Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball team remained No. 1 as very little changed in the second NCAA West Regional poll Wednesday.

The top-ranked team in the country improved to 15-1 in conference play, and 25-1 overall, after two tight wins last week against Simon Fraser and Western Washington.

Seattle Pacific (20-4, 12-4 GNAC) remained in the same ranking as it was the week prior at No. 5. The Falcons dropped just their fourth game all year last Thursday against Saint Martin’s, but started another winning-streak Saturday with a 69-64 win over Western Oregon.

UAA has already clinched the regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the GNAC Tournament starting next Wednesday. SPU needs just one win, or a WWU loss, to secure the No. 2 seed and the other first-round bye. 

Western Washington, which was ranked 10th in the first West Region poll, fell out of the rankings.

The West Region ranking will eventually determine the five West Region at-large teams that will make the regional field along with the GNAC, PacWest and California Collegiate Athletic Association champions.

The third poll will be released next Wednesday before the final West Region rankings come out the following Sunday, March 8, at 7:00 p.m. Pacific. A webcast of this announcement will be shown on NCAA.com.

NCAA Regional play will begin Friday, March 13 at a site to be determined.

WEST REGION – 1. Alaska Anchorage (23-1); 2. Humboldt State (21-3); 3. Cal State Dominguez Hills (22-6); 4. Cal Baptist (21-5); 5. Seattle Pacific (19-4); 6. Hawaii Pacific (20-4); 7. Cal Poly Pomona (18-6); 8. Cal State San Bernardino (18-6); 9. Point Loma Nazarene (14-9); 10. Azusa Pacific (17-9). (Note: Record listed is versus Division II opponents).