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Seawolves shut down #17 Vikings, 68-53

Men's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Seawolves shut down #17 Vikings, 68-53

ANCHORAGE – Brandon Walker scored a game-high 23 points and the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team ended with an 18-0 run Thursday to score a 68-53 upset over nationally 17th-ranked Western Washington at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The Seawolves (14-6, 5-4 GNAC) knocked off the defending league champions and the current top-rated squad in the NCAA Div. II West Region as they also got 13 points from junior forward Nick Pacitti and a career-high 10 points from sophomore forward Aaron Stevens. UAA entered with a regional rank of No. 8

The Vikings (21-4, 8-3) were led by 13 points from guard Derrick Webb, who did all of his damage in the first half. WWU held a 12-point advantage three times in the opening stanza – shooting 59 percent from the field and 6 of 10 on three-pointers – but could never blow the game open.

UAA's defense then stepped up in the second half, holding the Vikings to 21 percent marksmanship, including 0 of 8 on treys.

Stevens, a 6-8 junior-college transfer who played locally at South Anchorage High, had the best game of his young career, making 5 of 6 shots and grabbing four rebounds. His steal and breakaway dunk with 12:33 remaining made it 47-40 and sparked the Seawolves' late surge.

WWU forward Zach Bruce answered with a dunk of his own on the next play, but that would be the Vikings' final field goal of the night as they missed their last 13 shots from the field.

Walker gave its first lead of the night on a spinning layup in the lane with 3:17 remaining, drawing the foul and converting the old-fashioned three-point play to make it 55-53.

After a pair of empty possessions on either side, Pacitti nailed a straightaway three with 2:03 left, and UAA sealed the game with eight straight free throws.

Walker shot 8 of 16 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to post his seventh effort of 20 or more points this year.

The win earned the Seawolves a season split with the Vikings after falling 68-62 in Bellingham last month. It also evened the all-time series against WWU at 9-9 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

UAA returns to the WFSC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to host another critical GNAC contest against regionally 9th-ranked Central Washington.
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Players Mentioned

Brandon Walker

#22 Brandon Walker

G
6' 3"
Sophomore
Nick Pacitti

#34 Nick Pacitti

F
6' 6"
Junior
Aaron Stevens

#42 Aaron Stevens

F
6' 8"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Brandon Walker

#22 Brandon Walker

6' 3"
Sophomore
G
Nick Pacitti

#34 Nick Pacitti

6' 6"
Junior
F
Aaron Stevens

#42 Aaron Stevens

6' 8"
Sophomore
F