Anchorage Daily News

It's real simple for the Seawolves. Beat Saint Martin's tonight and they clinch their first conference title since 1997 and probably earn the right to host a playoff game for the first time since 1988.

Lose and it could all be in jeopardy.

"I feel sorry for Saint Martin's right now," UAA captain and all-conference forward Carl Arts said. "I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. We want that conference title."

The 11th-ranked Seawolves (23-5, 14-2) lead the chase for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship -- which comes with an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II playoffs -- by one game over Central Washington (19-6, 13-3) entering the final two games of the regular season.

UAA finishes up with Saint Martin's (12-13, 7-9) and Western Oregon (14-11, 7-9), two teams it beat earlier this season on the road. If the Seawolves can beat them at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex, where they are 13-0 this season, they can bag the outright conference title and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA regional.

"This is it," Arts said. "You don't want to have any regrets when you leave after your senior year."

If UAA is tied with Central Washington after this weekend, the teams would share the GNAC championship and tiebreakers would be needed to determine the automatic berth. At that point, home-court advantage in the NCAA regional would be up in the air.

The Seawolves are ranked No. 1 in the West Region, meaning they are a lock for the playoffs and the favorite to host the eight-team NCAA regional tournament. The only team that could leapfrog them is Cal State San Bernardino, the second-ranked team in the region and the regular-season co-champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

The best solution for UAA to secure home court is to win.

When UAA and Saint Martin's met Jan. 5 in Lacy, Wash., the Seawolves came away with a 66-42 victory that at the time set the GNAC record for fewest points allowed. Arts (19 points), McCade Olsen (14) and Chris Bryant (12) combined for 45 points to outscore the Saints by themselves.

Still, the Seawolves can't afford to overlook anybody. They have too much at stake, Arts said, too much to lose. Slipping up now would ruin all the success they've had this season.

"Coach has been preaching to us that we need to stay hungry and not be -- he used the words 'fat cat' -- because we've got so many wins," he said. "We can't act like we've done something. I mean, we haven't done anything but win games.

"In the whole scheme of things our goal is to win the conference championship. If we drop a game or two, all those wins were for nothing."

Find assistant sports editor Van Williams online at adn.com/contact/vwilliams or call 257-4335.

UAA SCHEDULE

TONIGHT'S GAMES

ALL TIMES AST

6 p.m. -- No. 7 UAA women at Seattle University RADIO: None

7 p.m. -- St. Martin's at No. 11 UAA men, Wells Fargo Sports Complex RADIO: live, AM-1080 TV: Replay 10:30 p.m. CGI cable Channel 19.

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