MONMOUTH, Ore. — The Western Oregon women's basketball team opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week, visiting the Alaska Nanooks Thursday, Dec. 5, and the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves Saturday, Dec. 7.

Western Oregon (2-4) looks to break a three-game losing streak this week, falling at home Friday and Saturday to Texas A&M International and Southwest Minnesota State, respectively.

The Wolves held the Dust Devils to just 51 points, a season-low for a WOU opponent, while also limiting their shooting to 32.7 percent from the field. Keyonna Jones scored a team-high 15 points against TAMIU, shooting 7-for-11 from the field in 25 minutes.

After scoring only 42 points on Friday, the Wolves turned it around with one of their highest-scoring performances of the season, dropping 62 against the Mustangs before letting a late lead slip away. Freshman Cali McClave had a season-high 18 points to bump her to over nine points a game in scoring average.

Western currently holds the second-best defense in the GNAC, allowing only 57.3 points per game. They are one of just two teams in the conference allowing fewer than 63 points. Additionally, WOU holds opponents to a conference-low 36.1 percent field goal shooting.

Amber Winkler is currently tied for the conference lead in blocks per game, averaging 1.7 a night through six contests.

Alaska (5-4) had a three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday when they fell 84-76 to Lake Erie College at home. The Nanooks have begun a run of seven of their next nine games being played at home, going on the road just twice until Jan. 23 for their second conference road trip of the season.

UAF averages 70.8 points per game while allowing 66.9 through their nine games played. Junior Jocelyn Gandara is averaging 16.7 points per game, second only to Central Washington's Alexis Pana for the highest scoring average in the GNAC. Teammate Kylie Wallace is pulling down a team-high 8.7 rebounds per night, averaging over three offensive boards each game.

WOU is 21-17 against UAF all-time. The Wolves have won four of the last six meetings dating back to 2017. Their last win in Fairbanks was on Jan. 13, 2018, topping the Nanooks 74-54. They are 7-12 on the road in the series.

Alaska Anchorage (7-1) enters conference play with the best record in the GNAC, having gone a perfect 4-0 at home over their non-conference schedule. Their lone loss of the season was a 53-52 heartbreaker at Lynn University in Florida. The Seawolves also had the experience of traveling to Durham, N.C., for an exhibition game against the Duke Blue Devils.

UAA's offense leads the GNAC with an 81.5 points per game average while also allowing the fewest points at 55.4 a night. They hold a +26.1 scoring margin, 19 points better than anyone else in the conference.

Safiyyah Yasin averages 14.6 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting. She is also dishing out 3.1 assists per game over eight appearances.

WOU is 6-32 against UAA all-time. The Seawolves have won 31 straight over Western, not losing since Dec. 6, 2003, in Anchorage. WOU is 3-16 on the road in the series.

Thursday's game against the Nanooks is set for a 6:15 p.m. PST tipoff while Saturday's matchup with the Seawolves will start at 8:30 p.m.