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UAA claims outright title with rout

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

UAA claims outright title with rout

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Tijera Mathews scored a career-high 15 points to lead a balanced offensive attack as 11th-ranked Alaska Anchorage claimed the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball title outright with a 72-42 victory over Western Oregon at the New P.E. Building on Saturday.

The Seawolves (24-4, 15-2 GNAC) also got 12 points from junior guard Haley Holmstead and 11 points, five rebounds and five assists from freshman guard Gritt Ryder to post their fifth straight win and sweep the season series from WOU for the eighth year in a row.

The Wolves (7-20, 6-10) were led by 12 points and eight assists from guard Jade Haas.

After falling behind 10-9 in the first seven minutes, the Seawolves answered with an 8-0 run and forged to a 33-17 lead at halftime. WOU sliced its deficit to 41-30 on Dana Goularte's three-point play with 11:50 remaining, but the Wolves would get no closer.

The result marked UAA's 17th consecutive win over WOU, extending the program's all-time record against any opponent. It also gives the Seawolves at least 24 victories for the fifth year in a row.

Mathews, a senior forward, shot 5 of 9 from the floor and sank all four of her free throws to top her previous career-high by one point, adding four rebounds and four steals. UAA also got seven points and six rebounds off the bench from junior forward Alysa Horn as the Seawolves' reserves outscored their counterparts 33-8.

Senior forward Hanna Johansson tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds and dished four assists.

After sharing the 2008-09 GNAC title with Seattle Pacific, this marks UAA's first-ever outright regular-season crown in the 11-year-old league. The Seawolves' last outright league title came in 1988-89 in the now-defunct Continental Divide Conference.

UAA, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Div. II West Region, returns to Anchorage for its regular-season finale when it hosts Alaska Fairbanks on Sat., Feb. 25 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.


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Players Mentioned

Alysa Horn

#RS Alysa Horn

F
5' 11"
Freshman
Hanna Johansson

#50 Hanna Johansson

F
6' 2"
Freshman
Tijera Mathews

#3 Tijera Mathews

G/F
5' 10"
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
Tijera Mathews

#3 Tijera Mathews

5' 10"
Junior
G/F
Haley Holmstead

#5 Haley Holmstead

5' 8"
Junior
G
Gritt Ryder

#11 Gritt Ryder

5' 10"
Freshman
G