FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks might have their hands full this week when a talented trio of women’s basketball teams invades the Patty Center to compete in the North Star Invitational Tournament.

The Gannon Golden Knights, ranked 19th in the NCAA Division II Preseason Women’s College Basketball Poll, head up the field that includes traditional powerhouse Henderson State Lady Reddies of Arkadelphia, Ark., and the West Florida Argonauts from Pensacola, Fla.

All three teams have .500 or better records this season and are among the top teams in their respective conferences.

The three-day North Star Invitational is a round-robin tournament that starts on Thanksgiving and runs through Saturday evening.

The tournament opens at 5:15 p.m. Thursday when Henderson State takes on West Florida. The Nanooks face Gannon at 8.

Friday’s schedule calls for West Florida to play Gannon at 2 p.m. and Henderson State to take on the Nanooks at 4:30.

The tournament concludes on Saturday when Gannon plays Henderson State at 2 p.m. and West Florida plays the Nanooks at 4:30.

Tickets for each two-game session are $10 for adults, $9 for faculty, staff and alumni, and $4 for youths under age 18. Tournament passes are available for $24.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the UAF athletics ticket office in the Patty Center, Fred Meyer stores, Carlson Center Box Office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The athletic ticket office is open weekdays from

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Gannon will bring a lofty 6-0 record into Fairbanks. After winning its season opener 67-66 against Northeastern State, Gannon has won its next five games by an average of about 20 points per game.

The Golden Knights are led by a trio of seniors — guard Carrie Nolan averages 14.7 points per game, guard Kristina Freeman knocks down 13.3 and forward Brittany Tabron averages 12.2.

Henderson State started the season with a pair of home wins, then dropped two games on the road. The Lady Reddies are averaging 79.5 points per game and are led by guards Janisha Young, who averages 10.5 points per game and Christina Hall, who chips in 10.2.

West Florida suffered an overtime loss to Mobile in its season-opener, but bounced back to claim wins over Cameron and Harding before heading north to Alaska.

The Argonauts have a high-scoring backcourt with senior guards Tiffany Williams (18.7 scoring average) and Amy Drake (17.7 per outing).

The Nanooks opened their season last week by splitting a two-game series with Hawaii-Hilo. Alaska won its season-opener 66-65, but dropped a 70-66 decision the following night.

Volleyball recruit

Chugiak libero Jessica Eicher has signed a National Letter of Intent to become the first Alaska Nanooks volleyball recruit for the 2010-11 season.

The 5-foot-3 Eicher helped Chugiak to the Cook Inlet Conference title this past season. The Mustangs were upset by Colony in the Class 4A state tournament semifinals and wound up finishing in fifth place. Chugiak finished second in the state in 2008.

“Jessica is a good, dynamic player whose progress we have been tracking for about a year now,” head coach Phil Shoemaker said in a press release Monday. “When she attended camp this summer, we were impressed with her abilities and how well she fit our team needs.”

Eicher will enter school next fall as an Alaskan scholar. She also is an accomplished motocross racer, winning the Anchorage Racing Lions women’s novice championship in 2005.

The Nanooks finished the 2009 season with a 12-15 overall record and a 6-10 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

NSI SLATE

At UAF Patty Center

Thursday’s Games

5:15 p.m.: Henderson State vs. West Florida

8 p.m.: Gannon vs. Alaska Nanooks

Friday’s Games

2 p.m.: Gannon vs. West Florida

4:30 p.m.: Henderson State vs. Alaska Nanooks

Saturday’s Games

2 p.m.: Gannon vs. Henderson State

4:30 p.m.: West Florida vs. Alaska Nanooks