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Men open new-look Shootout vs Pacific on TV

Men's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Men open new-look Shootout vs Pacific on TV

THIS WEEK IN SEAWOLF BASKETBALL...

37th annual GCI Great Alaska Shootout
Nov. 26-29, 2014 – Alaska Airlines Center (5,000)
(All times Alaska Standard Time)
Wednesday, Nov. 26 – First Round
7:30 pm (Gm. 1) – Pacific (2-2) vs Alaska Anchorage (2-4), CBSSN/GCI 1
10 pm (Gm. 2) – Missouri State (2-1) vs Colorado State (3-0), CBSSN
Thursday, Nov. 27 – First Round
5:30 pm (Gm. 3) – Rice (1-2) vs Mercer (2-2), CBSSN
8 pm (Gm. 4) – Washington State (1-2) vs UC Santa Barbara (1-2), CBSSN
Friday, Nov. 28 – Consolation Semifinals & Semifinals
Noon (Gm. 5) – Pacific/UAA loser vs Mo. St./CSU loser
2 pm (Gm. 6) – Rice/Mercer loser vs WSU/UCSB loser
5:30 pm (Gm. 7) – Pacific/UAA winner vs Mo. St./CSU winner, CBSSN
8 pm (Gm. 8) – Rice/Mercer winner vs WSU/UCSB winner, CBSSN
Saturday, Nov. 29
Noon (Gm. 9) – Game 5 loser vs Game 6 loser (7th/8th place)
2 pm (Gm. 10) – Game 5 winner vs Game 6 winner (4th/6th place)
5 pm (Gm. 11) – Game 7 loser vs Game 8 loser (3rd/5th place – CBSSN, tape-delayed)
7:30 pm (Gm. 12) – Game 7 winner vs Game 8 winner (Championship – CBSSN)

ON TV: The UAA-Pacific game will air statewide in Alaska on GCI cable Ch. 1 ... CBS Sports Network will produce that game and air it nationally, along with seven other games from the 2014 tournament (see listing above).

RADIO: All three UAA games on FM-93.7 KAFC

ONLINE: Live Stats at GoSeawolves.com ... the official tournament homepage is at GoSeawolves.com/shootout.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Get periodic updates for Seawolf games by following the @UAAMBB Twitter feed or like UAA's main Facebook page (Alaska Anchorage Seawolves) ... for all Shootout games, the Twitter feed is @GreatAKShootout and the Facebook page is 'GCI Great Alaska Shootout'.

TICKETS: Full-tournament packages cost between $145 and $220 ... single-session tickets range from $20 to $35 and include two games apiece ... to purchase tickets call 907-786-1562 or surf to AlaskaAirlinesCenter.com.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONS: GCI and Alaska Airlines are teaming up to give away 1 million frequent flier miles over the course of the Shootout ... at least 50,000 miles will be awarded to a lucky fan at each halftime of most games, with 150,000 miles reserved for the championship game ... in addition, GCI is giving away tech toys and mini-basketballs for kids ... visit GCI.com for more info.

SHOOTOUT SNAPSHOT: In its 37th edition, the GCI Great Alaska Shootout finally premieres on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus this year in the brand-new Alaska Airlines Center ... also for the first time, the Seawolves' results will not count against their overall record, although the games will count on the records of their respective Div. I opponents.

UAA PROBABLE STARTERS (2014-15 stats)
G—Brian McGill, 6-2, Jr. (17.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, .600 FG, 8-19 3FG)
G—Travis Thompson, 6-1, Sr. (14.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, .450 3FG)
F—Derrick Fain, 6-4, Sr. (8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.3 spg, .355 3FG)
  —or Travis Parrish, 6-3, So. (3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .500 FG)
F—Sjur Berg, 6-7, Fr. (6.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .600 FG, 8-9 FT)
  —or Christian Leckband, 6-7, Jr. (5.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 5-7 3FG)
C—Kalidou Diouf, 6-9, Fr. (10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, .732 FG)

SCOUTING THE TIGERS: Pacific has wins over Western Illinois and NAIA Pacific Union thus far, while losing to UC Irvine and Washington ... the Tigers, from Stockton, Calif., and the West Coast Conference, are led by 6-3 So. G T.J. Wallace (18.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, .467 3FG), 6-8 Jr. F Eric Thompson (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .750 FG) and 5-9 Jr. PG Dulani Robinson (9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.5 spg).

THE SERIES vs. PACIFIC: UAA leads 1-0
Last: UAA 86-86 (11/30/79 at Ft. Richardson, AK)
Notes: The first and only meeting was won by UAA in a thriller in the first round of the second Shootout in 1979, earning the Seawolves a matchup with Kentucky the next day ... that game was played at Buckner Field House on Fort Richardson.

IN THE 'W' COLUMN: After starting the year with a pair of narrow losses to Concordia (Ore.) on Nov. 7-8, the Seawolves got their first-ever wins at the Alaska Airlines Center with 110-67 and 103-50 blowouts of Northwest Indian College, Nov. 21-22 ... in the first game, Fr. C Kalidou Diouf broke out with 27 points on 13-of-14 shooting against the undersized Eagles, while Jr. PG Brian McGill dished a season-high 14 assists ... in the rematch, McGill scored a career-high 33 points (13-21 FG, 4-4 FT) and dished 8 assists, Diouf posted his first double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Sr. G Travis Thompson scored 20 points (6-8 3FG) and tied his career high with 9 boards.

CALIFORNIA RECAP: The Seawolves came up shy in their first two games against NCAA Div. II West Region competition this season, losing 74-66 at Sonoma State and 74-64 to defending regional champion and 19th-ranked Chico State on Nov. 14-15 in Rohnert Park, Calif. ... against Sonoma State, Jr. PG Brian McGill had a team-season-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting (3-5 3FG), while Sr. G Travis Thompson had 21 points, 4 assists and 3 steals ... UAA came back from a 17-point deficit to get within 62-57 with 3 minutes remaining, but the hosts hung on thanks to 58 percent overall and 60 percent  three-point shooting ... against Chico, Fr. C Kalidou Diouf tallied 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Jr. G Dom Hunter had 14 points (6-6 FT) in just his second game since being activated from redshirt status ... McGill had 10 points and 6 assists but no other Seawolf scored more than seven as the team shot just 39 percent ... UAA took a 35-34 early in the second half before the Wildcats used an 8-0 lead to pull away.

TEAM NOTES: The Seawolves held Northwest Indian to 12 rebounds on Saturday, breaking the previous record of 15 allowed (vs. NW Nazarene, 1/22/04) ... with the NW Indian results, UAA has reached the 100-point mark at least once in each of the last five seasons ... UAA's 0-4 start was just the second such in program history (0-6 in 2001-02) ... UAA is aiming for the program's 10th straight winning season and the program's 32nd in 38 years … the Seawolves have also earned a plus-.500 league record for 26 of 32 years of conference membership.

TERRIFIC THOMPSON: Sr. G Travis Thompson was a unanimous selection for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches last month ... a First Team All-GNAC pick last year and a Second Teamer in 2011-12, he has also been picked a Div. II Bulletin 'Super 16' Preseason All-American this fall ... the former Dimond High star led UAA with 21.3 points per game, .892 free-throw shooting and 1.2 steals per game in 2013-14, finishing among the GNAC leaders in scoring (2nd), FT% (2nd), 3FGs per game (2nd, 3.6), 3FG% (7th, .421), A-T ratio (8th, 2.1), assists (11th, 3.2 apg) and steals (13th); in the NCAA Div. II national stats he was 6th in 3FGs/gm, 19th in FT%, 25th in scoring and 36th in 3FG% … four games into his senior season, Thompson holds UAA career ranks of 8th in scoring (1,284 pts), 9th in assists (265), 4th in 3FGs made (234), 7th in FTs made (248), 4th in FT% (.858) and 6th in 3FG% (.442).

McGILL THE THRILL: Jr. PG Brian McGill made a huge impact in his first year of eligibility last season after transferring from Western Oregon, garnering All-GNAC Second Team honors ... this season the Clackamas, Ore., native is a Preseason All-GNAC selection and has already been named to the All-Tournament Team at the Ron Logsdon Classic in California … McGill ranked No. 2 in the league last year with 5.9 apg, along with other GNAC ranks of 11th in scoring (15.6 ppg), 5th in asst-TO ratio (2.4), and 7th in minutes (33.7 mpg) and FT% (.835) … after just 36 games, McGill already ranks 18th on UAA's career list with 217 assists.

MORE PLAYER NOTES: Redshirt Fr. C Kalidou Diouf has connected at an .833 clip (25 of 30) from the field over the last three games, including 6-of-9 shooting against defending NCAA Div. II West Region champion Chico State ... Sr. G Derrick Fain got off to a strong start with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 5 stelas in his first two games against Concordia ... he averaged a team-high 24.5 ppg in UAA's two exhibition games, shooting 61 percent from the field and dishing nine assists with just one turnover ... Fain is completing his collegiate career at UAA after transferring from NAIA program The Master's in Southern California, where he played the last two seasons ... Fr. F Sjur Berg is one of four freshmen playing a key role in the Seawolf frontcourt, shooting 60 percent (9 of 15) from the field and 8 of 9 at the free-throw line so far ... the Norwegian brings extensive international experience with his national age-group squads and played his senior year at Southern California powerhouse Santa Margarita HS ... Berg missed the NW Indian games with concussion symptoms but it probable to play in the Shootout ... So. G/F Travis Parrish made his first two starts on the California trip, collecting 7 points (3-4 FG) and 2 steals in the game against Sonoma State ... Parrish is back on the court for the first time since high school, following a two-year Mormon mission and two years on the football team at Div. I Utah State ... Jr. F Christian Leckband is a red-hot 5 of 7 from three-point range thus far, rising last week from 21st to 14th on UAA's career 3FG% list at .403.

THE OSBORNE FILE: Eleventh-year head coach Rusty Osborne (194-110) has led the Seawolves to nine straight winning seasons, five NCAA Tournaments and a trip to the 2008 NCAA D-II Semifinals in his tenure at the helm … with UAA's victory over Saint Martin's on Jan. 25, 2014, he also became the winningest coach in program history, surpassing former mentor Charlie Bruns … Osborne captured his first career GNAC and NABC West District coach-of-the-year awards in 2008 after becoming the second coach to lead UAA to three consecutive NCAA berths (2006-08), and in 2011-12 his Seawolves posted a 24-10 record to equal the 2nd-most victories in program history; Osborne's 2007-08 club holds that record with a 29-6 mark … before taking over the head job in 2004-05, the Texas native previously served 13 seasons (1991-04) as a UAA assistant, including 11 years as the top assistant … the Seawolves have won over 60 percent of their games with Osborne on the staff, claiming four conference titles and eight trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Osborne is assisted by Cameron Turner (4th season) and graduate assistant Tim Mollerstrom (3rd season).

SEAWOLVES TABBED 2ND: The Seawolves were picked to finish second in the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll, released Oct. 14. Here is a look at the poll:

2014-15 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rk Team (1st-place votes)   2013-14 Records     Pts
1. Western Washington (7)   20-8 (13-5, 2nd)    78
2. Alaska Anchorage (1)     17-13 (10-8, 4th-T) 69
3. Seattle Pacific (2)      26-6 (15-3, 1st)    68
4. Western Oregon           18-12 (10-8, 4th-T) 60
5. Montana State Billings   12-15 (8-10, 6th-T) 41
6. Central Washington       12-14 (8-10, 6th-T) 39
7. Alaska Fairbanks         18-10 (12-6, 3rd)   38
8. Northwest Nazarene       7-19 (5-13, 9th)    21
9. Simon Fraser             10-16 (3-15, 10th)  18
   Saint Martin's           9-17 (6-12, 8th)    18
(Note: Each coach ranked other nine teams. First-place votes in parentheses. Points awarded on 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.).

LOOK OUT, GOLIATH: Division II UAA owns a 55-138 all-time record against Division I opponents (regular season only) … the Seawolves' biggest upset came during the 1988-89 campaign when they beat then-No. 2 and undefeated Michigan, 70-66, at the Utah Seiko Classic; the Wolverines went on to win the NCAA title that year ... UAA has beaten at least one Division I school in 27 of the last 30 seasons.

SEAWOLVES IN THE SHOOTOUT: The Seawolves, the only Division II team and the only school to appear in every Great Alaska Shootout, sport a 35-73 (.331) all-time mark in the tournament, including 13-23 since 2002 … the Seawolves have won at least one game in 29 of the 36 Shootouts.

2013 SHOOTOUT RECAP: The Seawolves went winless against NCAA Div. I competition in their own tournament for the first time since 2007, despite playing all three opponents within 10 points … UAA held a lead in the last minute in its 73-70 first-round loss to TCU and was ahead by eight points at halftime in the finale against Denver before falling 78-71 … then-Jr. G Travis Thompson averaged 16.7 ppg and shot 10 of 22 (.455) from long distance to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

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Players Mentioned

Travis Thompson

#11 Travis Thompson

G
6' 1"
Freshman
Christian Leckband

#1 Christian Leckband

F
6' 5"
Freshman
Brian McGill

#RS Brian McGill

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
Kalidou Diouf

#RS Kalidou Diouf

F/C
6' 8"
Freshman
Sjur Berg

#2 Sjur Berg

F
6' 7"
Freshman
Derrick Fain

#14 Derrick Fain

G
6' 4"
Senior
Dom Hunter

#13 Dom Hunter

G
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Travis Thompson

#11 Travis Thompson

6' 1"
Freshman
G
Christian Leckband

#1 Christian Leckband

6' 5"
Freshman
F
Brian McGill

#RS Brian McGill

6' 2"
Sophomore
G
Kalidou Diouf

#RS Kalidou Diouf

6' 8"
Freshman
F/C
Sjur Berg

#2 Sjur Berg

6' 7"
Freshman
F
Derrick Fain

#14 Derrick Fain

6' 4"
Senior
G
Dom Hunter

#13 Dom Hunter

6' 0"
Junior
G