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#12 UAA rips WWU, takes control of race

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

#12 UAA rips WWU, takes control of race

ANCHORAGE – Powered by big nights from juniors Sasha King and Alysa Horn, the 12th-ranked Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team led from start to finish Thursday, taking control of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference race with a 72-50 victory over Western Washington.

The Seawolves (21-4, 12-2 GNAC) got game-highs of 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench from Horn as they swept the season series from the Vikings and extended their Wells Fargo Sports Complex winning streak to 20 games.

With the victory, UAA enjoys a 2.5-game lead in the GNAC standings over both WWU and upcoming opponent Simon Fraser, with four games left in the regular season (five for WWU and SFU). The Seawolves and Clan tip off at 7 p.m. Saturday at the WFSC.

The Vikings (15-6, 9-4) were led by nine points from reserve forward Kayla Bernsen, while center Britt Harris had seven points and six rebounds. UAA's defensive effort marked the third straight home game in which it has not allowed a double-digit scorer.

After posting their biggest win ever against WWU with a 75-55 decision last month in Bellingham, the Seawolves seemed to pick up where they left off, hitting eight of their first nine shots and jumping to a 17-2 lead in the opening six minutes.

“We talked a lot about being focused from the start, and our starters really delivered tonight,” said UAA head coach Tim Moser. “Sasha was sharp with her passes and our scorers did a good job of finishing around the rim. It's obviously a crucial win as we pursue our goal of a GNAC championship, but it's important that we don't celebrate too much as we get ready for a very good Simon Fraser team.”

King spearheaded the decisive early charge on her way to a 12-point, 8-assist, 3-steal effort, while fellow starting guard Gritt Ryder got halfway to a triple-double with six points, five assists and five rebounds. King, a point guard from Norman, Okla., topped her previous career-best of seven assists, which she'd set five times this year.

The Seawolves never let the Vikings into the game after stretching to a 37-18 halftime advantage, pushing the lead to 45-23 on a Horn layup at the 14:33 mark. WWU drew within 55-39 on Katie Colard's three-pointer with 6 minutes left before UAA extended its lead as high as 68-42 with 2:07 to play.

Senior center Hanna Johansson had 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, junior guard Haley Holmstead added 12 points, and sophomore guard Kylie Burns scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.

The Seawolves forced 26 Vikings turnovers while committing just 14 of their own, and they outshot the visitors 40.9 percent (27 of 66) to 36.5 percent (19 of 52). UAA also won the rebounding battle 38-34 as it earned its fourth straight win in the series.

NOTES: UAA's victory avenged its last loss at the WFSC – an 81-61 setback to the Vikings on Jan. 22, 2011 … the Seawolves are now 12-0 on their primary home court this year … Horn shot 2 of 2 from the free-throw line to improve to 95.5 percent (21 of 22) in GNAC play … Ryder's five rebounds matched  a career-high for the freshman from Denmark ... Saturday's game will feature a 'Play4Kay' pink theme, with fans encouraged to wear pink in support of breast-cancer awareness.

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Players Mentioned

Alysa Horn

#RS Alysa Horn

F
5' 11"
Freshman
Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

F
6' 2"
Freshman
Kylie Burns

#43 Kylie Burns

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Sasha King

#15 Sasha King

G
5' 6"
Junior
Haley Holmstead

#5 Haley Holmstead

G
5' 8"
Junior
Gritt Ryder

#11 Gritt Ryder

G
5' 10"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Alysa Horn

#RS Alysa Horn

5' 11"
Freshman
F
Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

6' 2"
Freshman
F
Kylie Burns

#43 Kylie Burns

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Sasha King

#15 Sasha King

5' 6"
Junior
G
Haley Holmstead

#5 Haley Holmstead

5' 8"
Junior
G
Gritt Ryder

#11 Gritt Ryder

5' 10"
Freshman
G