THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Thu., Jan. 1 – 7:30 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, AK
Northwest Nazarene (5-4, 0-1 GNAC) at Alaska Anchorage (8-3, 0-2 GNAC)
&
Sat., Jan. 3 – 5:15 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, AK
#16 Central Washington (10-1, 1-0 GNAC [1/1 @UAF]) at Alaska Anchorage
 
TICKETS: GoSeawolves.com
 
LIVE VIDEO: All UAA home contests and GNAC road contests are 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).
 
LIVE STATS: GoSeawolves.com/sidearmstats/wbball
 
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Faith Mersburgh, 5-5, Jr. (5.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.4 spg)
G—Mylee Anderson, 5-8, Fr. (12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.2 spg)
G—Elaina Mack, 5-8, Jr. (19.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, .367 3FG)
F—Mahaila Harrison, 6-0, So. (18.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.9 spg, .479 FG)
C—Lillee Duffin, 6-1, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, .518 FG)
 
GNAC's BACK: After concluding the non-conference season last week, the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team resumes it Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule Jan. 1 & 3 at the Alaska Airlines Center, hosting Northwest Nazarene and No. 16 Central Washington ... these mark the first of nine GNAC home games as the Seawolves continue defense of their league title.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Picked fifth in the GNAC preseason poll, Northwest Nazarene has gone 5-4 against all NCAA Div. II West Region competition thus far, including a 77-63 home loss to Central Washington in its lone GNAC contest ... the Nighthawks, from Nampa, Idaho, are led by 5-5 Sr. G Trinidie Nichols (13.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 3.4 spg, .359 3FG, .853 FT) and 5-9 So. G Chloe Deharo (13.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, .375 3FG, .889 FT) ... coming off the program's first NCAA 'Sweet 16' berth and narrowly picked second in the GNAC preseason poll, Central Washington has started 9-1 against Div. II competition, suffering its lone loss 70-67 at nationally ranked Cal Poly Pomona ... the Wildcats are led by GNAC preseason player-of-the-year Asher Cai (23.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, .392 3FG, .871 FT) and 6-0 Jr. F Capri Sims (15.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, .650 FG).
 
THE SERIES...
vs NNU: UAA leads 35-18 overall, 21-4 in Anchorage
Streak: UAA 4
Last: UAA 86-47 (2/1/25 at UAA)
Notes: The Seawolves have won the last four meeting by double figures ... UAA has won 10 of the last 11, with NNU's win coming 78-75 in OT, Feb. 9, 2023, in Nampa ... the Seawolves have won nine straight in Anchorage (9-1 at Alaska Airlines Ctr) ... UAA leads 31-15 in GNAC regular-season meetings … series started in 2000-01 when both teams were in the Pac West Conference.
 
vs CWU: UAA leads 40-19 overall, 20-9 in Anchorage
Streak: UAA 2
Last: UAA 65-56 (1/30/25 at UAA)
Notes: UAA has won three of the last four meetings ... CWU has won two of the last three games in Anchorage ... the road team has won five of the last seven regular-season meetings ... UAA leads 33-13 in GNAC regular-season meetings ... teams have played at least once per season since 1998-99 … teams played three times from 1979-81 and did not meet again until 1997.
 
SEAWOLVES SPLIT IN HAWAII: The Seawolves went 1-1 in their non-conference finales at the Hoops In Hawaii Classic last week in Honolulu, beating Colorado Mines 76-55 and falling 65-59 to No. 23 Ferris State ... in the first game, So. F Mahaila Harrison had a career-high 31 points (14-20 FG, 3-6 3FG), along with 10 rebounds and 3 steals, helping UAA force 27 turnovers against the RMAC foe ... Fr. G Mylee Anderson had 11 points, 7 assists and 3 steals, while Jr. G Faith Mersburgh had 10 points and 4 steals in her hometown ... two days later, Sr. G Elaina Mack led a second-half comeback with 21 points (5-13 3FG) and 5 rebounds, but the Seawolves could not recover from a first-half lull against the Bulldogs ... Harrison finished with 18 points (8-16 FG) and 8 rebounds, and Jr. C Lillee Duffin had 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves are in the 'receiving votes' grouping in the WBCA NCAA Div. II Top 25 coaches' poll for the second week in row; UAA reached a season-high No. 16 in the Dec. 2 poll ... UAA ranks in the top half of the GNAC in all but a few primary statistical categories, including first in rebounds per game (47.8), offensive rebounds per game (14.8) and defensive rebounds per game (33.0), and second in rebound margin (+9.0), points per game (80.3), scoring margin (+19.3), 3FGs per game (9.3), 3FG% defense (.236), assists per game (17.0) and A/T ratio (1.23) ... in the NCAA D-II national stats, UAA leads in rebounds and defensive rebounds per game, along with top-20 ranks in A/T ratio (6th), 3FGs per game (7th), scoring offense (11th), scoring margin (12th), 3FG% defense (15th), assists per game (16th) and rebound margin (19th).
 
MACK TRUCKIN': In her sixth 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, twice earning GNAC Player of the Week honors already ... the team captain was named 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 ... the King Cove product is No. 2 nationally with 3.27 3FGs per game and 21st in scoring at 19.4 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 1st in 3FGs per game, 2nd in scoring, 7th in rebounding (7.0 rpg), 10th in 3FG% (.367), 20th in assists (2.2), 10th in blocks (0.7) and 5th in minutes per game (33.5) ... on UAA's career lists, Mack is 3rd in 3FGs per game (2.05), 4th in 3FGs made (197), 14th in 3FG% (.362) and 22nd in points (907).
 
'WOLF BITES: Playing her first big minutes since high school, So. F Mahaila Harrison has made an impressive debut, scoring at least nine points 10 of 11 games ... the Vancouver, Wash., native has posted big games of 31 points/10 rebounds against Colorado Mines, 26 pts/15 rebs against Northwest and 28 pts/7 rebs/4 stls against UC Merced, shooting .579 from 2-point range ... Harrison ranks 29th nationally and 4th in the GNAC with 18.6 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 9th in rebounding (6.5 rpg), 8th in steals (1.9 spg), 10th in FG% (.479) and 11th in 3FGs per game (1.7) ... Jr. C Lillee Duffin leads UAA with four double-doubles and has nabbed at least nine rebounds in 10 of 11 games, including a school-record-tying 24 boards in UAA's victory over Hilo ... the Lane (Ore.) CC transfer and Idaho Falls prep product is 2nd in the GNAC and 3rd nationally with 12.5 rpg, along with league ranks of 2nd in offensive rebounding (3.6), 7th in FG% (.518) and 15th in minutes per game (30.1) ... a three-time all-state selection at Wasilla High, Fr. G Mylee Anderson has started her collegiate career with double-figure scoring in eight of 11 games, including 23 points in her debut against Northwest and 21 points at Chaminade ... Anderson leads all GNAC freshmen with 12.5 points per game, posting overall league ranks of 14th in scoring, 4th in assists (3.7 apg), 6th in A/T ratio (1.1) and 12th in minutes (30.9) ... So. G Kimberly Carrada Sanchez has provided a major spark off the bench in every game, tallying double-figure points in six contests and going for 23 rebounds, 10 assists and just one turnover in the second win over UC Merced ... the Northwest (Wash.) University transfer is 2nd in the GNAC and ranks 14th nationally with a 2.35 A/T ratio, along with league ranks of 3rd in assists (3.8 apg, 38th nationally), 8th in steals (1.9 spg) and 12th in FT% (.735).
 
CAVALRY CALLED IN: The Seawolves should benefit from the debut this week of two midseason transfers, with Sr. G Taylor Searcey and Jr. G/F Jaela Reid joining the active roster ... a two-time All-Gulf South Conference second-team honoree at Valdosta State, Searcey will join UAA for her final semester of eligibility after spending a redshirt season at Div. I program Chattanooga ... Reid comes north after finishing her degree at fellow D-II program Davis & Elkins, where she played in 42 games over her first two seasons, averaging 5.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
 
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 174-33 – including 80-19 on the road – in GNAC regular-season and tournament games since Dec. 2014 ... the Seawolves have gone a combined 241-25 (.906) over the last 19 seasons on their home courts, including 132-15 (.898) 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 81 of their last 89 regular-season games against Div. II non-conference opponents, including a 39-2 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. 24-30
ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout All-Tournament Team
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)