Burnaby, BC - The Simon Fraser University basketball teams take to the road this weekend for their first swings as visitors in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference circuit this season, as well as their first games of the calendar year.

The men head north to Alaska looking for their first conference victory of the season, while the women travel to Montana and Seattle as they look to stay undefeated in GNAC play.

Fans can tune into the games by following the links on the Clan's home page: athletics.sfu.ca, under "Upcoming Games".

Men vs Alaska Fairbanks

The Clan men hit the road this weekend as they head to Alaska for two games in the northern state.

Coming off a disappointing opening weekend in conference play, the team will be looking for their first conference victory of the season against the Nanooks, when they play Thursday, January 2 at 7:00 AST in Fairbanks, AK.

After dropping two very competitive games to Saint Martin's and Western Oregon, the men need to focus on strong starts in the upcoming games to ensure they don't fall behind on the court, forcing them to mount extreme comeback attempts.

Nanook Ronnie Baker will pose the team problems as the senior averages 17.6 points per game for fifth-best in the GNAC. The Clan will need to solidify on defence to minimize his scoring chances, and close down the home team's offence.

The Clan sit third in the GNAC in scoring offence, causing fans to look to junior Justin Cole (12.7ppg) and David Gebru (12ppg) to spark the offence in this opening game of 2013.

The Clan lead the Nanooks in post conference categories, but a notable omission is scoring defence where AAK is second in the GNAC.

The Clan's lack of cohesiveness on the defensive end may cause them some problems but if they can keep the Nanooks; outside shooters at bay the game is a very even match.

Women vs Montana State - Billings

The Clan women hit the road for their first road trip of the conference season, starting Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 7:00 MST against Montana State University – Billings.

The Yellowjackets boast a 2-0 GNAC record, while the Clan are also undefeated in conference play winning their sole game 62-58 over Western Washington in early December.

The two teams are tightly packed in the GNAC rankings with less than three spots separating them in most categories, and match up well on paper in most facets of the game.

The Clan's edge will likely come from the versatility of their players, guard Erin Chambers leads the conference in points per game with and average of 22, and plays the guard and forward positions with ease. Guard Katie Lowen averages 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game for the Clan as well.

Yellowjacket Bobbi Knudsen will be one to watch for the Clan defence as the senior averages 14.3 points and 6 assists per game, and leads the GNAC in free-point shooting percentage with .927.

A win over the home team will give the Clan some momentum heading into Saturday's game against cross-border rivals Seattle Pacific University and put the 2-0 in conference play.

Men vs Alaska Anchorage

Following an important Thursday match against AAF, the SFU men will complete their Alaskan road trip against Alaska Anchorage University this Saturday, January 4 at 7:00 AST.

The Seawolves boast a 1-0 GNAC record, and are also ranked 23^rd in the NCAA Division II heading into this weekend's play.

The Clan will need to be tight on defence to stop the northern powerhouse who will face #15 Western Washington on Thursday night to start the weekend.

SFU will look to experience from seniors Taylor Dunn and Elijah Matthews to maintain team momentum and focus as they complete their first true weekend away of the season, as well as for confidence and leadership on the court.

Seawolf Travis Thompson averages 22.8 points per game for the home side, closely followed by teammates Brian McGill with 17.6 and Kyle Fossman with 17.2.
SFU's defence will need to focus on that trifecta of offence and shut down the outside shooting opportunities.

To make sure to keep with the Seawolves over 40 minutes the Clan will need to ensure a strong start out of the gates, and improved offence in the opening ten minutes of the game.

Women vs Seattle Pacific

To close out their first road swing of the season, the Clan women face Seattle Pacific University at 7:00 PST on Saturday, January 4, 2014.

The Falcons boast a number 9 ranking in NCAA Division II competition, and are 1-1 in GNAC play, after a split weekend in Alaska in December.

The Clan rank above the home side in scoring offence, but SPU has the edge on the defensive end. SFU will need to keep big scorers like Katie Benson and Suzanna Ohlsen at bay in order to maintain control of the game.

SFU has yet to beat the Falcons in their home court, having dropped all four contests on the road since joining the GNAC in 2010.

Saturday's game will be an important one for conference rankings, as a win over a nationally ranked team will bode extremely well for a completely rebuilt Clan side.

Leadership from seniors Chelsea Reist and Rebecca Langmead will be important as SFU completes a long weekend of travel, especially as the former had two excellent games to close 2013.

Both SFU and SPU lost tightly contested matches against #10 West Texas A&M before the Christmas break, so Saturday's match looks to be a very even and competitive game to spark the fuel for the remainder of the season.