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#13 Seawolves escape 'Jackets, 65-63

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

#13 Seawolves escape 'Jackets, 65-63

BILLINGS, Mont. (Feb. 24) – Sophomore Hanna Johansson scored a career-high 25 points, including two key buckets in the late-going, to help the 13th-ranked Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team fend off an upset bid by Montana State Billings, 65-63, at Alterowitz Gymnasium on Wednesday.

The Seawolves (21-3, 11-2 GNAC) also got nine points from junior forward Kelsie Gourdin and seven assists from junior guard Nikki Aden to earn their seventh straight win and sweep the season series from the Yellowjackets (10-14, 3-10).

MSUB was led by 19 points from guard Sarah McNamee, while center Kayla Ryan delivered 15 points and 13 rebounds.

UAA seemed to have things in hand with a 36-26 halftime lead, and Johansson scored on the opening possession of the second half to give the Seawolves their largest advantage.

After Johansson (10-16 FG, 5-6 FT) spotted UAA a 50-41 lead at the 10:53 mark, the Yellowjackets answered with an 8-0 run. Gourdin, a 5-10 forward, responded with a personal 7-0 spurt to seemingly regain the momentum for the visitors, but the home team never quit, finally tying the game 59-59 on two free throws from McNamee with 3:04 left.

After a pair of missed opportunities for both sides, Johansson converted on a back-to-back feeds from Nicci Miller to make it 63-59. Aden swished two free throws with 49 seconds left to give UAA its final points, and the Seawolves hung on despite missed front ends of one-and-one opportunities by Aden and Tamar Gruwell – both 90 percent free-throw shooters.

After Gruwell's miss with 8 seconds left, Ryan grabbed the rebound and sprinted downcourt for a final shot – an 18-foot, straightaway jumper that clanged off the front rim at the buzzer.

The win gave UAA its sixth straight victory against MSUB and a final Great Northwest Athletic Conference road record of 7-2 this year.

Aden also scored seven points to go with her career-best assist total, while Miller and Gruwell tallied eight points apiece. Johansson, a 6-2 post from Gothenburg, Sweden, also tied her career rebounding high for the third time with nine.

Johansson surpassed her previous career scoring high of 17 points as she netted the most points for a Seawolf this year.

The victory puts the Seawolves – at least temporarily – in a tie for second place in the GNAC standings with Western Washington, just one-half game behind league-leading Seattle Pacific.

UAA – ranked No. 4 in the West Region – closes its regular season with three home games, beginning Saturday (7 p.m.) against Alaska Fairbanks.


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Players Mentioned

Nikki Aden

#25 Nikki Aden

G/F
5' 8"
Freshman
Kelsie Gourdin

#RS Kelsie Gourdin

F
5' 10"
Junior
Tamar Gruwell

#14 Tamar Gruwell

G
5' 8"
Junior
Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

F
6' 2"
Freshman
Nicci Miller

#0 Nicci Miller

F
5' 10"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Nikki Aden

#25 Nikki Aden

5' 8"
Freshman
G/F
Kelsie Gourdin

#RS Kelsie Gourdin

5' 10"
Junior
F
Tamar Gruwell

#14 Tamar Gruwell

5' 8"
Junior
G
Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

6' 2"
Freshman
F
Nicci Miller

#0 Nicci Miller

5' 10"
Junior
F