Vikings pull away late in GNAC showdown

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Taylor Rohde had game-highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough Thursday as 17th-ranked Alaska Anchorage fell 59-50 to 15th-ranked Western Washington in a battle of Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball leaders at Carver Gymnasium.

The Seawolves (17-5, 11-3 GNAC) saw their six-game winning streak snapped despite another big night from their senior All-America candidate, who shot 10 of 18 from the field and 6 of 10 from the free-throw stripe.

While Rohde did more than half of UAA's damage, the host Vikings (21-3, 12-1) got a balanced scoring effort led by junior guard John Allen , who tallied 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Reserve forward Paul Jones chipped in 10 points on 8-of-8 free-throw shooting as well, helping WWU sweep the season series and gain a game-and-a-half lead over UAA in the GNAC standings.

The game was a tight affair throughout, featuring seven ties and 10 lead changes. UAA held a 22-20 lead at halftime when senior Phillip Hearn scored a third-chance putback at the buzzer, and Rohde made it a 32-27 advantage midway through the second half with consecutive three-point plays.

However, Allen hit a three-pointer to spark a small Vikings spurt, and the game was tied for the final time at 38-38 with 4:47 minutes left. WWU took the lead with a short jumper in the lane by Jones and made it a 9-1 run over the next 90 seconds, taking control for good.

UAA got within 55-50 on Travis Thompson's three-pointer with 20 second remaining but could get no closer.

Thompson finished with 10 points and two assists, while senior point guard Steve White had five points and four assists for the Seawolves.

UAA finishes its road trip Saturday when it travels north of the border to face Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia. That game tips at 6 p.m. AST at the SFU West Gymnasium.

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Players Mentioned

#22 Phillip Hearn: G/F; 6' 6"; Freshman

#14 Steve White: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#34 Taylor Rohde: F/C; 6' 9"; Junior

#11 Travis Thompson: G; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#22 Phillip Hearn
: 6' 6"; Freshman
: G/F

#14 Steve White
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#34 Taylor Rohde
: 6' 9"; Junior
: F/C

#11 Travis Thompson
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G