MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team returns home to take on Alaska Anchorage and Alaska after splitting a two-game road trip last week in conference play. The Wolves face off against the No. 12 Seawolves Jan. 17 at 5:15 p.m. and the Nanooks Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. at NPE Gym. Both games will be played as doubleheaders, the first twin bill the men's and women's basketball teams have had this season.

ABOUT NO. 12 UAA (13-1, 5-1 GNAC): Alaska Anchorage has suffered just one loss this season, falling to then-No.15 Northwest Nazarene 84-68 on the road Dec. 1. Since then, the Seawolves have won six straight games, winning by double figures in every game of that streak.
 
UAA boasts the top defense in the conference, allowing just 57.0 points per game, better than five points better than the next closest team in the GNAC. They also lead the conference in assists (18.6), steals (13.6) and are second in turnover margin (+6.71). Additionally, their steals per game average is the 4th-highest clip in NCAA DII and their assists per game is 9th.
 
Hannah Wandersee leads the Seawolves' offensive attack, averaging 13.5 points per game, good for 9th in the conference. She is also 10th in rebounding (6.2 per game) and 6th in blocks (1.3 per game).

WOU vs. UAA: Western Oregon is 6-30 against Alaska Anchorage since 2000. The Seawolves have won 29 straight and are 15-3 in Monmouth. The Wolves' last win in the series was a 64-58 win Dec. 6, 2003 in Anchorage. Their last win in Monmouth was a 59-50 victory Jan. 16, 2003.

ABOUT UAF (3-9, 0-6 GNAC): Alaska started the season with three straight wins, all over California teams, to get off to a hot start. The Nanooks have found trouble since then, going winless since Nov. 16 and losing nine straight. After scoring just 46 points Jan. 5 against Simon Fraser, their lowest point total of the season, the Nanooks have bounced back with consecutive games of 70 points or more of offense.
 
UAF is currently last in the GNAC in scoring offense (61.8 points per game) and scoring margin (-8.9).
 
Marian Wamsley takes on the offensive burden, averaging 14.3 points per game to lead UAF. She is shooting 57.5 percent from the field, good for 3rd in the GNAC.

WOU vs. UAF: Western Oregon is 20-16 against Alaska since 2000. The Wolves have won two straight and three of the last four meetings. UAF's last win in the series came Feb. 2, 2017 and their last win in Monmouth was Feb. 4, 2016. WOU is 13-5 at home in the series.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (5-7, 2-4 GNAC): The Western Oregon Wolves split their recent road trip, topping Simon Fraser 69-65 Jan. 10 before falling to Western Washington 73-61 two days later.
 
The Wolves did not trail in the first six quarters of their road trip before the Vikings took a lead late in the third on Saturday.
 
Natalie DeLonge scored a combined 32 points and pulled down 19 rebounds over the weekend, posting her second double-double of the season against the Clan. She has now pulled in six or more rebounds in five consecutive games.
 
Ronnie Harris made her way back into the starting lineup for both matchups, scoring a season-high 11 points against the Vikings.
 
WOU shot 49.0 percent (25-51) from the field in their win over the Clan, taking just five 3-pointers in the entire game.

NOT BY A LONG SHOT: Western Oregon is having one of their best shooting seasons from the paint in their NCAA history. As a result, they have taken fewer shots from 3-point range. The five 3-point attempts Jan. 10 against Simon Fraser was the fewest taken since they attempted just four Jan. 14, 2012 in a 67-53 win over Saint Martin's.
 
EFFICIENCY IS THE KEY: WOU is currently shooting 40.2 percent from the field as a team. That mark is their best team shooting line since the 2011-12 campaign when they finished with a 41.6 percent shooting season. It is also the second-highest clip since 2003-04.
 
LEADING SCORER: Junior Natalie DeLonge has been the Wolves' leading scorer in eight of 12 games this season including four straight.

KEEP 'EM OFF THE BOARDS: Western Oregon has allowed the fewest opponent offensive rebounds in the conference, giving up just 123 for a .719 defensive rebounding percentage.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: The seven turnovers committed Dec. 10 against Northwest Christian is the fewest turnovers committed by the Wolves in a game during their NCAA-era history dating back to the 2000-01 season. Additionally, after giving up at least 17 turnovers in each of their first five games, the Wolves have turned the ball over 15 times or less in five of the last seven.
 
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIOR: Ali Nelke currently ranks 1st in the Great Northwest Athletic conference in field goal percentage (.578) while staying perfect at the free throw line this season at a perfect 22-for-22. She is also in the GNAC's top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (1st), offensive rebounds (2nd), minutes played (1st), blocks (5th) and rebounding (7th).
 
TEAM CONTRIBUTION: In the Wolves' 79-62 win Dec. 10 over Northwest Christian, nine separate players scored at least five points in the game while four scored in double figures. Five players have a season average of seven or more points as well.
 
JONES' OFFENSIVE RUN: Sophomore guard Keyonna Jones scored in double figures in four consecutive games between Nov. 17 and Dec. 10, including a career-high 23 points Dec. 1 at Seattle Pacific. She is averaging 10.7 points per game this season.
 
BLOCK PARTY: WOU'S seven team blocks Dec. 1 at Seattle Pacific matches their highest single-game total since an eight-block performance Dec. 7, 2013 in a 71-63 overtime win against Central Washington. It also matches the highest total for a game finished in regulation since Nov. 17, 2012 when Western Oregon beat Pacific Lutheran 74-62.
 
TIGHT START TO THE SEASON: Of the Wolves' first six games, three were decided by five or fewer points.
 
REBOUNDING FORTE: Western Oregon players account for five of the top 35 list of rebounders in the conference. Currently three Wolves are averaging five rebounds or more per game. The team's 21 offensive rebounds Dec. 19 is tied for the most in a game since Dec. 17, 2014 when WOU pulled down 26 offensive boards in a 73-60 win over Holy Names.
 
NELKE PUTTING IN WORK: Senior forward Ali Nelke is currently 1st in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 34.8 minutes per game. That has included playing all 40 minutes of the game Nov. 17 against Colorado Mesa. Nelke has logged at least 30 minutes in all but one game so far this year. Her current average leaves her just 0.7 minutes shy of the school NCAA-era record for single season average set by Michelle Laski during the 2003-04 campaign.

2018-19 GNAC PRESEASON POLL: The Wolves were picked to finish in 10th place according to the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll… Picking up six first-place votes, Northwest Nazarene was chosen to repeat as regular season champions after going 22-5 overall and 18-2 in GNAC play a year ago… Also picking up first-place votes was Alaska Anchorage (5).

2017-18 REVIEW: The Wolves ended last year with an 11-15 overall record and a 7-13 record in GNAC play to place 9th in the league standings… were ranked ninth in the GNAC after scoring 65.8 points per game… ranked seventh in defense, allowing 68.6 points per game and second in free throw percentage (.793).

D2 WEST REGION POLL: Four GNAC teams were represented in the D2SIDA West Region poll this week. Undefeated Northwest Nazarene remained in the top spot while picking up five of the six first-place votes.
 

D2SIDA West Region Poll (Jan. 14, 2019)
Rank / School	Record	Points
1. Northwest Nazarene (5)	14-0	59
2. UC San Diego (1)	14-0	55
3. Alaska Anchorage	13-1	48
4. Cal Poly Pomona	12-2	42
5. Central Washington	10-3	31
T6. Dominican	11-2	26
T6. Azusa Pacific	14-3	26
8. CSU San Marcos	10-4	18
9. Western Washington	9-5	13
T10. Chico State	9-4	5
T10. Fresno Pacific	11-4	5