Great Alaska Shootout

Thanksgiving week is looking stuffed this year: turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and a side of college basketball. The Great Alaska Shootout is slated to begin Tuesday with the first round of the women’s tournament. The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, who have won the last four straight Shootout titles, will open up against the San Jose State Spartans. The Spartans were picked to finish ninth in the Western Athletic Conference, while UAA was selected to finish second in the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

While basketball fans may be looking ahead to next week's Great Alaska Shootout, the University of Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team can't yet afford to -- as this weekend's home games versus New Mexico-Highlands are much more significant. If real estate is all about location, an NCAA playoff resume is built around the location of your opponents. “We put our schedule besides the Shootout to include the West Region, so they all count,” said coach Tim Moser.