ANCHORAGE ? Rebecca Kielpinski had 16 points and nine rebounds and Alaska Anchorage withstood a late Syracuse rally Wednesday as the Seawolves captured their third straight Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout title with a 58-57 championship-game win at Sullivan Arena.
Kielpinski also had three assists and four blocks as she earned her third straight Shootout Most Outstanding Player Award, while guards Kiki Taylor and Tamar Gruwell tallied eight points apiece.
The Seawolves (7-1), ranked No. 9 in NCAA Div. II, improved to 29-47 all-time in their own tournament as they captured their fifth title overall (1990, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008).
Syracuse (4-2) ? coming off an NCAA Div. I Tournament appearance and picked to finish sixth in the powerful Big East Conference this season ? was led by 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists from guard Erica Morrow, plus 21 points and 15 rebounds from guard Chandrea Jones. Both Orange players made the All-Tournament Team, but they got little help from their teammates as the rest of the team totaled just 12 points on 2-of-26 shooting.
The game appeared as if might turn into a blowout early when Syracuse jumped to a 17-8 lead after 8 minutes. But the Seawolves nailed three straight three-pointers to knot it 19-19, and Kielpinski (4-7 FG) converted a backdoor layup moments later to give the home team its first advantage.
UAA's 28-26 halftime lead quickly disappeared thanks to three straight turnovers to start the second half, and things would stay tight for the rest of the night.
Tied 50-50, UAA's Taylor then made a pair of steals that would eventually decide the game, picking the pocket of Jones on two straight possessions and darting downcourt for the layup both times.
Nicci Miller would score UAA's final field goal at the 4:14 mark to make it 56-52 and Gruwell swished two free throws to extend the lead.
A pair of Jones free throws and a long jumper by Morrow sliced it to a one-possession game at the 2:10 mark, and the teams would trade missed three-pointers on their next tries.
Morrow then drew a foul in traffic with 1:11 remaining but missed the first of two free throws to leave the score where it would remain at 58-57.
UAA had a chance to extend its lead before Morrow stole the ball with 15 seconds left, leaving the Orange with a final opportunity. After a timeout, Morrow missed a layup attempt, grabbed her own rebound, and missed the follow try as well. Jones recovered the ball deep under the basket, but the senior stepped on the endline with 2.0 seconds showing on the clock. After the Orange knocked the initial inbounds pass out of bounds, the Seawolves successfully got the ball into Miller as the final 1.7 seconds ticked off.
UAA also got major contributions from senior guard Elisha Harris, who grabbed seven of her career-high eight rebounds in the first half, and point guard Jackie Thiel, who had five points, three steals and no turnovers. Both were named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Jones, Morrow and DeQuisha Davis of Jackson State.
UAA's victory was its first-ever over a Big East team and its fourth against a team from a BCS conference (Wake Forest, 1990; Georgia Tech, 1994; Clemson, 2003). The Seawolves beat current Big East member South Florida in 1983, long before the Bulls joined the league.
UAA does not return to action until Dec. 14 and 15 when they host fellow D-II squad Mansfield at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
2008 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout
Women's All-Tournament Team
DeQuisha Davis, Jackson State
Elisha Harris, Alaska Anchorage
Erica Morrow, Syracuse
Chandrea Jones, Syracuse
Jackie Thiel, Alaska Anchorage
Most Outstanding Player: Rebecca Kielpinski, Alaska Anchorage
