Feb. 8 - Alaska Airlines Center - Anchorage, Alaska - 7 pm AST
Montana State Billings (8-9, 4-3 GNAC [2 gms pending]) at Alaska Anchorage
 
LIVE VIDEO: All games free at youtube.com/c/UAASeawolves
LIVE STATS: goseawolves.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
SOCIAL MEDIA: Check the @UAAMBB Twitter feed for in-game updates.
TICKETS: GoSeawolves.com (masks required)
 
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2021-22 stats)
G—David Rowlands, 6-0, Sr. (13.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.2 apg, .410 3FG, .829 FT)
G—Tobin Karlberg, 6-0, Jr. (17.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.5 spg, .389 3FG, .833 FT)
F—Hunter Sweet, 6-4, Sr. (16.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, .472 FG, .380 3FG)
F—Keegan Crosby, 6-6, Jr. (4.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, .432 FG, .323 3FG)
C—Oggie Pantovic, 6-7, Sr. (14.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 bpg, .519 FG, .771 FT)
 
HOME, SWEET HOME: After six straight postponements and three road games, the Seawolves return to the Alaska Airlines Center for the first time since Dec. 30 when they host Simon Fraser, Western Washington and Montana State Billings in a six-day stretch ... UAA will be facing SFU for the first time this year after the Jan. 8 game in B.C. was postponed due to Covid, while the Seawolves will play WWU for the second time in six days ... Tuesday's MSUB game is a make-up from the Jan. 1 contest that was postponed due to weather-related travel issues.
 
SCOUTING THE FOES: Simon Fraser bounced back from consecutive losses to take a OT thriller at Western Oregon on Tuesday, and comes north with other impressive victories over Western Washington and Seattle Pacific to its credit ... SFU, which is playing without a nickname currently, is led by Julian Roche (14.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, .553 FG, .696 FT) and Wilifred Balata (13.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, .444 FG) ... after consecutive losses to Saint Martin's and SPU, Western Washington responded with three straight two-point victories to end a four-game homestand and hop back into GNAC title contention ... the Vikings are led by Jalen Green (15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.2 bpg, .580 FG) and Daniel Hornbuckle (14.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, .474 FG, .468 3FG, .750 FT) ... Montana State Billings comes off a five-game homestand to face Saint Martin's, Western Oregon and UAA on a tough road trip ... the Yellowjackets, who have not had a winning or losing streak of more than two games this season, are led by Carrington Wiggins (17.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, .471 FG, .320 3FG, .825 FT) and Damen Thacker (13.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.5 spg, .873 FT).
 
THE SERIES...
vs SFU: UAA leads 21-2 overall, 11-1 in Anchorage
Last: SFU 92-81 (2/6/20 at SFU)
Streak: SFU 1
Notes: SFU has won two of three since UAA took the first 19 meetings in series history ... ree of the last six games have been decided by seven points or less ... SFU broke through with its first win over UAA with a 67-63 OT decision, Feb. 23, 2019 in Anchorage ... UAA won 81-66 in the last meeting in Anchorage, Jan. 11, 2020 ...  UAA leads 18-2 in GNAC meetings since SFU joined the league in 2010-11 ... teams met twice in UAA's first year of Div. II membership in 1977-78, with UAA winning both at home … teams also met when SFU was a provisional NCAA member in 1999-00 and both teams were in the Pac West.
 
vs WWU: WWU leads 26-17 overall; tied 10-10 in Anchorage
Last: WWU 93-91, OT (1/31/22 at WWU)
Streak: WWU 5
Notes: After waiting 695 games between meetings, UAA and WWU will play for the second time in six days ... WWU has won seven of the last eight, with UAA's victory coming by a 76-66 count, Jan. 26, 2019 in Bellingham ... the last four games have been decided by three or four points, including two overtime contests ... the last 13 games have been decided by 10 points or fewer ... WWU leads 23-16 in GNAC regular-season games (since 2001-02) ... first and only non-GNAC meeting was an 89-77 UAA home win, Jan. 20, 2000, when both schools were in the Pac West.
 
vs MSUB: UAA leads 48-33 overall, 32-6 in Anchorage
Last: UAA 68-61 (1/27/22 at MSUB)
Streak: UAA 3
Notes: UAA has won nine of the last 13 meetings, including an 87-73 victory in the last game in Anchorage, Feb. 22, 2020 ... UAA leads 19-8 in GNAC regular-season meetings since MSUB joined the league in 2007-08 ... MSUB is UAA's 3rd-most common opponent … teams met at least twice per season each year between 1981-82 and 2000-01 as members of the Great Northwest and Pac West conferences ... first meeting was in 1977-78 ... in 19 games from 1994-2001, teams combined to score 90-plus a total of 31 times ... in 29 games since the series resumed in 2008, neither has scored more than 90 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT: After six straight postponements (27 days without a game), the Seawolves played three road contests in five days last week, earning a 68-61 win over MSU Billings and losing 91-59 at Seattle Pacific and 93-91 in overtime at Western Washington ... in the first game, Jr. G Tobin Karlberg equaled his career-high with 23 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3FG, 5-6 FT) and tied UAA's record for steals against a D-II opponent with seven swipes ... Sr. F Hunter Sweet had 17 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3FG, 5-5 FT) and Sr. G David Rowlands added 14 points and 4 assists as UAA outscored the hosts 27-12 on 3FGs and 19-11 on FTs ... Karlberg, Sweet and Rowlands all scored double figures in Saturday's loss as the Falcons ran away behind .571 (16-28) 3FG shooting ... on Monday, Karlberg scored 22 points (8-14 FG, 5-9 3FG) and Sr. C Oggie Pantovic had 20 points (6-11 FG, 2-2 3FG, 6-9 FT) – including the game-tying 3FG with 5 seconds left in regulation – and 9 rebounds, but the Vikings pulled out the last-second victory in OT ... Rowlands had 18 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3FG) and 3 assists, Sweet had 15 points, and Jr. G A.J. Garrity came off the bench with 7 points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3FG, 2-2 FT) and a career-high 3 assists.
 
TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves fell out of this week's D2SIDA West Region media poll, although they are still among teams receiving votes ... UAA leads the GNAC stats in assists per game (17.5) and 3FGs per game (11.2), while ranking top-3 in assist/turnover ratio (1.5), rebound defense (31.3), offensive rebounds per game (11.2) and offensive rebound pct. (.335) ... of 297 teams nationally, the Seawolves rank among the top 50 in four categories, including top-15 marks in 3FGs per game (9th), A/T ratio (12th) and assists per game (14th) ... the Seawolves have recorded winning records in 14 of the last 15 seasons (the other was .500) and 35 of 43 seasons in program history ... UAA has produced a winning league record in 31 of its 39 years of conference membership, including 15 of 19 years in the GNAC.
 
D2SIDA West Region Media Poll - Jan. 31, 2022
Rk  Team (1st-pl. votes)      Rec.  Pts  Last
 1 Cal St. San Bernardino (6) 16-1  60   1
 2 Cal State San Marcos       14-2  51   2
 3 Chico State                13-2  50   3
 4 Saint Martin's             13-4  34   t5
 5 Biola                      15-4  29   t5
 6 Central Washington         11-4  26   4
 7 Fresno Pacific             13-4  24   9
 8 Seattle Pacific            12-8  15   RV
 9 Cal State Monterey Bay      9-5  14   7
10 Azusa Pacific              10-6  12   NR
Receiving Votes: Point Loma 10, UAA 4, Western Washington 1.
 
'WOLF BITES: A First Team All-GNAC performer as a junior in 2019-20, Sr. F/C Oggie Pantovic is well on his way to repeat honors, holding league ranks of 11th in scoring (14.6 ppg), 2nd in rebounding (9.1 rpg, 34th nationally) and blocks (1.3 bpg), 14th in FG% (.519), and 17th in FT% (.771) and assists (2.2 apg) ... the Serb has posted four double-doubles to raise his career total to 14, and he's posted double-figure scoring in 28 of his last 30 contests ... now with the requisite 45 games played in a Seawolf uniform, Pantovic premiered this week on UAA's career lists in scoring average (18th, 15.2 ppg), rebounding average (6th, 8.0 rpg), blocks per game (6th, 0.8) and FG% (7th, .564) ... a Preseason All-GNAC pick alongside Pantovic, Jr. G Tobin Karlberg ranks 5th in the early GNAC with 17.5 ppg, producing five 20-plus efforts thus far ... the local Grace Christian HS star has scored double figures in 12 of 13 games this year and 31 of his last 37 outings, matching his career high with 23 points last week at MSUB ... among the other GNAC stats categories, Karlberg ranks 4th in 3FGs per game (2.8), 6th in FT% (.833), 8th in steals (1.5 spg), 11th in 3FG% (.389) and assists (2.8 apg), and 12th in A/T ratio (2.1) ...  Karlberg's .445 career 3FG% currently sits 6th on UAA's all-time list, while his current streak of 28 straight games with a three-pointer is 6th-longest in program history ... Sr. F Hunter Sweet has improved the skills that made him an honorable mention All-GNAC selection as a junior at Concordia-Portland in 2019-20, scoring at least 9 points in each game, and becoming the first Seawolf since Suki Wiggs in 2016-17 to post multiple 30-point efforts in the same season (Nov. 16 at UHH, Nov. 27 vs. Quincy) ... in the GNAC stats, the Portland native ranks 7th in scoring (16.1 ppg), 12th in rebounding (5.7 rpg), 8th in 3FGs per game (2.1), and 3rd in minutes (35.5, 45th nationally) ... Sr. PG David Rowlands has delivered as UAA's new floor general, ranking 2nd in the GNAC with 5.2 assists per game (27th nationally), plus 4th in A/T ratio (2.7, 34th nationally), 18th in scoring (13.3 ppg), 7th in FT% (.829), 6th in 3FGs per game (2.6), 13th in 3FG% (.410) and 10th in minutes (33.4) ... the grad transfer from Hawaii Pacific has scored double figures in 11 of 13 outings and has dished at least three assists in all but one game ... Jr. F Keegan Crosby has moved into the starting lineup and easily surpassed his production from his sophomore season ... the Seattle native has grabbed at least 5 rebounds in nine of 13 games and has knocked down at least one three-pointer in the last eight of the last 10 contests ... in the GNAC stats, Crosby is 6th in rebounding (6.6 rpg) – boosted by a career-high 15 boards in the win over Quincy – and 17th in assists (2.2 apg) ... another Concordia-Portland transfer, So. G Caleb Larsen has displayed a sharp-shooting stroke thus far, ranking 11th in the GNAC with team-best .426 3FG shooting, along with a ranks of 10th in A/T ratio (2.3).
 
TRUST IN RUSTY: In his 17th season (18th year) at the helm, head coach Rusty Osborne (306-185) has now led the Seawolves to 15 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 Ryan Orton (7th season/8th year), Jalon McCullough (1st season) and volunteer assistant Ryan Engebretsen (1st season/2nd year).
 
2021-22 Seawolf Individual Honors
TOBIN KARLBERG
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
Pac West/GNAC Challenge All-Tournament Team
Preseason All-GNAC Team
OGGIE PANTOVIC
GNAC Player of the Week, Nov. 22-28
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic Most Outstanding Player
Preseason All-GNAC Team
DAVID ROWLANDS
Pac West/GNAC Challenge All-Tournament Team
GNAC Player of the Week, Dec. 27-Jan. 2
HUNTER SWEET
Seawolf Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team
 
UAA School Records Broken/Tied in 2021-22
TEAM
None
INDIVIDUAL
Game
Most Steals vs Div. II Opponent & vs Conference Opponent – 7, Tobin Karlberg at MSU Billings, 1/27 (ties record by Kevin Smith vs Puget Sound, 1/27/85, and by Jim Hajdukovich vs Seattle Pacific, 1/31/98)