THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout
Alaska Airlines Center (5,000) - Anchorage, Alaska
(All times Alaska Standard)
Friday, Nov. 21 - First Round
5:15 pm: Bowling Green (1-3) vs UC Irvine (2-2)
7:30 pm: St. Thomas (0-4) vs Alaska Anchorage (5-0)
Saturday, Nov. 22
5:15 pm: BGSU/UCI loser vs UST/UAA loser (3rd place)
7:30 pm: BGSU/UCI winner vs UST/UAA winner (champ.)
 
LIVE STATS: GoSeawolves.com/sidearmstats/wbball
 
LIVE VIDEO: All games streamed through the GNAC Network portal at Hudl – gnacnetwork.com/uaaseawolves ... fans can choose between a single event ($12), a 30-day subscription ($25) or a yearly subscription ($120).
 
TICKETS: GoSeawolves.com
 
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Faith Mersburgh, 5-5, Jr. (5.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg)
G—Mylee Anderson, 5-8, Fr. (14.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, .345 3FG)
G—Elaina Mack, 5-8, Jr. (19.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.0 spg, .429 FG, .465 3FG)
F—Mahaila Harrison, 6-0, So. (19.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.8 spg, .462 FG, .690 FT)
C—Lillee Duffin, 6-1, Jr. (8.4 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, .552 FG)
 
SHOOTOUT TIME IS HERE: The Alaska Anchorage women's basketball aims for its ninth ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout title this weekend with contests against a pair of NCAA Div. I teams in the 42nd edition of the storied women's tournament ... UAA opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. against St. Thomas, and faces either Bowling Green or UC Irvine in Saturday's final round.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: St. Thomas, from St. Paul, Minn., and The Summit League, has gotten off to a tough 0-4 start as the Tommies try to replace their top four scorers from a year ago ... UST is led by 6-3 So. F Alyssa Sand (13.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.8 spg) and 6-2 Jr. F Savannah McGowan (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .536 FG) ... Bowling Green, from Ohio and the Mid- American Conference, comes north with three straight losses against a tough schedule that included No. 2 South Carolina ... the Falcons, whose win came 82-67 over Louisiana, are led by 5-8 So. G Johnea Donahue (14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.5 spg, .875 FT) and 5-8 Jr. G Paige Kohler (12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, .889 FT) ... UC Irvine has split its first four contests, earning home wins over San Diego (72-54) and Northern Arizona (90-75) ... the Anteaters, from the Big West Conference, are led by 6-1 Sr. G Jada Wynn (13.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, .800 FT) and 5-9 Sr. G Hunter Hernandez (12.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, .875 FT).
 
THE SERIES: UAA has never played St. Thomas, UC Irvine or Bowling Green in women's basketball.
 
KEEPING IT DISCRETIONARY: Both of UAA's games in the Shootout will be played under the NCAA's discretionary exhibition rule, which allows the contests to be counted for the Div. I opponent while being an exhibition for the Seawolves.
 
SEAWOLVES AT THE SHOOTOUT: In 1990, the Seawolves became the first Div. II women's team to win a tournament against all-Div. I competition, repeating their feat at the 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2022 Shootouts ... the first title came when the tournament featured eight teams and was known as the Northern Lights Invitational; the subsequent championships have come under the current 4-team format … the Seawolves are 40-60 all-time in the Shootout and 20-24 since the current format began in 1999 ... the Seawolves own 38 regular-season wins against 34 different NCAA Div. I programs ... learn more info in the official Shootout program.
 
HAWAII HIGHLIGHTS: The Seawolves recorded their first wins over fellow NCAA Div. II opponents under new coach Matt Thune last week, beating Hawaii Pacific 72-49 and Chaminade 88-59 in Honolulu in the GNAC/PacWest Challenge in Honolulu, and returning home for a Tuesday 59-43 victory over Hawaii Hilo ... in the first game, So. F Mahaila Harrison had 24 points (3-7 3FG, 9-15 FT) and Jr. C Lillee Duffin notched her first double-double with 11 points (5-9 FG) and 13 rebounds, helping UAA win all four quarters against the Sharks ... on Saturday, Fr. G Mylee Anderson had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists to help the Seawolves dominate the final three quarters against Chaminade ... Duffin went for 10 points (4-5 FG) and 15 rebounds, Harrison added 17 points (7-14 FG) and 7 rebounds, and So. G Kimberly Carrada Sanchez chipped in 13 points (3-7 3FG), 4 rebounds and game-high 4 assists ... against Hilo, Sr. G Elaina Mack had 15 points and Duffin tied the school record with a 24-rebound performance as UAA outboarded the Vulcans 52-34 ... Anderson added 14 points and Carrada Sanchez had season bests of 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 0 turnovers.
 
TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves premiered at No. 22 in the first regular-season WBCA NCAA Div. II Top 25 coaches' poll Tuesday, after receiving votes in the preseason rankings ... UAA ranks in the top half of the GNAC in every primary statistical category so far, including first in scoring (85.2), scoring margin (+27.2), rebound margin (+16.6), rebounds per game (52.0), offensive rebounds per game (18.6) and defensive rebounds per game (33.4) ... in the NCAA D-II national stats, UAA is top 10 in rebound margin (6th), rebounds per game (6th), defensive rebounds (7th) and 3FGs made per game (10.6), along with 11th in A/T ratio (1.32).
 
MACK ATTACK: Now in her sixth and final year with the program, Sr. G Elaina Mack has developed into an all-around scoring threat and a virtual coach on the court for the Seawolves this year ... the team captain was named last month to the All-GNAC Preseason Team, coming off an honorable mention All-GNAC season as a junior ... after posting double figures in 19 of 33 games as a junior, the King Cove native started 2025-26 with a school-record-tying 41 points against Northwest, breaking UAA's school record for threes in a game with 10 ... in the early GNAC stats, she is first in 3FGs per game (4.0, 10th nationally), 6th in scoring (19.2 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and 3FG% (.465), 3rd in offensive rebounding (3.0), 13th in assists (2.4) and 11th in minutes per game (31.6) ... on UAA's career lists, Mack has risen to 4th in 3FGs per game (2.01), 5th in 3FGs made (181, needs 10 more to tie for 4th), 13th in 3FG% (.370) and 35th in points (790).
 
'WOLF BITES: Playing her first big minutes since high school, So. F Mahaila Harrison has made an impressive debut with 19.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 1.8 spg ... the VCU transfer grabbed 15 rebounds in the second win over Northwest, and has scored at least nine points in all five games ... Harrison ranks 5th in scoring, 12th in rebounding and 14th in steals in the early GNAC stats ... a three-time all-state selection at Wasilla High, Fr. G Mylee Anderson has started her collegiate career with double-figure scoring in four of five games, including 23 points in her debut against Northwest and 21 points Saturday at Chaminade ... she holds GNAC top-20 ranks in seven categories so far, including 12th in scoring (14.6 ppg), 13th in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and 4th in assists (4.8 apg) ... Anderson's nine assists against Northwest were the most by a UAA player from Alaska since Keiahnna Engel dished nine in 2016, and she's grabbed at least five rebounds in each game ... Jr. C Lillee Duffin posted double-doubles in each victory in Honolulu and exploded for a school-record-tying 24 rebounds in UAA's Tuesday victory over Hilo ... the Lane (Ore.) CC transfer and Idaho Falls prep product leads the GNAC and ranks 5th in NCAA Div. II with her 14.8 rpg, nabbing double-figure boards in all five games ... So. G Kimberly Carrada Sanchez has provided a major spark off the bench in every game so far, tallying double-figures points in the first four contests and going for 7 rebounds, 6 assists, no turnovers and 3 steals in the win over Hilo ... the Northwest (Wash.) University transfer is 4th in the GNAC and 26th nationally with her 3.5 A/T ratio, along with league ranks of 5th in assists (4.2 apg) and 8th in steals (2.0 spg).
 
SINGING A NEW THUNE: Indiana native Matt Thune (pronounced 'TUNE') begins his head coaching career after assistant stints at five NCAA Div. I programs, helping to spark major turnarounds during stops at Utah Tech, Eastern Kentucky and Weber State ... at Utah Tech, Thune was promoted to associate head coach in 2023-24 after helping the Trailblazers to a nine-win improvement the previous year ... Utah Tech's 19-12 record in 2022-23 marked its most wins in 12 years, achieving the first postseason berth and victory in its Div. I era ... Thune joined Utah Tech's staff following a three-year stint at Eastern Kentucky (2019-22), including two seasons as the program's associate head coach ... at EKU he assisted in rebuilding a program that had not won a Division I contest the year prior to his arrival, helping the Colonels to the fourth-best turnaround in D-I his first year, and a postseason berth in 2022 ... Thune spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Weber State from 2015-18, helping the Wildcats to achieve the most wins in program history (23) and a runner-up finish in the postseason WBI tournament in 2016 ... he got his coaching start on Jeff Walz's staff at Louisville from 2012-15, assisting in the Cardinals taking 89 of a possible 110 contests ... the Cards won at least 25 games each season, appearing in three Sweet 16s, two Elite 8s and finishing national runner-up in 2013 ... the Indianapolis native graduated from Indiana University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in management, and earned a master's degree in sports administration from Louisville in 2014 ... Thune is assisted by Jaelen Tatum (1st season) and former Bartlett High star Mia 'Uhila (1st season.)
 
WINNING WAYS: UAA is a combined 174-31 – including 80-17 on the road – in GNAC regular-season and tournament games since Dec. 2014 ... the Seawolves have gone a combined 239-25 (.905) over the last 19 seasons on their home courts, including 130-15 (.897) at the Alaska Airlines Center (since 2014-15) ... UAA's run of six straight GNAC regular-season titles (2015-20) is the longest of any basketball program – women's or men's – since the league was founded in 2001-02 ... the Seawolves have produced 18 20-win seasons in 47 full years of program history ... the Seawolves have won 78 of their last 85 regular-season games against Div. II non-conference opponents, including a 37-2 mark at the Alaska Airlines Center ... UAA has earned 18 consecutive winning records and made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in its last 18 full seasons ... the Seawolves have never failed to qualify for the GNAC Tournament, winning seven of the 14 titles since the event started in 2011.
 
2025-26 INDIVIDUAL HONORS
ELAINA MACK
GNAC Player of the Week, Nov. 3-9
Preseason All-GNAC Team
 
2025-26 SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN/TIED
TEAM
Most 3FGS Made, Game – 16 vs Northwest University, 11/7 (ties record for fourth time)
Most Points, 1st Qtr, Home Game – 36 vs Northwest University, 11/7 (old record: 31 vs Dixie State, 11/13/15)
Most Points, 2nd Qtr, Home Game – 33 vs Northwest University, 11/8 (old record: 31, three times)
Most Points, Any Qtr, Home Game – 36 vs Northwest University, 11/7 (old record: 33, three times)
INDIVIDUAL
Most Points, Game – 41, Elaina Mack vs Northwest University, 11/8 (ties record by Allegra Stoetzel vs Spring Arbor, 11/24/95 at Detroit, Mich.)
Most Points, Home Game – 41, Elaina Mack vs Northwest University, 11/8 (old record: Robin Graul vs Radford, 2/28/87)
Most Rebounds, Game – 24, Lillee Duffin vs Hawaii Hilo, 11/18 (ties record by Tammy Middaugh vs Puget Sound, 12/11/81)
Most 3FGs Made, Game – 10, Elaina Mack vs Northwest University, 11/8 (old record: 9, Sasha King vs Northwest Nazarene, 2/16/13)
Most 3FGs Made, Half – 7, Elaina Mack vs Northwest University, 11/8 (ties record by Maria Nilsson vs Saint Martin's, 2/3/07 & by Rachel Ingram vs MSU Billings, 1/27/22)