ANCHORAGE (Feb. 27) - A hot start and a school record by Mindy Mendenhall weren't enough Thursday as the UAA women's basketball team played well but lost 93-78 to Seattle Pacific at the Sports Center.

UAA (10-13, 5-10 GNAC) got 20 points each from Mendenhall and Mary Aschoff, but the Falcons (24-0, 15-0) showed why they are the top-ranked team in NCAA Division II, hitting 51.7 percent of their shots and dishing 24 assists. Point guard Kerie Hughes led SPU with 21 points and six assists.

The Seawolves jumped to a 30-21 advantage midway through the first half when Mendenhall made a pair of free throws. The junior forward went on to make a school-record 13-of-13 from the line, breaking the old mark of 10-for-10 (previously held by three players).

UAA maintained its lead until the 5:16 mark, when Valerie Gustafson scored a transition layup to make it 37-37. Tanya Nizich answered with her third three-pointer to put the Seawolves back on top, but SPU took the lead for good on Kristin Poe's basket with 2:18 left in the first.

SPU led 49-46 at halftime and outscored the Seawolves 25-9 over the first 11 minutes of the second half. After trailing by as many as 19, UAA cut its deficit to 77-68 at the 4:38 mark, but could get no closer.

Aschoff, who also had seven rebounds, scored 20 or more points for the third straight game. Meanwhile, UAA star Kamie Jo Massey was held under her usual averages, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Massey did, however, have a game-high eight assists to go with a pair of blocks and steals.

UAA forward Jen Stoddard came off the bench to score a season-high 10 points, along with five rebounds, in just eight minutes.

The Seawolves close their home schedule Saturday when they host Central Washington in a 7:05 p.m. tip at the Sports Center.