SEATTLE (Jan. 8) - The Seawolf men's basketball team led virtually the entire ball-game Saturday night and held on at the end to eke out a 69-68 thriller over host Seattle University at the Connolly Center.
Brad Evans led UAA (7-6, 1-3 GNAC) with 14 points and James Hartman had 11 points and 12 rebounds as the Seawolves captured their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference win. Seattle (5-8, 0-4) got 16 points from guard Ryan Webb and double-doubles from Jeff McDaniel and Ryan Coldren in the loss.
UAA jumped to an early 7-2 lead and three times pushed its advantage as high as 10 points. Adam Fitt-Chappell made it a 51-41 edge on a jumper with 6:42 left, before the Redhawks came charging back and cut it to 51-47 on a pair of Coldren free throws just a minute later.
Two free throws by Mark Drake (12 points) made it 66-60 with only 49 seconds left, but Seattle got back-to-back threes from Webb and Sean Namanny (8 points, 2-2 3FG) to slice it to 68-66 with 13 seconds to play.
Evans (3-3 3FG, 5-6 FT) was fouled on the ensuing possession, but the 90 percent free throw shooter missed the second of two charities to allow the Redhawks life.
Seattle's Bernard Seals (14 points) grabbed the rebound and declined to call timeout, instead hoisting a three-point attempt and drawing a foul from Luke Cooper with three seconds showing. Seals made the first two free throws but missed the third. McDaniel (10 points, 10 rebounds) grabbed the rebound for Seattle but was unable to get a shot attempt in time.
UAA, which was outrebounded 40-26, won thanks to committing a season-low seven turnovers and forcing 14 by SU.
Despite his error at the end, Cooper had an outstanding performance with seven assists, zero turnovers and two steals in 37 minutes, while Hartman added four assists and a pair of steals. Hartman's double-double was the first of his Seawolf career and just the third for UAA this season.
Freshman Carl Arts scored double-figures for the third straight game with 13 points (5-10 FG, 2-2 FT), while Fitt-Chappell came through with 13 points (4-11 FG, 5-5 FT).
The Seawolves have now won four straight over the Redhawks.
UAA returns home next week when it hosts Central Washington in a GNAC game Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:05 p.m.
