BELLINGHAM, Wash. (Jan. 17) - Sophomore Josh Evans delivered a career-best effort, but it wasn't enough to help the UAA men's basketball team overcome a severe lack of size in an 87-67 loss to host Western Washington at Carver Gym.

Peter Bullock led UAA (4-11, 4-2 GNAC) with 15 points, but 13 of those came in the second half as the Vikings (11-4, 5-1) began to pull away. WWU got 23 points off the bench from guard Darnell Taylor.

The Vikings inside duo took advantage of the short-handed Seawolves, who were without starting 6-8 forward G.J. Macon (sprained ankle, day-to-day), and had to make due against WWU's inside tandem of 6-10 Mike Palm (13 pts, 10 reb) and 6-7, 275-pound Brian Dennis (12 pts, 11 reb). WWU forged a 53-30 rebounding advantage and shot 45.5 percent to UAA's 37.5 percent.

Evans, getting his first start of the season, scored 12 of his career-high 13 points in the first half as UAA hung close, 39-35 at halftime. The sophomore from Dimond High shot 5-for-7 and pulled down a personal-best 9 rebounds also.

Bullock converted a pass from Mark Drake with 13:18 left in the game to pull the Seawolves within 48-46. But on the return trip downcourt Western's Shelton Diggs scored and drew Bullock's fourth foul, sparking a 23-8 run that blew the game open.

UAA, which had thrived from the three-point line lately, went cold in front of a rowdy, capacity crowd of 1,295, going 5-for-21 from long range. Junior guard Cody Gallatin had three threes off the bench for UAA, but overall the Seawolves' reserves were outscored 41-16 by their Viking counterparts.

The win put WWU a game ahead of UAA in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, alone in third place. UAA finishes its four-game road trip Saturday night at No. 9 Seattle Pacific. Tip-off is 6 p.m. Alaska time.