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Vikings outscore Seawolves in wild affair

Men's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Vikings outscore Seawolves in wild affair

ANCHORAGE – Taylor Rohde and Brandon Walker scored 27 points apiece but Western Washington's big guns answered with huge performances of their own as the Vikings downed Alaska Anchorage 106-102 in an offensive showcase Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The Seawolves (17-7, 9-4 GNAC) suffered their first back-to-back losses on their primary home court this year as a UAA three-point try caromed off the rim in the last five seconds again – this time an open look from Casey Robinson.

The Vikings (14-7, 9-4) got a game-high 33 points from point guard John Allen, who shot 7 of 7 from three-point range and made all six of his free throws. WWU also got 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting from forward Zach Henifin to sweep the season series and move into a tie with UAA for third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings.

UAA, which came in ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region poll, lost despite shooting an incredible 67.9 percent (36 of 53) from the floor, including 11 of 22 on three-pointers.

But the Vikings made the big plays down the stretch to erase a 90-81 deficit in the final five and a half minutes. WWU made four straight three-pointers in the deciding run, taking its first lead of the second half, 99-97, on Allen's final trey with 1:43 remaining.

After a UAA turnover, Michael Duty, who scored 17 points, converted a second-chance layup to make it 101-97. Walker answered quickly with a driving layup before Allen pushed the lead back to four with a pair of free throws.

Robinson drew a foul on a three-point attempt on the ensuing possession and sank all three charities to make it 103-102 with 24 seconds left. UAA then fouled WWU's Dane Thorpe, who made just the first of his two free throws. The Seawolves called timeout with 10.7 seconds on the clock and got a good look for Robinson, but the senior's attempt bounced off the rim and into Allen's arms with 1.4 seconds showing. The Washington State transfer made both free throws to ice the game and account for the final margin.

Western Washington shot 15 of 24 (.625) from three-point range and 35 of 57 overall (.614) to win the highest scoring non-overtime game at the WFSC since UAA beat Montana State Billings 117-96 in Feb. 2001.

Rohde, who was coming off a 31-point effort in a victory Saturday at Billings, was impressive again inside, making 9 of 12 shots from the floor and 9 of 11 at the charity stripe. The Arizona State transfer also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and dished three assists.

Meanwhile, Walker was an efficient 9 of 13 from the field to account for his season-high point total. Freshman guard Travis Thompson came off the bench for 16 points on 6-of-8 marksmanship, while Robinson had 11 points and five assists. Junior point guard Steve White scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting and dished a game-high seven assists.

The Seawolves have now lost three of their last four, although those losses have come by a combined 11 points and featured two last-second misses. UAA fell 52-50 to regionally top-ranked Central Washington in its previous home outing on Jan. 29.

UAA gets a crack at redemption Saturday when it hosts GNAC newcomer Simon Fraser at 7:30 p.m.


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Players Mentioned

Casey Robinson

Casey Robinson

THR
Junior
Casey Robinson

#44 Casey Robinson

F
6' 6"
Junior
Brandon Walker

#22 Brandon Walker

G
6' 3"
Sophomore
Steve White

#14 Steve White

G
6' 0"
Freshman
Taylor Rohde

#34 Taylor Rohde

F/C
6' 9"
Junior
Travis Thompson

#11 Travis Thompson

G
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Casey Robinson

Casey Robinson

Junior
THR
Casey Robinson

#44 Casey Robinson

6' 6"
Junior
F
Brandon Walker

#22 Brandon Walker

6' 3"
Sophomore
G
Steve White

#14 Steve White

6' 0"
Freshman
G
Taylor Rohde

#34 Taylor Rohde

6' 9"
Junior
F/C
Travis Thompson

#11 Travis Thompson

6' 1"
Freshman
G