Sunday, March 6, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. - 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.