ANCHORAGE (Feb. 19) -
Marcus Robinson scored 38 points Saturday, but the Seawolf men's basketball team couldn't take advantage of several late opportunities in a heart-breaking 117-112, double-overtime loss to 17th-ranked Seattle Pacific at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
UAA (10-14, 4-11 GNAC) also got a career-high 20 points from freshman forward Carl Arts, while SPU (18-6, 10-4) put six players in double-figures, led by 21 points from guard Tony Binetti and 20 from center Jason Chivers.
The Seawolves started hot, jumping to an 18-10 lead and stretching that to 38-26 on a Robinson fast-break layin with 3:33 showing in the first half. SPU cut it to 45-41 at the break, however, and scored the first five points of the second half to take its first lead.
The teams went toe-to-toe the rest of the way, with neither team leading by more than five points until the Seawolves took an 82-75 lead with 2:33 to play.
UAA led 86-80 with 48 seconds remaining when a Binetti free throw, a UAA turnover, and a dunk by Chivers sliced it to 86-83 just 14 ticks later. The Falcons immediately fouled Robinson - an 85 percent free throw shooter - but the senior missed both charities and SPU's Jordan Lee raced downcourt and unhesitatingly fired in the tying three with 17 seconds left.
UAA had a chance for a last shot, but Arts' twisting 15-footer from the baseline was long.
The Seawolves held a 99-94 lead in the first extra session before SPU's Ralph Steele (15 points, 11-11 FT) was fouled on a three-point attempt and converted all three shots. After getting a defensive stop, SPU then got a jumper from Lee (19 points, 5 assists) to knot it at 99-99.
Robinson, whose point total was No. 9 on UAA's single-game scoring list, then converted a back-door layup from point guard Luke Cooper (7 assists, 1 turnovers) to go ahead with 15 seconds showing.
Chivers would answer again for the Falcons five seconds later, tossing in a shot over Arts to make it 101-101.
With 5.6 seconds left, UAA called timeout and set up an inbounds play that it ran perfectly, drawing a foul on a layup attempt with 3.7 ticks left. But James Hartman (16 points, 4-9 FG, 7-12 FT, 9 rebounds) - who played a school-record 50 minutes - missed both free throws and the game went to a second extra session.
The Falcons controlled the final five minutes, making 2-of-3 field goals - including a key trey by Jeff Knudson - and 11-of-12 free throws to hold off UAA's upset bid.
Mark Drake scored 18 points for the Seawolves to move into eighth place in UAA's career scoring list (1,113), while Bryan Freshwater chipped in 10 points (4-5 FG) before fouling out late in regulation.
Robinson's 16 free throws were one shy of Jeff Martin's 1983 school record, while the Seawolves' 41 made charities - on 50 tries - were more than they had attempted in a game this season.
UAA will try to play spoiler on its senior night - honoring Robinson, Drake and Brad Evans - when its hosts league-leading Alaska Fairbanks at the WFSC on Feb. 26. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m., with a sellout expected.
