Tuesday, March 8, 2016

SEASON SWEEP FOR SEAWOLVES: Alaska Anchorage had six players score in double figures as a balanced scoring effort led the No. 6 ranked Seawolves to a 77-57 victory over Montana State Billings and their second consecutive GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships title Saturday at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion.

Senior guard Keiahnna Engel, the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, led the Seawolves off the bench with 13 points in 15 minutes. First Team All-NWC guard Jenna Buchanan and senior Jessica Madison led four starters in double figures with 12 pointd each with Buchanan connecting on 4 of 4 from the field, all three-pointers. GNAC Player of the Year Megan Mullings and Alysha Devine each finished with 10.

Junior guard Kiki Robertson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after she tied the tournament record with nine assists in the game. She also finished with five points and five rebounds. On the night, Alaska Anchorage shot 49.2 percent from the field (30-61) and 42.1 percent from three-point range (8-19).

Sophomore guard Marissa Van Atta led Montana State Billings with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. First Team All-GNAC junior forward Alisha Breen also scored 17 points to go along with five rebounds and two blocks. The Yellowjackets finished the night shooting 34.4 percent from the field (21-61) and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-14).

With the win, Alaska Anchorage (33-2) claimed the GNAC’s automatic qualifier to next week’s NCAA Division II Tournament. The No. 1 seed in the west region the last three weeks, it is expected that the Seawolves will host the tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center. Montana State Billings (21-10), who entered the week ranked eighth in the region, will wait to see if they will be awarded an at-large spot in the tournament. The NCAA Selection Shows airs at 7 p.m. (Pacific) Sunday on NCAA.com.

The fact that they were playing their third game in three days did not seem to affect the Yellowjacks early as they jumped out to a three-point lead with three minutes left in the first quarter on Van Atta’s lay-in. The Seawolves came back to tie the game at 17-17 at the end of the period and and went on a 10-0 run to open the second, which culminated on Devine’s jumper at the 6:48 mark to make it a 27-17 game. Montana State Billings responded with a 7-0 run of their own, reducing the lead to 27-24 on Monica Grimsrud’s basket with 4:44 to go. Alaska Anchorage extended the lead to seven with 1:18 left and went into halftime with a 35-30 lead.

As the second half began, it became clear that the Yellowjackets’ steam was running out. A three-point play by Robertson extended the Seawolves’ lead to 44-34 three minutes into the third quarter. Rylee Kane made it a 46-40 lead with 5:26 to go before Alaska Anchorage closed the half on a 15-7 run, with Madison’s lay-in at the horn building a 61-47 lead. The Seawolves built their largest lead of 23 points late when Mullings’ lay-in with 3:31 left made it a 75-52 game.

HEADING TO CALIFORNIA: The GNAC will be represented in the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships by Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings in Azusa, Calif, announced Sunday night.

Alaska Anchorage will be the No. 2 seed in the West Region Championships and face No. 7 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills on Fri., Mar. 11. Montana State Billings earned the No. 8 seed and will be opposed by host Azusa Pacific.

The Seawolves and Yellowjackets met up in the finals of the GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships on Saturday, with UAA claiming their second straight tournament title with a 77-57 victory.

Alaska Anchorage enters the national tournament with a 33-2 overall record and one of the best seasons in GNAC and program history. The Seawolves ranked No. 1 in the D2SIDA West Region Poll from start to finish and ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation. Alaska Anchorage cruised through GNAC play with an 18-2 record and won both games in the conference tournament by 20 or more points each. The Seawolves are making their 15th all-time appearance in the national tournament and third in a row. They face Cal State Dominguez Hills in a rematch from earlier this season on Oct. 31, when the Seawolves were victorious 82-61.

Alaska Anchorage looks to rebound from last season’s early exit in the tournament. The Seawolves hosted the West Region, but fell in the first round 64-63 to Point Loma.

Montana State Billings used three wins over perennial powerhouse Western Washington to reach the West Region tournament. The Yellowjackets defeated the Vikings twice during the regular season and then again in the semifinals of the GNAC Championships. They finished in third place in the conference during the regular season with a 15-5 record and enter the tournament at 21-10 overall.    

The Yellowjackets reach the tournament for the fourth time in 12 years under GNAC Coach of the Year Kevin Woodin. During the 2013-14 season, the Yellowjackets were the No. 2 seed and reached the West Region championship game. This year, the Yellowjackets were picked to finish tied for seventh in the GNAC Preaseason Coaches Poll.

Alaska Anchorage and Montana State Billings play on opposite sides of the bracket and can only meet up for a fourth time this season in the West Region finals. The Seawolves won all three games against the Yellowjackets this year, each by double-digits.

Alaska Anchorage will play Cal State Dominguez hills at 2:30 p.m. PT and Montana State Billings will face Azusa Pacific for the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. PT on Fri., Mar. 11.

No. 3 Cal Baptist will play No. 6 Academy of Art at noon and No. 4 UC San Diego faces No. 5 Cal State East Bay at 5 p.m. PT.

THE REST OF THE WEST: Here is a quick look at the six non-GNAC teams participating in the West Regional tournament...

No. 1 Azusa Pacific: The Cougars finished the season on a 15-game winning streak, earning the regular season PacWest title and PacWest Tournament Championship. With a 27-3 overall record, 19-1 in the conference, Azusa Pacific has been one of the most dominant teams in the nation. Kelly Hardeman leads the team with 17.1 points per game and 9.4 rebounds.

No. 3 Cal Baptist: Because of the strength of the West Region, Cal Baptist is one of the most dangerous No. 3 seeds in the entire nation. Like Azusa Pacific, the Lancers finished with a 19-1 PacWest record, but are 28-2 overall with their only two losses coming to Azusa Pacific. Cassidy Mihalko leads the Lancers with 19.7 points per game with a .538 shooting percentage from the field.

No. 4 UC San Diego: The Tritons finished in second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with an 18-2 conference record and 24-4 overall. They get a rematch with Cal State East Bay, the team that knocked them out of the CCAA tournament. Jamie Katuna leads the team with 18.2 points per game.

No. 5 Cal State East Bay: The CCAA Tournament Champions finished 27-4 overall and 18-2 in conference. The Pioneers enter the West Regionals as one of the hottest teams on a 14-game winning streak. Tori Breshers leads the Pioneers with 14.8 points per game and 6.6 rebounds.

No. 6 Academy of Art: The Urban Knights placed third in a stacked PacWest with an 18-2 conference record, 24-8 overall. Jasmin Guinn averages 19.7 points per game to lead four Urban Knights who score in double-digits. The team averages 80.4 points per game.

No. 7 Cal State Dominguez Hills: The Toros tied for first place in the CCAA regular season, but fell to tournament champions Cal State East Bay in the finals. The Toros draw Alaska Anchorage, whom they lost to 82-61 in their second game of the season. Breanne Garcia leads the team with 18.3 points per game.

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.