ARCATA, Calif. (Mar. 6) - Seniors Kamie Jo Massey, Tanya Nizich and Mindy Mendenhall all delivered big performances in the final game of their careers Saturday, boosting the UAA women's basketball team to a 66-40 rout of host Humboldt State.
UAA (13-14, 8-10 GNAC) closed out the year the same way it started - with a 4-game winning streak - as the senior trio combined for 50 points and 25 rebounds. HSU (4-23, 2-16) got 20 points from center Nicole Lynch, but UAA forced the Lumberjacks into 21 turnovers and 32 percent shooting.
Massey had 18 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers in 40 minutes of action. It was the 24th double-double of her 2-year career, the second-most ever at UAA. Massey went 4 of 5 from the free throw line to come up just 0.0002 short of Robbie Robinson's school single-season percentage record (.855, 1985-86).
Nizich, however, did set a pair of school records in Saturday's win. Her 15 three-point attempts broke Allegra Stoetzel's game mark of 14 (Jan. 26, 1995), while her five three-pointers made gave her 73 on the season, breaking Stoetzel's record of 70 (1994-95). Nizich finished with a team-high 20 points.
Amber Nasby, who finished with 14 points (6-8 FG) and seven rebounds, hit a jumper five minutes into the game to put UAA up 10-8, a lead it would never relinquish. The Seawolves built a 31-20 halftime lead and started the second half with an 8-0 run to put things out of reach.
The winning margin was UAA's largest of the season.
Mendenhall, a forward from Springville, Utah, closed her career with 12 points and nine rebounds to power UAA to a 42-36 advantage on the glass.
Junior point guard Jessica Reilly had an outstanding game, too, coming one shy of her career-best with eight assists, while committing just one turnover in 37 minutes.
Saturday's win gave UAA sixth place in the 10-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference, its best finish in the 3-year history of the league.