ANCHORAGE ? Kenny Barker scored all 20 of his points after halftime Thursday night to boost the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team to an 87-68 victory over Montana State Billings at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
UAA (12-11, 6-4 GNAC) also got 17 points from sophomore guard Brandon Walker, plus 13 points and seven rebounds from senior center Jeremiah Trueman to earn a split of the season series with the Yellowjackets.
MSUB (9-12, 4-6) dropped its third straight game ? all on the road ? despite 11 points, nine rebounds and five assists from point guard Mario Burns. Forward Derrick Wright led the visitors with 15 points.
Although Barker ? the GNAC's 4th-leading scorer (18.8 ppg) ? went to the bench early with a pair of fouls, the Seawolves still seemed to take complete control, racing to a 29-14 lead midway through the first half.
But the Yellowjackets answered with a 15-1 run to nearly pull even, and the Seawolves would have to rally again to grab a 40-33 halftime advantage.
The second stanza was dominated by the home team, however, as UAA shot a blazing 70.8 percent (17 of 24) from the field, led by Barker's 6-of-7 marksmanship. The senior guard also finished with six rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks.
The Seawolves put five players in double figures, getting 12 points (4-8 3FG) from sophomore guard Kevin White and 11 points (4-7 FG) and eight rebounds from reserve guard Lonnie Ridgeway. White also dished a game-high six assists with just one turnover.
The Seawolves got contributions up and down the lineup, with starting guard Darren Nye chipping in five assists and nine points on perfect shooting (4 of 4), while reserve forward Kyle Doerr dished three assists without a turnover.
UAA posted an impressive 22-10 assist-turnover ratio, holding the Yellowjackets to just 10 assists on the night.
The Seawolves will get a rare Saturday off before beginning a four-game road trip next week. UAA kicks off its travels Thursday, Jan. 19 with a 6:30 p.m. AST showdown at regionally ranked Seattle Pacific.
