New Year, Old Foes: Nanooks Prepare For GNAC Play :: Need to know notes about tonight's game and the Alaska Nanooks

Jan. 3, 2008

• Tonight's contest marks the 20th meeting between Seattle and Alaska, with the Redhawks boasting a 12-7 advantage in the series that dates back to the 1980-81 season. The two sides are an even 5-5 in games contested on the Patty Center floor. The Nanooks have posted a 3-5 record against Seattle since head coach Lynne Andrew took the reigns in 2003, including a 2-2 mark at home. Alaska's last win over the Redhawks came on Feb. 3, 2005: a 69-54 victory in Seattle.

• Both teams come into tonight's matchup with momentum, as the two sides enjoyed excellent pre-conference runs. Alaska won seven of their first eight games (including six straight), with their only loss coming to mighty Chico State, a team that has been ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation this season. Seattle, meanwhile, is undefeated thus far this season, having won nine straight games by an average margin of 37 points.

• Alaska's women made the most of a grueling schedule in their final games prior to the winter break. Not only did the team face four games in a six-day span, but also had to travel over 3,000 miles in between. After defeating Texas Permian Basin 94-70 here in Fairbanks, the team boarded a red-eye flight to Hawaii that night for three games in the islands. All's well that ends well, however: the Nanooks finished the stretch a perfect 4-0.

• For her play in Hawaii, junior guard Sheena Brown was named the GNAC Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 10-16. The Fairbanks native led the team in scoring in each of the team's three games in the Pacific, including a 22-point effort against Hawaii-Hilo on Dec. 11. All told, Brown finished the trip with 41 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and nine steals: five of which came in the team's game against BYU-Hawaii, tying her career-high.

• Senior co-captain Kari Reabold grabbed her second double-double of the season against Hawaii-Hilo, pulling in 12 boards to go with her 13 points. It marked the seventh double-double in Reabold's four-year career, and her second in a five-day span, as she also contributed 10 points and 10 boards against Texas Permian Basin. The Blue and Gold are 5-2 in games which Reabold gets into double figures in both points and rebounds.

• Sophomore Sarah Herrin is enjoying a fine second season with the Blue and Gold. Herrin has scored in double figures in four of the Nanooks' eight games, including a career-high 20 points against Mesa State. She also recorded her first career double-double against Chaminade on Dec. 10.