Nanooks host North Star Invitational

November 25, 2015

UAF photo by Todd Paris . Freshman forward Kaillee Skjold drives toward the hoop during the second half of the championship game of the 2013 North Star Invitational Tournament against Wayne State in the Patty Gym.

The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team returns home this Thanksgiving weekend, as they host the annual Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational at the Alaska Airlines Court in the University of Alaska Fairbanks Patty Center.

The Nanooks will kick off the tournament with Sonoma State University on Thursday and follow that up with a Friday afternoon matchup with University of Wisconsin-Parkside. They will conclude the weekend with Northwood University on Saturday. All three games will be played at 3 p.m.

The Nanooks are seeking their first Mt. McKinley North Star Invitational title. The longstanding tournament once again brings some of the nation's best NCAA Division II schools to the Last Frontier. This year's field features a pair of teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament (Northwood, UW-Parkside), along with Sonoma State, an NCAA West Regional foe.

Last season, the Nanooks went 1-2 in the North Star Invitational, defeating Colorado Christian on the final day. The Nanooks collected a runner-up finish in 2013 after going 2-1 with victories against Dominican (Calif.) and Less-McRae.

Following is a full tournament schedule:

Wednesday, Nov. 25
Tournament banquet - 5:30 p.m. at the Westmark Hotel Gold Room

Thursday, Nov. 26
Northwood vs. Wisconsin-Parkside - 1 p.m.
Sonoma State vs. UAF - 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 27
Sonoma State vs. Northwood - 1 p.m.
Augustana College vs. UAF - 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28
Wisconsin-Parkside vs. Sonoma State - 1 p.m.
Northwood vs. UAF - 3 p.m.