Sports

Top-ranked UAA women back home for GNAC finales

After surviving two close calls on the road last week, the top-ranked UAA women's basketball team returns to friendlier surroundings for its final two games of the regular season.

Not that that means it'll be an easy week for the Seawolves. On Thursday, they host the only other nationally ranked team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference when No. 19 Seattle Pacific comes to the Alaska Airlines Center.

On Saturday, they face a Montana State-Billings team that comes to Alaska with a slim chance to earn a spot in next week's GNAC tournament, which could make the Yellowjackets a dangerous opponent.

UAA is 25-1 overall and 15-1 in the GNAC, and it's hungry for two more wins.

"We want to have the best record there ever was in the GNAC," UAA coach Ryan McCarthy said.

Hoping to get in the Seawolves' way are the Falcons (20-4, 12-4 GNAC) and Yellowjackets (14-12, 6-10), who no doubt have studied film from UAA's games last week, when UAA escaped with a 63-59 win at Simon Fraser and an 81-78 win at Western Washington.

"It's good to have some closer games like that," McCarthy said. "I'm glad we were held accountable."

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Although this week's games mark UAA's final home games of the regular season, there's a chance the Seawolves could host the NCAA West Region tournament March 13-16.

The school has put in a bid for the tournament, said UAA sports information director Nate Sagan. UAA is the top-ranked team in the West Region, and though it's not automatic, the region's top-seeded team is often awarded the region tournament.

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