MONMOUTH, Ore. –The Western Oregon University women's basketball team embarks on their final road trip of the season for a pair of games in Alaska. The Wolves first visit Alaska Fairbanks Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. before a meeting with No. 10 Alaska Anchorage Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. PST.

ABOUT UAF (3-17, 0-14 GNAC): The Nanooks are currently in the midst of a 17-game losing streak dating back to Nov. 17. Winless in conference play, their best chance at a victory over a GNAC opponent was a 59-57 loss to Western Washington Jan. 3 at home.
 
UAF is the only team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference averaging under 60 points per game (58.2) while also holding the only scoring margin lower than -7.6 (-15.5).
 
Marian Wamsley leads the offense with 12.2 points per game and is 11th in the conference with 5.9 rebounds per game.
 
Sabrina Ungaro's 31.5 minutes played average is tied for 7th among GNAC players.

WOU vs. UAF: WOU is 21-16 vs. UAF since 2000. The Wolves have won three straight and four of the last five dating back to Jan. 6, 2017. Alaska's last win came on Feb. 2, 2017, 79-65 in Fairbanks.

ABOUT NO. 10 UAA (21-1, 13-1 GNAC): Alaska Anchorage has put together an historic season, currently on a 14-game winning streak. Their only loss came at the hands of then-No. 10 Northwest Nazarene on the road Dec. 1. They won't see the Nighthawks again until the last week of the regular season – a meeting that may very well decide the regular season title.
 
The Seawolves boast the top defense in the GNAC, allowing just 56.1 points per game. That exceptional defense has also created 15.0 steals per game, the second-most per game in all of Division II. They are also 6th nationally in turnover margin (+9.14) and 9th in assists per game (18.0).
 
Individually, Kian McNair is 5th in the country with 3.41 steals per game. Senior Hannah Wandersee is the only UAA player averaging over 10 points per game, putting down 14.7 a night in 22 appearances. She also leads the team with a sharp 87.5 percent free throw shooting mark.

WOU vs. UAA: Western Oregon is 6-31 against UAA since 2000. The Seawolves have won 30 straight meetings dating back to March 4, 2004. The Wolves' last win was a 64-58 victory Dec. 6, 2003, in Anchorage.

ABOUT WESTERN OREGON (7-13, 4-10 GNAC): Last week's pair of games for the Wolves were highlighted by strong fourth-quarter pushes. Losing both games by less than 10, WOU was within one possession against both Western Washington and Simon Fraser inside the final minute of each game, but were unable to secure a win.

Natalie DeLonge led the team in scoring in both games, accruing 35 points and 19 rebounds over the weekend.
 
Ronnie Harris registered her first 10-point game Saturday against Simon Fraser, hitting 2-of-4 3-pointers to aid the offense.
 
FREE THROW LOW: WOU made just three trips to the line Feb. 9 against Simon Fraser for six total free throw shots. It was the first time this season they have taken less than 12 free throws in a game.
 
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS: WOU is averaging 14.1 assists per game, their best team average since 2002-03.
 
27 IN A ROW: Ali Nelke made 27 straight free throws before her first miss of the season when she went 1-for-2 at the line Feb. 2 at Central Washington.
 
OPENING SUCCESS: Western Oregon is out-scoring opponents 317-297 in the first quarter this season.

THIEVERY ON THE MIND: WOU has nabbed 10 steals three times in their last seven games. The +7 steal margin against MSUB Jan. 26 was the highest this season for the Wolves.

THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS: In WOU's 79-50 win Jan. 19 at home against Alaska, the Wolves matched their highest point total of the season while also holding the Nanooks to an opponent-low. As a result, the Wolves had their largest win of the season at 29 points. The Nanooks were also the victims of WOU's lowest points allowed last season, scoring 49 Feb. 8, 2018, in Monmouth.

BACK-TO-BACK CAREER NIGHTS: Natalie DeLonge set a career-high with 23 points Jan. 17 at home against Alaska Anchorage. She wasted no time topping that mark, going for 24 points in her very next game Jan. 19 against Alaska. She is now averaging 14.6 points per game through 18 appearances. In her last 12 games, she has at least 6 rebounds in every contest and has scored less than 12 points just once.

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. They repeated that effort Jan. 19 against Alaska with another seven blocks.

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 15 of 20 games this season.

KEEP 'EM OFF THE BOARDS: Western Oregon has allowed the second-fewest opponent defensive rebounds in the conference, giving up just 478 for a .343 offensive 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.
 
SHARP-SHOOTING SENIOR: Ali Nelke currently ranks 2nd in the Great Northwest Athletic conference in field goal percentage (.556). She is also in the GNAC's top-10 in assist/turnover ratio (2nd), offensive rebounds (2nd), minutes played (4th), blocks (5th) and rebounding (9th).
 
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 10.1 points per game this season.
 
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 40 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 4th in the GNAC in minutes played, averaging 33.0 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 three games so far this year. Her current average leaves her just 2.5 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. The top eight in the poll held their position while Hawai'i Pacific moved into a tie for 10th.
 

D2SIDA West Region Poll (Feb. 11, 2019)
Rank / School	Record	Points
1. UC San Diego (6)	20-0	60
2. Northwest Nazarene	21-1	54
3. Alaska Anchorage	21-1	48
4. Cal Poly Pomona	19-3	42
5. Dominican	19-3	33
6. Azusa Pacific	19-4	30
7. Humboldt State	13-6	24
8. Simon Fraser	14-7	20
9. Central Washington	14-7	11
T10. Hawai'I Pacific	17-5	3
T10. Chico State	12-7	3