ANCHORAGE (Jan. 6) - Point guard Christa Wilson scored a game-high 18 points, including the game-winning layup with just over a minute left, as the Seawolf women's basketball team got its first league win, 63-62 over Seattle University on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
UAA (6-6, 1-2 GNAC) built a 20-point lead shortly after halftime, but had to overcome foul trouble against three key players and a gritty Redhawks team to hold on by the thinnest of margins.
The Seawolves came out scorching the nets in the first half, building leads of 11-2, 21-8 and finally 29-12. They shot 56.7 percent from the floor and went into the locker room with a 39-24 lead and seemingly in total control.
After allowing a 5-point Seawolf run to start the second half, the Redhawks (5-6, 0-2) called timeout and began their comeback.
With the lead cut to just four points, Cassie Bro (13 points, 6-12 FG, 3 assists) hit a 10-foot, baseline jumper with six minutes left that made it 61-55. Seattle still wouldn't go quietly, though, eventually forging a 61-61 tie on Laina Sobczak's free throw at the 2:09 mark.
After both teams missed opportunities to take the lead on their next possessions, Wilson moved around a high screen and beat her defender to the basket for a 63-61 lead. With 12 seconds left, SU point guard Jackie Thomas drew the fifth foul on UAA leading scorer Stephanie Beason (14 points), but converted just one of two from the line.
Wilson had a chance to put UAA up by three from the foul line, but missed the front end of the bonus with 10 seconds to play.
The Redhawks rushed upcourt and got the ball to Sobczak (11 points, 9 rebounds), who was double-teamed and forced to pass to Thomas with two seconds left. SU's point guard, who was 0-for-9 from the floor at that point, put up an on-line three-pointer from the wing that bounced high off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
UAA wound up with a 47.3 percent to 30.4 percent advantage in shooting, but the Redhawks controlled the boards 39-31 and made 19 more trips to the free throw line. Beason and sophomore center Tenecia Macon both fouled out for UAA, and Wilson wound up with four fouls.
Wilson (6-11 FG, 6-8 FT) also dished six assists and got four rebounds in 37 minutes. Seawolf center Taylor Long (4 points, 5 rebounds) was held under 10 points for the first time this season, but fellow senior Amber Nasby stepped forward with six points, five rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
The Seawolves are back on the court Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Western Washington (11-1, 2-0) in another Great Northwest Athletic Conference game.
