ANCHORAGE - Tiffany Massey delivered one of the best all-around performances in University of Alaska Anchorage women's basketball history to help the Seawolves upset Western Washington 64-60 at the Sports Center tonight.
Massey had 17 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks for UAA (10-12, 8-9), which has now won seven of its last eight games. Western Washington (16-6, 12-5), ranked No. 3 in the West Region, was led by Stacey Miller's 15-point, 10-rebound effort.
After trailing by 13 points with 17 minutes left, UAA went on a 29-6 spurt to take a 60-50 lead. But the Vikings came back with a 10-0 run, tying it on Miller's three-pointer with 1:56 left. After both teams had empty trips up the court, Massey rebounded Kellie Larrabee's miss and converted the layup with 30 seconds showing. WWU's Megan Quarterman drove the lane but missed a layup with 7 seconds left, and Massey sank two free throws to ice the victory.
Massey's was the first 20-plus rebounds performance for a Seawolf since Debbie Clare had 20 at Oregon State on Jan. 8, 1984. Her double-double was her team-leading eighth this season.
Senior Center Dana Bottoms scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds and equaled her career-high with five blocks. UAA's No. 2 career shot blocker with 137, Bottoms now has 48 this season. She needs 10 swats in her last five games to equal Tammy Middaugh's school record, set in 1981-82.
Playing without injured center Bell Jordan, the team's second-leading scorer, UAA also got strong inside performances from seniors Kellie Larrabee (13 points, 5 rebounds) and Jennifer Gardeline (5 points, 3 assists).
The victory was the first-ever for UAA against the Vikings, who had taken seven in a row in the series.
The Seawolves are back at the Sports Center Saturday night at 6 p.m. when they face league-leading and 19th-ranked Seattle Pacific. That game can be heard live in Anchorage on AM-550 or over the internet at www.GoSeawolves.com.