Anchorage Daily News

Over the past few weeks, UAA women’s basketball team has played some of the stingiest defense in the nation. Now the Seawolves get to test their rep on the biggest stage they’ve ever seen.

Today UAA will try to slow down red-hot Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire and the nation’s newly crowned player of the year at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Kearney, Neb.

“Franklin Pierce is an offensive machine,” UAA coach Tim Moser said.

More like Johannah Leedham is an offensive machine.

Leedham, a 5-11 sophomore from Ellesmere Port, England, was named the Kodak Division II player of the year and a first-team All-American on Tuesday at an awards banquet attended by the UAA women. The recognition is well-deserved for a player who not only scores in bunches (27.3 points a game in three tourney games so far) but also makes her teammates better (3.3 assists per game).

“We know she’s really good. Everything runs through her,” Moser said. “She’s a national player of the year, and we’ve got to make sure we shut her down.”

But how?

The plan is for UAA to throw its best defenders at Leedham, shut down the other four Ravens on the floor and make the scoring phenom do all the hard work herself.

“If she’s that good, we’re going to expect her to make plays,” Moser said. “Good things happen when she has the ball, so I’d like to see her be a scorer rather than a playmaker.”

Moser said that Franklin Pierce likes to plant the well-rounded Leedham on the block, so UAA will defend her with longer forwards such as Ruby Williams, Ashley Thompson and Lillie Parks.

“They’re a better team when she is on the block,” he said. “They don’t have a post presence besides her.” UAA, which ranks No. 4 in the nation in points allowed (51.2) and No. 6 in opponents’ field goal percentage (34.1 percent), has boosted its defensive play in the postseason.

In their last game, arguably the best game ever by a UAA women’s basketball team, the Seawolves stifled undefeated Seattle Pacific into 30 percent shooting to avenge two close losses in the regular season. While the SPU win was the biggest in program history, Moser knows the postseason brings a new and bigger challenge each game.

“We’re going to get after them, but I think we’re going to have to play harder than we ever have,” Moser said.

Johannah is the No. 3 scorer in the nation, but she isn’t the only Leedham worry. Older sister Jennifer Leedham, a 5-7 point guard, runs the show for the Ravens and can shoot from distance.

“Both those kids have a high basketball IQ,” Moser said. “Those two are head and shoulders above the rest of the team.”

While the Ravens are thin on depth and short on height, the Seawolves have plenty of both. UAA can go 10 players deep and is ranked No. 4 in the nation in rebounding margin. It also boasts an all-star of its own in 6-2 center Rebecca Kielpinski.

“It’s an overwhelming advantage we have on them,” Moser said of the interior. “We have to attack the post. We’ve got to crush them in that area.”

And after nine days off, Moser and the Seawolves are anxious to do some crushing.

“Our kids are fired up and just ready to play Franklin Pierce,” he said. “I just want to play them and get this thing going. We’ve been talking about it for awhile.

“If they send us home, we’ll take it and it was a good year. But I’ll tell you right now, our kids are going to fight like heck.”

ROAD TO THE ELITE EIGHT

UAA: The Seawolves booked their trip to Kearney, Neb., for the Elite Eight by winning the West Regional with victories over Sonoma State, Chico State and Seattle Pacific. Regional Most Outstanding Player Kalhie Quinones, a 5-7 point guard, averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals in three tournament games. The senior shot 64 percent (21 of 33) from the field and was 7 of 8 at the free throw stripe.

FPU: The Ravens won the Northeast Region in similar fashion as the Seawolves. Franklin Pierce, like UAA a No. 3 seed, toppled Dominican and Stonehill before handing top-seed Holy Family its first loss. Tournament MVP Johannah Leedham, a 5-11 wing, averaged 27.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4 steals over three playoff games.

NCAA HISTORY

UAA: This is the Seawolves’ eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 6-7 all-time record but no wins beyond the West Region. UAA now has back-to-back tournament appearances under second-year coach Tim Moser, the first time the school has done that since 1988-90. This trip to the Elite Eight is the farthest the Seawolves have ever advanced.

FPU: Like UAA, Franklin Pierce is in the Elite Eight for the first time. The Ravens are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history — and first since 1999.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

UAA: Jennifer Salazar. The 5-9 senior doesn’t put up eye-popping stats and has been hobbled by a bum foot most of the season but has managed to be a key player thanks to grit and defense. Salazar helped hound Seattle Pacific into 30 percent shooting and took a key charge in the closing minute to help seal UAA’s upset win.

FPU: Jennifer Leedham. The 5-7 point guard is understandably overshadowed by her high-scoring younger sister. But the Ravens’ floor leader distributes the ball to sister Johannah and others (3.8 assists a game) and is scoring threat from the perimeter with 10.9 points a game including 39 percent from 3-point land.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This will be the first meeting between the teams.

Tale of the Tape

UAA -- FP

29-4 Record 27-5

71.2 Points For 71.3

51.2 Points Against 57.9

43.5 FG Percentage 45.6

68.6 FT Percentage 70.4

41.5 Rebounds 36.5

17.1 Assists 16.8

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