After playing three games in five days last week, the UAA men's basketball team is back Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Center, trying to improve to 10-0 at home this season in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game against Western Oregon.
The Wolves are 8-8 overall and 5-3 in the GNAC this season, but that modest record is deceptive. The defending conference champions played tough nonconference opponents — including NCAA Division I power Oregon — and they have several pieces back from last season's team that rolled to the NCAA Division II national semifinals and a 31-4 record.
One of those pieces is 6-foot-3 forward Tanner Omlid, who ranks in the top 15 in the GNAC in all three major statistical categories — scoring (14th) with 14.9 points per game, rebounding (7th) with 7.4 per game and assists (5th) with 3.6 per game.
Western Oregon is a good defensive team, ranking first in the GNAC in steals (8.9 per game) and second in blocks (4.0).
The Wolves have won the last two meetings against the Seawolves (11-5, 5-3), including a 64-58 win at the Alaska Airlines Center in February.
But UAA has been a force at home this season. The Seawolves are 9-0 at home and 2-5 on the road. In four of UAA's last five home games the Seawolves held their opponent to 54 points or fewer.
UAA concludes its two-game home series Saturday against Concordia (7-8, 3-5).
The Cavaliers are much improved in their second season in the GNAC. Concordia has already matched its win total from last season.
The Cavaliers are led by Drew Martin, who averages 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
For UAA, Suki Wiggs continues to be one of the biggest scoring threats in the conference. The 6-foot-3 senior is second in the GNAC with 22.9 points per game and he reached his 10th 20-plus point game of the season last Thursday in a 69-68 loss at Montana State-Billings.