Photos: UAA's Afoa sisters

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UAA Seawolves assistant coach Shaina Afoa, left, with her sister sophomore forward Sierra Afoa after basketball practice at the Alaska Airlines Center onTuesday, Dec. 17, 2015. The Afoa sisters, each are a fraternal twin, competed in various sports at Dimond High School.

Athletic genes and a competitive spirit run in the Afoa family, so it's no surprise sisters Shaina and Sierra find themselves on one of the top-ranked Division II basketball teams in the country.

Their mother, Sarah, is in the Alaska High School Hall of Fame for a reason — she collected 28 state championship medals during her days at Dimond High.

Couple genetics with hard work and you get a player and a coach who are both on a mission with the fifth-ranked UAA women's basketball team, which is on track to earn a third straight berth in the Division II tournament.

Shaina coaches the UAA post players, a group that included Sierra, a 5-foot-10 sophomore who is averaging 4.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the 15-1 Seawolves. Shaina is in her fourth season with the program and her first as the top assistant.

"The Afoa family is as tight of a family as I've ever seen," UAA coach Ryan McCarthy said. "I have a great deal of respect for Coach Afoa. She does a great job with the post players and has a really unique blessing ... to be able to coach her sister."

Read more: Rich family sports tradition leads Afoa sisters to success at UAA