THIS WEEK IN ALASKA ANCHORAGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...
 
Thu., Feb. 19 – 3:15 pm AST – Alterowitz Gymnasium – Billings, Mont.
Alaska Anchorage (14-9, 6-8 GNAC) at Montana State Billings (14-13, 6-8 GNAC)
&
Sat., Feb. 21 – 1 pm AST – Royal Brougham Pavilion – Seattle, Wash.
Alaska Anchorage at Seattle Pacific (6-17, 3-11 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 msubsports.com/sidearmstats/wbball
                       Saturday at spufalcons.com/sidearmstats/wbball
 
UAA TENTATIVE STARTERS (2025-26 stats)
G—Taylor Searcey, 5-9, Sr. (13.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.4 spg, .509 FG)
G—Mylee Anderson, 5-8, Fr. (10.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.3 spg)
G—Elaina Mack, 5-8, Sr. (15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 spg, .350 3FG)
F—Mahaila Harrison, 6-0, So. (18.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.9 spg, .719 FT)
C—Lillee Duffin, 6-1, Jr. (5.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, .461 FG, .639 FT)
 
CRITICAL ROAD FINALES AWAIT: The Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team makes its final regular-season road trip this week, facing longtime rivals Montana State Billings (Thur., 3:15 pm AST) and Seattle Pacific (Sat., 1 pm AST) ... UAA enters the week in a three-way tie with MSUB and Western Oregon for fifth place in the GNAC standings, with four games remaining for each team; the top six teams in the final standings advance to the GNAC Tournament, Mar. 5-7 in Bellingham, Wash.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Montana State Billings has dropped three of its last four, including road losses to Central Washington (73-65) and Northwest Nazarene (71-44) last week ... the Yellowjackets are led by 6-2 Fr. F Cassie Chestnut (12.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, .327 3FG) and 5-8 Jr. G Kyla Momberg (10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, .797 FT) ... Seattle Pacific has dropped five in a row as it preps for its Thursday game against UAF, still clinging to a mathematical chance of advancing to the GNAC Tournament ... the Falcons are led by 5-7 Jr. G Layne Kearns (12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, .819 FT) and 5-9 So. G Grace Turley (11.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .841 FT).
 
THE SERIES...
vs MSUB: UAA leads 42-32 overall; tied 17-17 in Billings
Streak: MSUB 1
Last: MSUB 92-91, 2OT (1/24/26 at UAA)
Notes: Teams have split the last eight meetings, including one overtime win for each club ... UAA won 69-66 in last year's NCAA Tournament West Regional first-round matchup in Carson, Calif., and lost the regular-season meeting in Billings 70-55 ... UAA leads 27-8 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.
 
vs SPU: UAA leads 42-39 overall; SPU leads 23-15 in Seattle
Streak: SPU 1
Last: SPU 101-98 (1/22/26 at UAA)
Notes: SPU snapped a 4-game skid with last month's victory in Anchorage ... UAA has won seven of the last eight in Seattle, including 90-54 last season ... the winning team has scored 90 or more points in the last three games ... UAA leads 24-21 in GNAC regular-season meetings, after SPU took the first 11 encounters … SPU is UAA's 2nd-most common opponent, squaring off at least once per season (excluding 2020-21) since 1990-91 … series started in 1979-80.
 
HOLDING SERVE: The Seawolves went 1-1 at home last week, failing to upset second-place Western Washington on Thursday, but taking care of business with an 83-76 win over 8th-place Simon Fraser on Saturday ... in the first game, Sr. G Elaina Mack tallied 15 points to forge a first-quarter lead, but the Vikings pulled away in the second half for a 65-53 decision ... two nights later, Sr. G Taylor Searcey had 22 points (8-14 FG, 5-6 FT), 6 rebounds and 7 assists as UAA denied SFU's late comeback attempt ... So. F Mahaila Harrison notched 21 points and 9 rebounds, Jr. C Lillee Duffin came through in the clutch with 10 points (4-7 FG), 5 rebounds and 2 assists, and Sr. F Tia Allen – a first-team all-conference volleyball player – made her basketball home debut with a key 5 points (2-3 FG, 1-1 3FG), 2 assists and no turnover in six minutes off the bench.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: UAA ranks in the top half of the GNAC in 15 statistical categories, including first in rebounds per game (43.6), defensive rpg (29.4), scoring offense (77.0 ppg) and A/T ratio (1.21), and second in 3FGs per game (8.0), assists per game (17.2), steals per game (9.8) and TO margin (+3.3) ... UAA ranks top 20 in the NCAA D-II national stats in rebounds per game (8th), defensive rebounding (8th), A/T ratio (10th), scoring offense (14th), assists (16th) and 3FGs per game (16th).
 
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 17 of 23 contests, including seven with 20-plus ... Mack leads the GNAC and ranks 11th nationally with 2.7 3FGs per game, along with league ranks of 6th in scoring (15.7 ppg), 15th in rebounding (5.7 rpg), 9th in 3FG% (.350), 14th in blocks (0.7) and 1st in minutes per game (35.0) ... after surpassing the 1,000-point mark on Jan. 24, Mack is on pace to threaten the UAA career record of 2.09 3FGs per game (2.06), along with ranks of 3rd in 3FGs made (223), 16th in 3FG% (.358) and 18th in scoring (1,056).
 
'WOLF BITES: Playing her first big minutes since high school, So. F Mahaila Harrison has made an impressive debut, scoring double figures in 19 of 23 games ... the Vancouver, Wash., native has posted big efforts 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 .547 from 2-point range ... Harrison ranks 37th nationally and 2nd in the GNAC with 18.0 ppg, along with GNAC ranks of 9th in rebounding (7.1 rpg), 7th in steals (1.9 spg), 14th in FG% (.444), 12th in 3FGs per game (1.5) and 16th in minutes per game (30.0) ... Jr. C Lillee Duffin owns four double-doubles and has nabbed at least nine rebounds in 13 of her 21 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 19th nationally with 10.0 rpg ... a three-time all-state selection at Wasilla High, Fr. G Mylee Anderson has started her collegiate career with double-figure scoring in 13 of 22 games, including 23 points in her debut against Northwest and 21 points at Chaminade ... Anderson ranks No. 2 in the GNAC and is top-5 nationally among freshmen with 4.3 assists per game; she is also the second-leading scorer among all GNAC freshmen with 10.8 points per game, holding league ranks of 20th in scoring, 6th in A/T ratio (1.4) and 19th in minutes (30.0) ... 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 spark all season, either coming off the bench or starting ... the Northwest (Wash.) University transfer has tallied double-figure points in 11 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 5th in the GNAC with a 1.5 A/T ratio, along with ranks of 7th in assists (3.3 apg) and 11th in steals (1.7 spg) ... UAA has gotten a huge 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 13.8 points on .509 shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.4 steals over her first 12 games as a Seawolf ... Searcey's 22-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double against MSUB was the eighth in GNAC history and the first by a Seawolf since Rebecca Kielpinski went 17/13/10 at Saint Martin's on Feb. 18, 2006 ... in the GNAC-only stats, Searcey is top-10 in scoring (9th), FG% (5th), assists (7th), A/T ratio (6th) and steals (4th).
 
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 180-39 – including 83-21 on the road – in GNAC regular-season and tournament games since Dec. 2014 ... the Seawolves have gone a combined 244-29 (.894) over the last 19 seasons on their home courts, including 135-19 (.877) 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
Academic All-GNAC Team
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)