THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF BASKETBALL...
Thur., Nov. 20 & Fri., Nov. 21 ? 7 pm AST both nights
Wells Fargo Sports Complex (1,230) ? Anchorage, Alaska
#5 Alaska Anchorage (3-1) vs Colorado Christian (1-1)
RADIO: Live locally on AM-1080 KUDO over the Alaska Sports Broadcasting Network with Kelly Thompson on the play-by-play. Listen online at GoSeawolves.com in the Splash Zone (subscription fee applies). The games can also be heard on UAA student station FM-88.1 KRUA.
TV: Tape delayed on KCFT Ch. 35 (GCI cable 19) ? Thursday's game will air at 11 p.m. that night and again at 11 a.m. Friday ... Friday's game will air at 11 p.m. that evening and again at
10 a.m. Saturday.
INTERNET AUDIO/VIDEO: GoSeawolves.com hosts live video (sign up through Penn Atlantic) and live audio (sign up through Splash Zone) for most Seawolf home games.
LIVE STATS: Free at GoSeawolves.com.
UAA PROBABLE STARTERS
G?Kiki Taylor, 5-5, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.8 spg, 6-6 FT)
G?Tamar Gruwell, 5-4, Sr. (5.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 5-6 FT)
F?Nicci Miller, 5-9, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.0 spg, .486 FG, 7-12 3FG)
F?Dasha Basova, 6-3, Sr. (6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
C?Rebecca Kielpinski, 6-2, Sr. (12.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.3 bpg, .517 FG, .778 FT)
SERIES PREVIEW: The Seawolves will try to maintain their home-court dominance when they meet Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference visitor Colorado Christian of Lakewood, Colo., in their final games before the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout ... UAA is 33-1 over the last two seasons at the WFSC, with its only loss coming by one point to then-No. 2 Seattle Pacific last year ... CCU is 1-1 on the season, defeating Wayne State 62-59 and losing to Northern State 63-59, both on a neutral court ... UAA leads the all-time series against CCU 2-0, defeating the Cougars 74-47 and 70-29 in a pair of home games in Dec. 2005.
SEAWOLVES FEAST ON LIONS: Sr. C Rebecca Kielpinski and Jr. F Nicci Miller dominated in the post and the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team used a stifling defense to win its 2008-09 home opener Saturday, beating Georgian Court 77-33 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. UAA got 15 points (5-9 FG, 4-5 FT) and 9 rebounds from Miller, plus 14 points (4-7 FG, 6-7 FT), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 3 steals from Kielpinski. Jr. G Tamar Gruwell scored 10 points to reach double figures for the first time in her young Seawolf career, while Jr. PG Kiki Taylor, Sr. G Elisha Harris and So. G/F Nikki Aden tallied 7 points apiece. GCU managed just 20.5 percent shooting (9 of 44) as UAA has now held all of its first four opponents under the 30 percent mark. The Seawolves also dominated on the boards, 50-31, as all 13 players grabbed at least one rebound. The 33 points allowed marked the fourth-fewest ever given up by UAA against a fellow Division II program.
TEAM NOTES: UAA's exhibition loss at New Mexico on Nov. 9 snapped a five-game winning streak against Division I competition, including an exhibition road victory over Washington State last year ... the Seawolves' loss to Lake Superior State was just their second defeat under Tim Moser in a regular-season, non-conference game against a Division II opponent (25-2) ... in Moser's tenure, UAA is 33-1 at home (including Sullivan Arena), 31-4 in non-conference games (including NCAAs), and 5-1 against Div. I teams (including exhibitions) ... the Seawolves' current national ranking is just one spot below their highest ever, achieved at the end of last season when they were tabbed No. 4; UAA had never been in the top 25 before last year.
GNAC FAVORITES: UAA picked to win the league in the 8th annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, released Oct. 29, receiving eight of nine first-place votes. It is the first time UAA has been the coaches' pick to win the conference. Here is a look at the preseason poll predictions:
Pl Team (1st place votes) 07-08 Records Pts '08 Finish
1) Alaska Anchorage (8) 30-5, 15-3 86 2
2) Seattle Pacific (1) 29-1, 18-0 67 1
3) Northwest Nazarene 19-9, 12-6 65 3
4) Western Washington 9-21, 6-12 55 7
5) Saint Martin's 17-11, 10-8 40 4
6) MSU Billings 11-16, 8-10 37 5
7) Central Washington 13-13, 5-13 25 t-8
8) Western Oregon 8-19, 4-14 22 10
9) Alaska Fairbanks 12-14, 5-13 17 t-8
MORE PREDICTIONS: The Seawolves were tabbed No. 5 in the Women's Division II Bulletin preseason top-25 rankings. Defending national champion Northern Kentucky was No. 1, followed by California (Pa.), West Texas A&M, Franklin Pierce (N.H.) and UAA. The Seawolves were the only Great Northwest Athletic Conference or West Region team in the preseason rankings.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: UAA premiered at No. 5 in the initial WBCA top-25 poll of the 2008-09 season. Defending national champ Northern Kentucky is No. 1, while GNAC rival Seattle Pacific is No. 22. Here is an abbreviated look at the poll (full poll always available at wbca.org):
ESPN/USA Today Division II Top 25 ? Nov. 5, 2008
(UAA opponents in bold; West Region teams in italics)
Rk Team (1st pl. votes) Rec. Pts Pvs Rk
1. Northern Kentucky (22) 28-8 625 1
2. California [Pa.] (1) 33-2 541 8
3. Washburn [Kan.] 33-1 506 5
4. Franklin Pierce [N.H.] 27-5 494 6
5. ALASKA ANCHORAGE 30-5 479 4
6. West Texas A&M (3) 26-5 474 18
7. Drury [Mo.] 27-3 405 11
8. Stonehill [Mass.] 27-5 402 13
9. Delta [Miss.] State 33-1 376 3
10. Holy Family [Pa.] 32-1 335 9
22. Seattle Pacific 29-1 120 7
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: 29) Chico State 64; 33) Lake Superior State 35; 49) Bentley 8; 52) Sonoma State 6.
PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR CANDIDATE
REBECCA KIELPINSKI
6-2 ? SENIOR ? CENTER ? MANDAN, N.D.
? Two-time All-American (Women's D-II Bulletin)
? Honorable Mention All-American (WBCA/State Farm)
? Two-time GNAC co-Player of the Year
? Two-time First Team All-West Region
? Two-time First Team All-GNAC
? 2008 NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team
? Two-time Great Alaska Shootout Most Outstanding Player
? 3-time Team MVP
The all-time leading rebounder (932) and shot-blocker (192) and ?double-double' collector (43) in UAA history, Jr. C Rebecca Kielpinski is a leading candidate for national player-of-the-year honors in 2008-09 ... on pace to become the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Great Northwest Athletic Conference history this year, she shared the 2007-08 GNAC Player of the Year award with Seattle Pacific's Jackie Hollands, making it two straight POY honors for the Seawolf star ... the Mandan, N.D., native is aiming for her fourth consecutive GNAC rebounding title in 2008-09 ... Kielpinski currently ranks 3rd on the all-time GNAC rebounding list and needs just 21 more to catch Western Oregon's Heather Laats (952, 1998-02) for No. 2 ... with 10 points against GCU, she moved from 8th into 5th place on the league's all-time scoring list (1,438), leaving her only one point shy of NW Nazarene's Alysson Kollmann (1999-03) for No. 4 ... her other GNAC ranks include No. 2 in rebounds per game (9.8), No. 3 in blocks (192), No. 5 in blocks per game (2.02), No. 5 in FTs made (356), No. 6 in FG made (539) and No. 8 in games started (95) ... on UAA's school career list, she ranks in the top 10 in 13 different categories, including rebounds (1st), rebounding average (3rd), points (6th), scoring average (6th, 15.2), FG% (5th, .509), blocks (1st), blocks per game (1st), double-doubles (1st), and games started (t-5th, 95).
MORE PLAYER NOTES: Jr. F Nicci Miller has averaged nearly a double-double thus far with 11.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg. The JC transfer scored a season-high 15 points (5-9 FG, 4-5 FT) in the win over Georgian Court ... Jr. G Kiki Taylor has shown herself to be a stat-sheet stuffer early in her Seawolf career, averaging 6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game ... the JC transfer is the only Seawolf not to miss a free throw thus far, going 6 for 6 from the line ... So. C Viki Wohlers saw her first action of the season Saturday and responded with 4 points (2-3 FG) and 2 rebounds in 8 minutes ... Jr. G Tristan Burnett ranks 19th on UAA's career 3FGs made list with 45; she is 13th in 3FG% at .331.
STEPOVICH TO REDSHIRT: Head coach Tim Moser announced last week that Sr. G Leah Stepovich will join UAA's group of redshirts, bringing this season's total to eight. Stepovich is a transfer from former GNAC rival Seattle University and a Fairbanks (Monroe Catholic HS) native ... Sr. G Limor Pelleg suffered an ACL injury early in the preseason and has already had surgery; Jr. G Sarah Herrin (Alaska Fairbanks) and Jr. F Kelsie Gourdin (Mesa State) must sit out the season as transfers fellow Div. II institutions; and true freshmen Jenna Endisch, Jazzie Gaddy, Alysa Horn and Jordan Martin will take planned redshirts.
INJURY REPORT: The Seawolves have no significant injuries among active players.
