Monday, November 24, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – One of the premier basketball tournaments in the west starts Tuesday in Anchorage as UAA hosts the Great Alaska Shootout.

The Great Alaska Shootout features three Division I teams along with host Alaska Anchorage.

The Seawolves will play Yale in the opening round of the two-day tournament at 8 p.m. The winner moves on to the championship game on Wednesday while the loser plays in the consolation match also on Wednesday.

The tournament starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday with Long Beach State against Boise State.

Alaska Anchorage has won the Great Alaska Shootout seven times, including four in a row from 2006-2009. The Seawolves have also won its opening game in the tournament in eight of the last 11 years.

Most recently, Alaska Anchorage has defeated Division I North Dakota State and UC Riverside in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

UAA’s game against Yale will count towards its regular season record, but Wednesday’s game will be an exhibition.

The 4-0 Seawolves are also one of three undefeated teams in the GNAC.

Seattle Pacific, which is ranked first in the D2SIDA West Region poll, won the West Region Crossover Classic in Bellingham after defeating Azusa Pacific and UC San Diego. Falcon Suzanna Ohlsen was named the tournament MVP for her 38 point, 10 assist performance.

Alaska is at 5-0 for the first time in their GNAC history. The team went 3-0 in the Dixie Thanksgiving Classic in Utah last week where it beat Cal State Marcos, Chico State and host Dixie State.

These three teams are a combined 13-0 and beat teams by an average of 25.9 points per game.

Simon Fraser also started the season 2-0 but fell against No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona Sunday 89-80 in Burnaby. 

Other Notes:

• Joining Ohlsen on the West Region Crossover Classic all-tournament team was teammate Aubree Callen along with the Vikings Taylor Peacocke and Katie Colard.
   
• Alaska Anchorage's Kiki Robertson tied a school record with 15 assists in Friday's 88-43 win over Christian Brothers.
   
• SPU's Ohlsen was named co-Player of the Week along with WWU's Peacocke.