ANCHORAGE (Jan. 3) - Freshman Mark Drake scored a career- and game-high 20 points to lead the UAA men's basketball team to a 68-58 victory over Saint Martin's in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at the Sports Center tonight.
UAA (2-9, 2-0 GNAC) also got 14 points from sophomore forward Peter Bullock, while Saint Martin's (2-9, 0-3) was led by forward Gerrit Eades' 19 points and eight rebounds.
The Seawolves were outshot 41.2 percent to 40.6 percent and outrebounded 44-33, but they stayed in the game from long-range, hitting a team season-high 10 three-pointers to the Saints' two. UAA also converted 6 of 9 free throws to SMC's 0 of 2.
Drake, a 6-0 guard from Shelbyville, Ind., also dished a career-high six assists as he became the first Seawolf this season to play all 40 minutes of a contest. He finished with 7-of-16 shooting, including 4 of 12 from three-point range.
Point guard Bryson Vaughan was solid for UAA, hitting 4 of 5 shots, all coming in the second half as the Seawolves maintained a tenuous lead. He finished with 8 points, 6 assists and only two turnovers.
Meanwhile, Bullock, UAA's leading scorer and most ferocious inside presence, took his game outside in the second half, hitting two three-pointers to start the scoring for UAA. The second trey gave UAA a 39-37 lead they would not relinquish.
The key stretch came with just under 10 minutes left and UAA nursing a 46-43 lead. Cody Gallatin nailed a three for the Seawolves with 9:13 showing, before Shane Bannarbie hauled in a defensive rebound and hit Drake with a perfect outlet pass for a layup. That put UAA up 51-43 with 8:11 to go, and the Saints would get no closer than six the rest of the way.
Sophomore forward Josh Evans provided a big lift off the bench for UAA, coming up with season-highs of 7 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes.
The win was UAA's first at home this season, snapping a 5-game losing streak in the Sports Center.
UAA looks to keep its perfect conference record in tact Saturday, Jan. 5 when it hosts Central Washington at 8 p.m. at the Sports Center.
