Friday, April 1, 2016

After 40 games, the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball season has reached its pinnacle moment. The Seawolves will play one final game, taking on Lubbock Christian in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship game in Indianapolis, Ind., on Apr. 4.

The game will be shown live on CBS Sports Network. Click here for a channel finder.

Lubbock Christian not only represents the final obstacle to Alaska Anchorage's ultimate goal, but they are also the Seawolves' toughest challenge. The Chaparrals enter the finals with an unblemished 34-0 overall record in their first season in Division II.

Alaska Anchorage travels to the NCAA's headquarters city to play the title game after almost two weeks off. They will be a part of the NCAA's AlumNation initiative, a unique event designed to bring alumni from all three levels of the NCAA together for a celebration of collegiate women's basketball. The Division I Final Four and Championship game, along with the Division II and II title games will be played from Apr. 3-5. The Seawolves will get a chance to be a part of a rare experience for a Division II team.

As the lone undefeated team in Division II basketball, it is unsurprising that Lubbock Christian ranks among the best statistically. The Chaparrals lead Division II in blocked shots (229), blocked shots per game (6.7), field goal percentage (51.4), scoring margin (28.4) and winning percentage (100). Senior guard Nichole Hampton ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (3.26), fourth in assists (202), seventh in steals (100) and eighth in assists per game (5.9).

The Seawolves enter their final game of the season leading many of the same categories that they have all season. They lead the nation in assists (788), rebounds (1,675), steals (548) and steals per game (13.7). Senior forward Megan Mullings is second in field goal percentage (61.8) and junior guard Kiki Robertson is third in assists (206).

Alaska Anchorage is the second team to reach the women's basketball finals in GNAC history. Seattle Pacific was the first in 2005, but fell to Washburn 70-53. GNAC teams now own a combined 7-7 record all-time in Elite Eight games and a 56-42 record in all rounds of the national tournament.

CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND: For the first time in program history, the Seawolves are heading to the national title game.

The Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball team took a 7-6 lead early in the first quarter and never looked back, cruising past Grand Valley 67-47 in the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships.

The win advanced the Seawolves to the finals, to be played on Apr. 4 in Indianapolis, Ind., against undefeated Lubbock Christian. The Chaparrals enter the finals with a 34-0 record in their first season in Division II.

Alaska Anchorage used another balanced scoring effort to earn its second straight 20-plus point victory. Four Seawolves reached double-digit points, led by senior guard Jessica Madison’s 14. Forwards Megan Mullings and Alysha Devine each score 12 points while guard Jenna Buchanan added 10. The Seawolves had 10 players score points in the game.

The Seawolves dominated the stat sheets, shooting 54.5 percent (24 of 44) from the field while hold Grand Valley State to 31.9 percent (15 of 47). Alaska Anchorage also finished at 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from behind the thee-point arc, holding the Lakers to just 24 percent (6 of 25).

Grand Valley State knocked down the first basket of the game, a three-pointer by Taylor Lutz. They regained the lead 6-5 with 6:54 to play in the first quarter after two made free throws by Taylor Parmley. Alaska Anchorage guard Adriana Dent hit a jumper with 6:26 to play to take a 7-6 lead, marking the last time they trailed in the game.

The Seawolves continued the offensive push, taking a 37-21 lead into halftime. They opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run after back-to-back made threes by Madison and Buchanan. Alaska Anchorage then held a 20-plus point advantage until the 4:11 mark in the fourth quarter. They held Grand Valley State to their lowest scoring output of the season of 47 points.

The Seawolves will play in the finals of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships for the first time in GNAC and program history. They face Lubbock Christian at 12 p.m. Pacific time on Apr. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind., as a part of the NCAA’s AlumNation initiative. The event consists of a triple-header featuring the Division I, II and III national title games.

WEST REGION CHAMPS: Tournament MVP Alysha Devine had 14 points and eight rebounds to lead a balanced effort for nationally 4th-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Monday night as the Seawolves claimed the NCAA Div. II Women’s Basketball West Regional title with a 72-57 victory over 21st-ranked UC San Diego at the Felix Event Center.

UAA (36-2) also got 13 points apiece from senior guards Jessica Madison and Keiahnna Engel to claim the program’s fourth West Region title and advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. The Seawolves – the No. 2 seed in the West – will face Southeast Regional champion Francis Marion in the national quarterfinals on Mar. 22 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

UCSD (26-5) – the No. 4 seed and co-champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Association – was led by 20 points, five assists and four steals from senior guard Jamie Katuna, but the Tritons could not keep it as close as in their 76-72 loss to UAA on Dec. 20 in Anchorage.

“We’re very pleased to come away with the West Region championship,” said fourth-year UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy. “This was one of our goals at the beginning of the year. Every goal you get to is special, but it just keeps getting better as you go along each step of the way. It’s so hard to win in the (NCAA) tournament … so I’m really proud of this group.”

The Seawolves trailed 16-15 after the first quarter as Katuna opened with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. UAA started with a 6-0 run in the second quarter and forged a 31-23 lead before the Tritons came storming back to tie with eight straight points of their own.

UAA answered with two huge plays before halftime, getting a three-point play from Engel and a three-pointer from freshman Tara Thompson on her only shot of the game.

After Devine started the second half with a layup, the Tritons pulled within 39-36 on another Katuna three-pointer, but that would be as close as it would get. Devine knocked down two free throws, Engel hit a short jumper, and Megan Mullings scored on a put back and was fouled, quickly stretching to a 46-36 edge.

Devine drained a three-pointer to cap the 12-0 spurt, and UAA would lead by at least 13 points the rest of the way, taking advantage of 9-of-17 three-point accuracy. The Seawolves shot 48 percent overall and made 9 of 10 free throws, while dominating the boards with a 45-19 rebounding advantage.

“UC San Diego is a very well coached team, and we talked about before the game that they just don’t ever give up,” McCarthy added “They just are such a mentally tough team. So I’m really proud of our ladies to come away with a victory against such a great team.”

“Offensively it was really difficult to even get ahold of the ball sometimes,” said Mullings, who was held to a season-low three points, but was dominant on defense with four blocks and three steals. “But we absolutely prepared for that, and the coaches did an amazing job presenting the game plan to us. It was just catch and look for the open person, and they were always there.”

Mullings – the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a First Team All-Region honoree – also added five rebounds, two assists and did not commit a turnover.

Engel shot 5 of 8 from the field, while Madison was 4 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 at the charity stripe, giving her double-figure scoring efforts in all three West Regional games. Devine finished 5 of 10 from the floor, along with a pair of assists.

“Our edge on teams is to just work out of our minds and never, ever stop bringing the pressure,” said Devine, who scored 15 points in Saturday’s 83-79 overtime win over Cal Baptist in the semifinals. “Tonight that really paid off.”

NOTES: UAA added the 2016 regional title to its trophies from 2008, 2009 and 2012; the Seawolves also beat the Tritons in the 2012 regional final … with its 65th win in the last two seasons, UAA surpassed Limestone for the most in women’s D-II basketball during that span.

ON THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM: Seattle Pacific sophomore Jordan McPhee, with her 4.00 cumulative grade point average, leads a total of 47 selections to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Basketball All-Academic Team.

McPhee, a business major, is the only GNAC basketball player, men or women, to boast a 4.00 GPA. She leads 18 student-athletes on the team with GPAs of 3.70 or better and seven with GPAs or 3.90 or better. Seattle Pacific, Northwest Nazarene and Montana State Billings lead GNAC teams with seven selections each.

A total of 18 student-athletes are repeat selections, with six being named to the team for the third consecutive year. Alaska Anchorage senior guard Jenna Buchanan leads the list of three-time honorees after she was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team earlier in the season.

Other three-time selections include Central Washington senior guard Melanie Valdez, Montana State Billings senior forward Janiel Olson, Northwest Nazarene senior guard Taylor Simmons and senior forward Katie Swanson; Saint Martin’s senior guard Krista Stabler and Seattle Pacific senior center Molly Grager.

To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic teams, a student-athlete must be in their sophomore year of eligibility with a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or better.

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ALL-GNAC SELECTIONS: Alaska Anchorage senior forward Megan Mullings was a near unanimous pick for Player of the Year, leading selections to the 2015-16 All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Team.

Mullings, who was also voted the Preseason Player of the Year, led the Seawolves to a 18-2 GNAC record, 31-2 overall and a No. 1 ranking in Division II. She paced the Seawolves with 16.6 points per game, fourth best in the GNAC, 6.1 rebounds rebounds per game and 50 blocks. The senior also leads the conference shooting 62.9 percent from the field and was one of four unanimous selections to the All-GNAC First Team.

Joining Mullings on the first team is teammate Jenna Buchanan. The senior guard averaged 12.9 points per game this season and was one of the most dangerous three-point threats in the GNAC. Buchanan led the league with 98 made three-pointers, shooting 44.5 percent from behind the arc. She was a Second Team All-GNAC selection as a junior and was the conference’s lone CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.

Western Washington finished in second place in the GNAC and matched Alaska Anchorage with two first team selections in senior center Kayla Bernsen and junior guard Taylor Peacocke. Bernsen was also named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year after pacing the conference with 84 total blocks. She also averaged 8.4 rebounds per game and led the GNAC with 3.9 offensive boards per contest.

Peacocke was a unanimous selection to the all-conference squad, ranking second in the GNAC with 16.8 points per game. Peacocke was one of two players, along with Alaska’s Jordan Wilson, to score in double-digits in every game this season. The junior was one of the top overall players in the conference, ranking third in the GNAC in three-point shooting percentage (.437), fourth in free-throw percentage (.859), fifth in minutes played per game (35.7) and steals per game (2.1) and 14th in assists per game (2.6).

Junior forward Alisha Breen represents Montana State Billings on the first team. Breen led the Yellowjackets to a third place finish and their first playoff berth since 2014. She was fifth in the GNAC in scoring at 16.5 points per game and 12th in rebounding, averaging 5.5 boards. The junior was also effective from behind the arc, shooting 38.9 percent from long range on 108 attempts.

Simon Fraser junior guard Ellen Kett rounds out the six first team selections. She leads all of Division II in three-point shooting percentage this season at 49.5 percent. Despite her scoring ability (11.6 points per game), Kett was most known this season for her passing touch. She led the confererence with 182 assists and 7.3 assists per game and was second in the GNAC with a 2.4 assist/turnover ratio. The Melbourne, Australia native recorded a triple-double in the Clan’s final regular season road game against Alaska Anchorage, finishing with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Montana State Billings head coach Kevin Woodin was named the GNAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Yellowjackets to a third place regular season finish. After being picked to finish tied for seventh in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll, Woodin pushed the Yellowjackets to a 15-5 GNAC record, 19-9 overall. It is his second Coach of the Year selection, having also received the honor following the 2013-14 season.

Central Washington guard Mandy Steward was selected the GNAC Freshman of the Year after averaging an even 10 points per game. Steward averaged 19.9 minutes per game for the Wildcats, appearing in all 28 games. She led the team with 45 made three-pointers and shot 41 percent from the field.

Alaska Anchorage senior guard Keiahnna Engel received the GNAC Newcomer of the Year award after transferring from Division I Boise State for her senior season. The Anchorage native was fourth on the team, averaging 9.3 points per game. She appeared in 28 games, making five starts and playing 18.4 minutes per contest. She shot 48 percent from the field and pulled down 3.8 rebounds per game for the top-ranked Seawolves.

The Seawolves led the all-conference team with five selections. Western Washington and Montana State Billings each placed three. There were a total of 13 repeat selections from 2014-15 and 10 first-time recipients.