THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Thu., Jan. 29 – 6 pm AST – Nicholson Pavilion – Ellensburg, Wash.
Alaska Anchorage (11-7, 3-6 GNAC) at #9 Central Washington (18-1, 9-0 GNAC)
&
Sat., Jan. 31 – 11:30 am AST – Johnson Sports Center – Nampa, Idaho
Alaska Anchorage at Northwest Nazarene (11-6, 6-3 GNAC [Thu. vs UAF])
 
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: Thursday at wildcatsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
                       Saturday at nnusports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
 
UAA TENTATIVE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Taylor Searcey, 5-9, Sr. (12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.6 apg, 2.9 A/T, 2.1 spg, .534 FG, .781 FT)
G—Mylee Anderson, 5-8, Fr. (11.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
G—Elaina Mack, 5-8, Sr. (17.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 spg, .359 3FG, .808 FT)
F—Mahaila Harrison, 6-0, So. (19.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.9 spg, .470 FG, .708 FT)
C—Lillee Duffin, 6-1, Jr. (5.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, .446 FG)
  or–Alba Sanz, 5-11, Fr. (3.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
 
TOUGH TRIP AWAITS: The Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team begins the second half of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference round-robin schedule this week road games against No. 9 and league-leading Central Washington on Thursday and third-place Northwest Nazarene on Saturday ... UAA begins the week seventh in the GNAC standings, one game behind the cutoff to make the GNAC Tournament in March.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Chasing its first GNAC title with a two-game lead at the halfway mark, No. 9 Central Washington takes an 11-game win streak into Thursday's contest, having suffered it lone defeat 70-67 at Cal Poly Pomona on Dec. 13 ... the Wildcats – who advanced to the NCAA 'Sweet 16' last year – are led presumptive GNAC Player of the Year Asher Cai (22.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.4 apg, .391 3FG, .895 FT) and 6-0 Jr. F Capri Sims (15.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, .606 FG) ... Northwest Nazarene rides a three-game win streak into its Thursday game against UAF, climbing into a tie for third in the GNAC standings ... the Nighthawks are led by 5-5 Sr. PG Trinidie Nichols (13.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, .356 3FG, .841 FT) and 5-10 Jr. F Kendall Clark (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg).
 
THE SERIES...
vs CWU: UAA leads 40-20 overall, 17-9 at CWU
Streak: CWU 1
Last: CWU 77-65 (1/3/26 at UAA)
Notes: CWU has won five of the last eight since snapping a 19-game losing skid to UAA (2013-22) ... the road team has won six of the last eight regular-season meetings, including UAA's 68-61 win last year in Ellensburg ... UAA leads 33-14 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.
 
vs NNU: UAA leads 36-18 overall, 12-11 in Nampa
Streak: UAA 5
Last: UAA 76-71 (1/1/26 at UAA)
Notes: UAA has won 11 of the last 12, with NNU's win coming 78-75 in OT on Feb. 9, 2023 in Nampa ... the Seawolves won 72-59 last year in Nampa ... UAA leads 32-15 in GNAC regular-season meetings … teams have played six postseason games (3 NCAA/3 GNAC Tourney) ... series started in 2000-01 when both teams were in the PacWest Conference.
 
HEARTBREAK AT HOME: The Seawolves suffered a pair of narrow setbacks last week at the Alaska Airlines Center, falling 101-98 to Seattle Pacific and 92-91 in double overtime to Montana State Billings ... in the first game, So. F Mahaila Harrison had 28 points (10-19 FG), 10 assists and 5 assists, and Sr. G Taylor Searcey went for a career-high 25 points (10-19 FG), 10 assists and 8 rebounds, but UAA fell victim to a GNAC-record 19 three-point makes by the Falcons ... the Seawolves also got 13 points from Kimberly Carrada Sanchez, plus 11 points and a career-high 7 assists from Sr. G Elaina Mack in the highest-scoring game in series history (81 meetings) ... on Saturday, Searcey notched the first UAA triple-double (22 pts/10 reb/10 asst) in 20 years and just the eighth in GNAC history, but the Yellowjackets prevailed thanks to 28 offensive boards and a whopping 33-2 edge in second-chance points ... Harrison had 23 points (9-14 FG), Mack had 15 points and Fr. G Mylee Anderson had 11 points and 3 assists in the rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament first-round contest.
 
TEAM NOTES: UAA ranks in the top half of the GNAC in 16 statistical categories, including first in rebounds per game (44.2), defensive rebounds per game (30.1), scoring offense (79.6 ppg), A/T ratio (1.3) and 3FGs per game (8.8), and second in assists per game (18.0) and TO margin (+3.3) ... with 52 assists against 25 turnovers last week, UAA rose to No. 1 in the NCAA D-II national stats in A/T ratio, along with top-10 ranks in assists (6th), 3FGs per game (7th), rebounds per game (9th), scoring offense (9th) and defensive rebounding (10th).
 
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 15 of 18 contests, including six with 20-plus ... Mack ranks 3rd nationally with 3.1 3FGs per game and 58th in scoring at 17.1 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 1st in 3FGs per game, 3rd in scoring, 12th in rebounding (6.0 rpg), 9th in 3FG% (.359), 10th in blocks (0.7) and 1st in minutes per game (34.9) ...  surpassing the 1,000-point mark with her last basket against Billings, Mack is now on pace for the UAA career record for 3FGs per game (2.10), along with ranks of 3rd in 3FGs made (216), 15th in 3FG% (.361) and 19th in scoring (1,002); she needs 23 more treys to catch fellow Alaskans Jenna Buchanan (239 3FGs, 2012-16) and Tara Thompson (2015-19) atop 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 17 of 18 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 .575 from 2-point range ... Harrison ranks 20th nationally and 2nd in the GNAC with 19.3 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 6th in rebounding (7.3 rpg), 6th in steals (1.9 spg), 9th in FG% (.470) and 7th 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 3rd 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 12 of 17 games, including 23 points in her debut against Northwest and 21 points at Chaminade ... Anderson leads the GNAC and is third nationally among freshmen with 4.6 assists per game; she is also the second-leading scorer among all GNAC freshmen with 11.5 points per game, holding league ranks of 17th in scoring, 4th in A/T ratio (1.5) and 18th in minutes (30.4) ... 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 10 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 44th nationally with a 1.7 A/T ratio, along with league ranks of 4th in assists (3.9 apg), 8th in steals (1.8 spg) and 16th in FT% (.709) ... 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 12.6 points on .534 (31-58) shooting, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals over her first seven games as a Seawolf ... Searcey's 22-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against MSUB was the eighth in GNC history and the first by a Seawolf since Rebecca Kielpinski went 17/13/10 at Saint Martin's on Feb. 18, 2006.
 
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 177-37 – including 81-20 on the road – in GNAC regular-season and tournament games since Dec. 2014 ... the Seawolves have gone a combined 243-28 (.897) over the last 19 seasons on their home courts, including 134-18 (.882) 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
TAYLOR SEARCEY
GNAC Player of the Week, Jan. 20-26
 
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)