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#10 Seawolves open GNAC slate at UAF

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Women blast Saints, claim share of GNAC

LACEY, Wash. – Led by 31 points from the senior tandem of Hanna Johansson and Kaylie Robison, the 11th-ranked Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team rolled to a 74-42 victory over host Saint Martin's at Marcus Pavilion on Thursday, clinching a share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title and the top seed in the league's upcoming postseason tournament.

UAA (23-4, 14-2 GNAC) also got eight points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals from freshman guard Gritt Ryder as the Seawolves earned their second GNAC regular-season title, having shared the 2008-09 crown with Seattle Pacific. With two games remaining, the Seawolves can finish no worse than tied with Western Washington, which has four league losses and three games left.

The Saints (7-18, 2-13) got game-highs of 20 points and nine rebounds from forward Chelsea Haskey but no other SMU player scored more than four points.

UAA led just 14-13 midway through the first half before taking over with a 14-2 surge. The Seawolves took a 35-18 advantage into the locker room and extended their lead throughout the second half.

Robison, a 6-0 forward, did most of her damage early and finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two blocks. Johansson, a 6-2 center, tallied the majority of her 17 points in the second half, shooting 8 of 12 and grabbing all seven of her rebounds on the offensive glass.

Junior point guard Sasha King had seven points, three assists and four of UAA's 15 team steals, while senior forward Tijera Mathews had nine points, five rebounds and two steals in 13 minutes.

UAA can clinch its first outright GNAC regular-season crown with a victory Saturday (6 p.m. AST) over Western Oregon in Monmouth, Ore., or a Western Washington loss against Seattle Pacific.

Along with the GNAC in 2008-09 and Continental Divide Conference titles in 1985-86, 1987-88 and 1988-89, this year marks fifth regular-season league championship in program history.

The Seawolves are the defending GNAC Tournament champions and will get a chance to defend that title Mar. 2-3 here in Lacey. UAA will be the No. 1 seed – having clinched due to its season sweep of WWU – and will play the No. 4 or 5 seed on Friday, Mar. 2 at 6:30 p.m. AST.

Prior to that, UAA will end the regular season with games Saturday at WOU and Feb. 25 against Alaska Fairbanks at home.


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Players Mentioned

Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

F
6' 2"
Freshman
Sasha King

#15 Sasha King

G
5' 6"
Junior
Tijera Mathews

#3 Tijera Mathews

G/F
5' 10"
Junior
Kaylie Robison

#24 Kaylie Robison

F
6' 0"
Junior
Gritt Ryder

#11 Gritt Ryder

G
5' 10"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

6' 2"
Freshman
F
Sasha King

#15 Sasha King

5' 6"
Junior
G
Tijera Mathews

#3 Tijera Mathews

5' 10"
Junior
G/F
Kaylie Robison

#24 Kaylie Robison

6' 0"
Junior
F
Gritt Ryder

#11 Gritt Ryder

5' 10"
Freshman
G