The top-seeded UAA men's basketball team will host the NCAA Division II West Region Championships next weekend, facing eighth-seeed University of California San Diego (18-11) in its opener Friday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
The Seawolf women's team, No. 7 in the country, earned an at-large berth in the eight-team West Region Champions. UAA will be the No. 3 seed in the region and take on No. 6 Sonoma State (20-8, 13-7) in its tournament opener Friday at Seattle Pacific's Royal Brougham Pavilion.
The men's tournament will be held Mar. 14-17 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex on the UAA campus. Game times and ticket information for Friday's first round, Saturday's semifinals and Monday's finals are being finalized.
The UAA men are making their third consecutive trip to NCAAs and 14th in the program's 31-year history. This marks the first time UAA has earned a No. 1 seed. In 1988, UAA lost the Division II national title game to Massachusetts-Lowell.
The UAA women are making their eighth NCAA appearance and their first in consecutive seasons since 1988 and 1989. The Seawolves were a No. 4 seed last year when they beat Cal State Dominguez Hills in the first round before losing to top-seeded UC San Diego. UAA's farthest advancement was the round of 16 in 1988.
2008 NCAA Division II West Regional
Men's Basketball Championships
Mar. 14, 15 & 17 - Anchorage, Alaska (Wells Fargo Sports Complex)
Times TBA
First Round - Friday, Mar. 14
#2 Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) vs. #7 BYU-Hawaii (18-7)
#3 Chaminade (20-7) vs. #6 Humboldt State (20-8)
#4 Central Washington (21-6) vs. #5 Seattle Pacific (20-7)
#1 Alaska Anchorage (25-5) vs. #8 UC San Diego (18-11)
Semifinals - Saturday, Mar. 15
CSUSB/BYUH winner vs. CU/HSU winner
CWU/SPU winner vs UAA/UCSD winner
Finals - Monday, Mar. 17
Semifinal winners
2008 NCAA Division II West Regional
Women's Basketball Championships
Mar. 14, 15 & 17 - Seattle, Wash. (Royal Brougham Pavilion)
Times TBA
First Round - Friday, Mar. 14 (times TBA)
#2 Chico State (27-5) vs. #7 Northwest Nazarene (19-8)
#3 Alaska Anchorage (26-4) vs. #6 Sonoma State (20-8)
#4 UC San Diego (24-9) vs. #5 Cal State San Bernardino (21-7)
#1 Seattle Pacific (27-0) vs. #8 Saint Martin's (17-10)
Semifinals - Saturday, Mar. 15
Chico St./NNU winner vs. UAA/SSU winner
UCSD/CSUSB winner vs SPU/SMU winner
Finals - Monday, Mar. 17
Semifinal winners
Anchorage Daily News staff reports