THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Thu., Jan. 22 – 5:15 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska
Seattle Pacific (4-12, 1-6 GNAC) at Alaska Anchorage (11-5, 3-4 GNAC)
&
Sat., Jan. 24 – 5:15 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska
Montana State Billings (10-10, 2-5 GNAC [Thu. @UAF]) at Alaska Anchorage
 
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
TICKETS: GoSeawolves.com
PROMOTIONS: Saturday's game is another Alumni Night, sponsored by Premera and the UAA College of Health ... UAA alumni get in free with code 'ALUMNI' at online checkout, plus up to three $5 guest tickets.
 
UAA TENTATIVE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Kimberly Carrada Sanchez, 5-6, So. (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.8 spg, .714 FT)
G—Mylee Anderson, 5-8, Fr. (11.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 spg)
G—Elaina Mack, 5-8, Sr. (17.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 spg, .376 3FG, .833 FT)
F—Mahaila Harrison, 6-0, So. (18.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.9 spg, .456 FG, .724 FT)
C—Lillee Duffin, 6-1, Jr. (5.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, .446 FG)
 
GNAC FIRST HALF ENDS WITH TRADITIONAL FOES: The Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team completes the first half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference round-robin schedule when it hosts traditional rivals Seattle Pacific (Thur., 5:15 pm) and Montana State Billings (Sat., 5:15 pm) at the Alaska Airlines Center ... the Seawolves begin the week in sixth place.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Picked ninth in the GNAC preseason poll, Seattle Pacific has dropped eight of its last nine against NCAA Div. II opponents, with the win coming 80-58 at Western Oregon on Jan. 10 ... the Falcons are led by 5-7 Jr. G Layne Kearns (10.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, .860 FT) and 6-0 Jr. G/F Grace Leasure (9.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, .496 FG, .780 FT) ... picked fourth in the GNAC with a new-look lineup, Montana State Billings has dropped three of its last four heading into Thursday's contest at Alaska Fairbanks ... the Yellowjackets are led by 6-2 Fr. F Cassie Chestnut (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.6 spg, .320 3FG) and 5-8 Jr. G Kyla Momberg (10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, .792 FT).
 
THE SERIES...
vs SPU: UAA leads 42-38 overall, 25-14 in Anchorage
Streak: UAA 4
Last: UAA 99-51 (2/22/25 at UAA)
Notes: UAA leads 9-1 at the Alaska Airlines Center (including the last five in a row), with SPU's lone win coming in the 2018 GNAC Tournament semifinals ... UAA leads 24-20 in GNAC regular-season meetings, after SPU took the first 11 encounters … SPU is UAA's second-most common opponent, squaring off at least once per season (excluding 2020-21) since 1990-91 … series started in 1979-80.
 
vs MSUB: UAA leads 42-31 overall, 23-13 in Anchorage
Streak: UAA 2
Last: UAA 69-66 (3/14/25, NCAA 1st Round at CSUDH)
Notes: UAA won 87-64 at home last February and fended off MSUB in a classic NCAA Tourney contest in Los Angeles in March, although only one starter from either team (Elaina Mack) returns this season ... teams have split the last 10 meetings ... UAA leads 8-2 at the Alaska Airlines Center and 27-7 in GNAC regular-season meetings ... MSUB is UAA's third-most common opponent (behind UAF and SPU), despite splitting into different leagues from 2002-07 … teams played twice yearly from 1984-85 to 2000-01 as members of the PacWest and Continental Divide conferences.
 
BORDER SPLIT: The Seawolves came away 1-1 on their annual trip to the Washington/British Columbia border, beating Simon Fraser 79-72 and falling to Western Washington 81-65 ... on Thursday, So. G Kimberly Carrada Sanchez went for 20 points (7-9 FG, 4-6 3FG) and Jr. C Lillee Duffin nabbed 12 rebounds as UAA outboarded SFU 54-39 and erased an early 15-5 deficit ... the Seawolves put four players in double figures, including 15 points (5-9 FG, 5-6 FT), 7 rebounds and 3 blocks from Sr. G Taylor Searcey ... on Saturday, So. F Mahaila Harrison led a second-half comeback with 20 points and 5 rebounds, but UAA faded late after making it a four-point game late in the third quarter ... Fr. G Mylee Anderson chipped in 13 points and 5 assists, while Carrada Sanchez and Sr. G Elaina Mack had 12 points apiece in the loss.
 
TEAM NOTES: UAA ranks in the top half of the GNAC in 16 statistical categories, including first in rebounds per game (45.3), defensive rebounds per game (30.7), offensive rebounds per game (14.6), scoring offense (77.8 ppg), 3FGs per game (8.9) and 3FG% defense (.250), and second in A/T ratio (1.21), assists per game (17.1) and scoring margin (+13.0) ... in the NCAA D-II national stats, UAA ranks top-25 in rebounding (5th), 3FGs per game (7th),  A/T ratio (8th), defensive rebounding (8th), assists (12th), scoring offense (13th) and 3FG% defense (22nd).
 
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 ... the team captain was named to the All-GNAC Preseason Team, coming off an honorable mention All-GNAC season as a junior ... starting 2025-26 with a school-record 41 points and 10 treys against Northwest, the King Cove native has scored double figures in 13 of 16 contests, including six with 20-plus ... Mack ranks 5th nationally with 3.1 3FGs per game and 44th in scoring at 17.6 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 2nd in 3FGs per game, 4th in scoring, 11th in rebounding (6.2 rpg), 7th in 3FG% (.376), 11th in blocks (0.8) and 2nd in minutes per game (34.1) ... on UAA's career lists, Mack is 2nd in 3FGs per game (2.09, trailing No. 1 by a fraction), 4th in 3FGs made (211), 14th in 3FG% (.364) and 19th in scoring (976); she needs five more treys to catch Jessica Madison (216, 2012-16) for 3rd on the 3FGs list.
 
'WOLF BITES: Playing her first big minutes since high school, So. F Mahaila Harrison has made an impressive debut, scoring at least nine points in 15 of 16 games ... the Vancouver, Wash., native has posted big games of 31 points/10 rebounds against Colorado Mines, 28 pts/7 rebs/4 stls against UC Merced and 29 pts/12 rebs against NNU, shooting .556 from 2-point range ... Harrison ranks 29th nationally and 2nd in the GNAC with 18.5 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 7th in rebounding (7.2 rpg), 7th in steals (1.9 spg), 10th in FG% (.456) and 12th in 3FGs per game (1.8) ... Jr. C Lillee Duffin owns four double-doubles and has nabbed at least nine rebounds in 11 of 16 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 20th nationally with 10.4 rpg ... a three-time all-state selection at Wasilla High, Fr. G Mylee Anderson has started her collegiate career with double-figure scoring in 11 of 16 games, including 23 points in her debut against Northwest and 21 points at Chaminade ... Anderson leads the GNAC and is No. 1 nationally among freshmen with 4.7 assists per game; she is also the top scorer among all GNAC freshmen with 11.6 points per game, holding league ranks of 16th in scoring, 4th in A/T ratio (1.6) and 14th in minutes (30.7) ... Anderson's 11 assists in the win over NNU were the most for a Seawolf since Nov. 2016 ... So. G Kimberly Carrada Sanchez has provided a major spark all season, either coming off the bench or starting ... the Northwest (Wash.) University transfer has tallied double-figure points in nine contests, including a 23-point, 10-assist showing in the second win over UC Merced and 20 points (7-9 FG) at Simon Fraser ... Carrada Sanchez is 3rd in the GNAC and ranks 43rd nationally with a 1.6 A/T ratio, along with league ranks of 4th in assists (3.8 apg), 10th in steals (1.8 spg) and 13th in FT% (.714) ... UAA has gotten a midseason boost with the addition of Sr. G Taylor Searcey to the lineup ... a two-time Second Team All-Gulf South Conference performer at Valdosta State, the one-semester transfer has averaged 8.2 points on .516 (16-31) shooting, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals over her first five games as a Seawolf.
 
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 177-35 – including 81-20 on the road – in GNAC regular-season and tournament games since Dec. 2014 ... the Seawolves have gone a combined 243-26 (.903) over the last 19 seasons on their home courts, including 134-16 (.893) 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)