Scoreboard

Women blast Billings, 90-59 in GNAC opener

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Women blast Billings, 90-59 in GNAC opener

ANCHORAGE – Forward Emily Craft and point guard Christina Davis both delivered huge performances off the bench Thursday to help the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team to a 90-59 rout of GNAC preseason favorite Montana State Billings at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

UAA (6-1, 1-0 GNAC) also got a big spark from starting forward KeKe Wright, who delivered 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

MSUB (5-3, 0-1) was led by a game-high 17 points from GNAC Preseason Player-of-the-Year Bobbi Knudsen, but the Seawolves outshot the Yellowjackets 54.4 percent to 32.8 percent and outrebounded them 38-29.

After a back-and-forth opening 10 minutes, MSUB used a 12-3 run to go ahead 21-17 and force a timeout by UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy. The Seawolves responded with a next eight points to take the lead for good and closed the half with an 18-6 spurt over the final 5:10 for a 47-32 advantage.

UAA built its lead despite starting point guard Kiki Robertson sitting with three early fouls, getting a lift from Davis. The junior transfer from Gillette (Wyo.) College dished six of her career-best 11 assists and scored all seven of her points in the first half, adding a pair of steals and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Wright – Davis's JC teammate at Gillette – shot 4 of 6 from the field and sank 8 of 9 free throws, along with three steals. Craft came alive in the second half, too, scoring 14 of her 16 points in the final 20 minutes and finishing 8 of 10 from the field. The 6-2 center from Central Wyoming College also grabbed six boards and blocked three shots.

The Seawolves put four players in double figures as sophomore Jessica Madison tallied 15 points (5-10 FG, 3-6 3FG) and three assists, and junior wing Alli Madison had 13 points and three assists.

UAA – picked sixth in the GNAC preseason poll – has now won 12 of the last 13 meetings against MSUB to tie the all-time series 25-25. The Seawolves have won seven straight in Anchorage since the Yellowjackets joined the GNAC in 2007-08.

Up next the Seawolves host nationally 6th-ranked and unbeaten Seattle Pacific (7-0, 1-0), which edged Alaska Fairbanks 71-68 on Thursday. UAA and SPU tip off at 5:15 p.m. at the WFSC on Saturday.


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Players Mentioned

Alli Madison

#10 Alli Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Emily Craft

#41 Emily Craft

C
6' 2"
Junior
Christina Davis

#5 Christina Davis

G
5' 6"
Junior
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

G
5' 7"
Freshman
KeKe Wright

#13 KeKe Wright

F
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Alli Madison

#10 Alli Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Emily Craft

#41 Emily Craft

6' 2"
Junior
C
Christina Davis

#5 Christina Davis

5' 6"
Junior
G
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

5' 7"
Freshman
G
KeKe Wright

#13 KeKe Wright

6' 0"
Junior
F