Women's Basketball in Alaska for Thanksgiving
November 21, 2012Trojans to play three games in three days
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Anderson University women’s basketball team held its first practice Wednesday at Alaska-Fairbanks’ Patty Center in preparation for the host Nanooks’ three-day Mt. Mckinley Bank North Star Invitational that begins on Thanksgiving Day.
Fellow South Atlantic Conference member Lenoir-Rhyne went undefeated and won the event a year ago, defeating the Nanooks, 57-44, to earn the title.
The Trojans will be looking for their third win in the last four outings as they face the Winona State Warriors at 9:15 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, then square off against Alaska on Friday at 11:30 p.m. and wrap up the event versus the Upper Iowa Peacocks on Saturday.
Winona State located in Winona, Minnesota, is a member of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Warriors posted an 18-11 record last season, falling to the University of Mary in the opening round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and narrowly missed out on earning a berth in the NCAA’s Central Region Tournament. Winona State opened the season with a loss, but has bounced back to win two straight and has four players averaging double figures, while as fifth, Michelle Tobin, is averaging nearly a double-double, with 8.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest.
Guard Katie Wolff earned all-NSIC honors following last season and is second on the squad in scoring (17.0 ppg.), while senior guard Becca Friestleben is leading the Warriors with her 22.7 points per game average.
The Nanooks are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and notched a 6-22 record last season. Alaska is looking for its first win of the young season after opening the season with an 87-73 home setback to Colorado School of Mines, then dropping a pair of road decisions at San Francisco’s Academy of Art Institute and Cal State East Bay.
Upper Iowa, located in Fayette, Iowa is another member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Peacocks are coming off a 3-23 season a year ago and were led by All-NSIC Freshman Whitney Kieffer, who started every game last season for the Peacocks and led the team in 12 categories, including scoring, rebounds and steals. The Scales Mound, Ill. native averaged 15.8 points per game, scoring a career-high 31 points at Bemidji State. The 5-foot-9 guard also added 6.7 rebounds per contest.
Kieffer is averaging nearly a double-double this season and was named the NSIC Player of the Week on Nov. 13. She opened her sophomore campaign with her third career double-double versus William Jewell College, equaling a career-high with 31 points and recording 10 rebounds. She added six steals and three assists.
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