THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE MEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Sat., Feb. 14 – 7:30 pm AST – Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Fairbanks (11-11, 6-7 GNAC) at Alaska Anchorage (17-7, 9-4 GNAC)
 
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/mbball

PROMOTIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS: Saturday's game is part of UAA's annual 'Bounce Back for Charity' doubleheader, presented by GCI and JustServe Alaska ... fans receive free admission with the donation of 'soft items' such as hats, socks, mittens, coats and toilet paper ... in addition, halftime festivities will feature athletes from Hoop Camp in its annual Game of Recognition and Inclusion to recognize citizens with special and additional needs.
 
UAA TENTATIVE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Cole Johnson, 6-2, Jr. (5.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G—Akok Machar, 6-7, Sr. (9.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 spg, .913 FT)
G—Hasaan Herrington, 6-3, Sr. (11.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg, .352 3FG, .827 FT)
F—Bishop Tosi, 6-6, Sr. (11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, .570 FG, .742 FT)
F—Sylas Williams, 6-7, Jr. (13.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 bpg, .459 FG)
 
GRUDGE MATCH SET: The Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team returns to the Alaska Airlines Center this week to complete a three-game homestand, hosting arch-rival Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ... the Seawolves currently sit tied for second in the GNAC standings, 1.5 games behind Saint Martin's entering Thursday's play ... the top six teams in the final standings advance to the GNAC Tournament, Mar. 5-7 in Bellingham, Wash., with the top two teams earning byes into the semifinals.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Alaska Fairbanks has split its last two weekend series as it clings to the sixth and final GNAC playoff berth by half a game over Central Washington ... the Nanooks are led by 6-4 Jr. G Mike Miller (16.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.0 spg, .396 3FG, .779 FT) and 6-0 Jr. G Tyriq Luke (14.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, .815 FT).
 
THE SERIES...
vs UAF: UAA leads 87-29 overall, 50-7 in Anchorage
Streak: UAF 4
Last: UAF 91-76 (1/17/26 at UAF)
Notes: UAF is currently tied for its longest winning streak in the series ... UAA's last win came 64-58 in overtime on Jan. 6, 2024 ... 13 of the last 27 games have been decided by six points or less, or in overtime, including UAF's 76-74 win last year in Anchorage … UAA leads 34-12 in GNAC regular-season meetings (since 2001-02) and 8-2 at the Alaska Airlines Center (since 2014-15) … teams have met at least twice yearly (with the exception of 2020-21, when neither played) since both became NCAA Div. II programs in 1977-78.
 
SAFE AT HOME: The Seawolves improved to 14-1 at the Alaska Airlines Center with victories last week over Central Washington (77-70) and Northwest Nazarene (71-53) ... on Thursday, Sr. F Bishop Tosi went for a career-high 30 points (13-16 FG, 2-3 3FG) and 8 rebounds, while Sr. G Hasaan Herrington had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 14 assists – the most by a Seawolf since Nov. 2014 – as UAA outshot CWU .536 to .429 and swept the season series ... Tosi's FG% was 4th-best in program history (min. 15 att.), while Herrington's tied for the 5th-most against a fellow D-II opponent ... Jr. F Sylas Williams added 14 points (5-9 FG) and 9 rebounds in the victory ... two days later, Williams had 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to help UAA outboard NNU 38-24 and gain a regular-season split ... Tosi had 14 points (5-8 FG) on his way to GNAC Player of the Week honors, while Herrington added 11 points and 7 assists ... Sr. G Akok Machar also had a terrific all-around effort with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals as the Nighthawks were held 26 points under their season average.
 
TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves lead the GNAC stats in scoring defense (63.5 ppg), rebounds allowed per game (29.3) and assists per game (18.2), and are second in turnovers forced per game (15.1), rebound margin (+6.3), A/T ratio (1.44) and steals per game (8.8) ... in the NCAA Div. II national stats, UAA is 9th in scoring defense, 12th in assists and 23rd in A/T ratio  ... the Seawolves are 14-0 when leading at halftime, 6-0 when scoring 80 points or more and 7-0 when shooting .500 or better ... UAA has clinched its 17th .500-or-better record in the past 19 seasons and its 38th winning record in 48 seasons of NCAA Div. II existence ... the Seawolves need one more win to claim their 34th winning conference record in 44 years belonging to a league ... UAA is aiming for its 18th 20-win season since becoming an NCAA Div. II program in 1977-78.
 
'WOLF BITES: Sr. G Hasaan Herrington has blossomed into one of the GNAC's most well-rounded players over his three seasons at UAA, improving his numbers to 11.9 ppg (.457/.352/.827), 4.1 rpg, 5.0 apg and 2.0 spg ... the former East High star has averaged 13.0 ppg in the 19 games against D-II foes this year, including a 17-point (6-9 FG) effort to boost the win over Chaminade, 19 points (8-12 FG) against SFU and 16 points/10 assists against WWU, claiming GNAC Player of the Week honors for the Jan. 1-3 games ... Herrington is No. 4 nationally  in A/T ratio at 3.3-to-1, and he holds GNAC ranks of 2nd in both assists and steals – the only player in the top 5 in both categories ... Herrington sits 9th place on UAA's career steals list with 119, needing just four more to reach the top 5 ... back for his third year in Green & Gold, Sr. F/C Bishop Tosi was the Seawolves' representative on the Preseason All-GNAC Team ... an honorable mention all-league performer as a junior, the former Bartlett High star has made an impact again with 11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.8 apg, increasing his scoring and rebounding to 16.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg over the last 10 games; since Dec. 4, Tosi has shot .635 (73-115) from the field, with his only sub-.500 efforts being 4 of 9 and 5 of 11 ... Tosi has made game-winning baskets against Chaminade, Northwest and SPU, along with late heroics in the wins over WOU and NNU ... in the GNAC stats, Tosi ranks 3rd in FG% (.570), 19th in rebounding, 5th in offensive rebounding (2.4) and 15th in FT% (.742), making a team-high 72 free throws ... Tosi also ranks 7th on UAA's career FG% list at .567 ... Jr. F Sylas Williams has made a major impact in his debut season, claiming Most Outstanding Player honors in the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge in November and emerging as the team's leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and the GNAC's leading rebounder (7.7 rpg) ... the 2024-25 NWAC Player of the Year at Skagit Valley (Wash.) College, Williams has posted seven double-doubles, including six in the last 14 games ... the Washington native holds GNAC ranks of 1st in rebounding and defensive rebounding (5.6 drpg), 18th in scoring, 7th in offensive rebounding (2.1), 7th in blocks (1.0) and 13th in minutes per game (30.9) ... a transfer from fellow D-II program Texas-Tyler, Sr. G Akok 'Cookie' Machar has emerged as another all-around threat, scoring double figures 14 times ... originally from South Sudan and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Machar paces the GNAC with a .913 FT%, making his first 29 attempts; he is also top-20 in steals (5th, 1.7 spg) and blocks (20th, 0.5) ... Machar is trying to become just the fourth Seawolf to shoot .900 or better from the FT line in a season ... Jr. G Cole Johnson ranks 16th in the GNAC with 2.6 assists per game, dishing a career-high 8 dimes with no turnovers in the win over SPU ... Johnson has committed just 14 turnovers over the last 16 games (329 minutes), while dishing 31 assists and nabbing 12 steals.
 
TRUST IN RUSTY: In his 21st season (22nd year) at the helm, head coach Rusty Osborne (378-241) has led the Seawolves to six NCAA Tournament bids, including advancement to the 2008 NCAA Div. II Semifinals, and 16 records of .500-or-better in the last 18 seasons … the longest tenured coach in program history and in the GNAC, he became the first UAA coach in any sport to reach 300 career victories when the Seawolves beat Hawaii Pacific on Nov. 13, 2021 … Osborne captured 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 by Ashton Pomrehn (1st season) and Ryan Engebretsen (5th season/6th year).
 
2025-26 Seawolf Individual Honors
HASAAN HERRINGTON
GNAC Player of the Week, Dec. 29-Jan. 4
Sprite Tundra Tip-Off All-Tournament Team
Alaska/Hawaii Challenge All-Tournament Team
AKOK MACHAR
Sprite Tundra Tip-Off All-Tournament Team
BISHOP TOSI
GNAC Player of the Week, Feb. 2-8
Preseason All-GNAC Team
SYLAS WILLIAMS
Alaska/Hawaii Challenge Most Outstanding Player