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#4 Falcons edge Seawolves in Seattle

Men's Basketball UAA Media Relations

#4 Falcons edge Seawolves in Seattle

SEATTLE – Alaska Anchorage sophomore Teancum Stafford scored a game-high 20 points Thursday but the Seawolves fell just short in their upset bid against No. 4 Seattle Pacific, falling 59-56 in men's basketball action at Royal Brougham Pavilion.

UAA (17-8, 10-7 GNAC) took a top-5 nationally ranked opponent down to the final 10 seconds for the second straight game – following last Saturday's 63-57 setback to No. 2 Western Washington – as sophomore Christian Leckband added nine points.

The Seawolves are No. 9 in the latest West Region rankings, while the Falcons hold down the No. 3 spot.

SPU (22-3, 15-2) was led by 13 points apiece from junior guard David Downs and senior forward Jobi Wall as it swept the regular-season series from UAA for the first time since 2006-07. The Seawolves have now lost nine straight against the Falcons at Brougham.

Playing without leading scorer Kyle Fossman (hand injury) for the second time in three games, Stafford staked the visitors to an early 24-12 lead. The 6-5 guard from nearby Auburn, Wash., shot 3 of 3 in the first half, including a pair of three-pointers, to help UAA build a 28-20 halftime advantage.

Liam Gibcus nailed a 17-foot jumper early in the second half to extend to a 33-22 lead, but the Falcons would claw back from there.

With Gibcus and Stafford in foul trouble, SPU earned the game's only lead change when Wall beat the shot clock with a corner trey at the 6:41 mark, making it 43-41. Falcons forward Patrick Simon added another three a minute later, on what proved to be his team's final field goal.

UAA quickly cut it to a 46-45 deficit on back-to-back shots from Stafford and Leckband, however the Falcons scored their final 13 points from the free-throw line to maintain the lead.

The Seawolves drew within 57-56 on Leckband's rebound basket with 6.4 seconds left, and UAA had a chance to tie after two more SPU free throws, but Stafford could not get off a clean shot from the wing as time expired.

Stafford shot 7 of 13 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from long range, to reach the 20-point mark for the second straight game.

Freshman John Erickson provided six points on a pair of three-pointers to give the Seawolves an offensive lift, while Gibcus had six points and four rebounds before fouling out late. Senior forward Abebe Demissie dished a career-high five assists.

SPU's victory keeps the Falcons mathematically alive for a share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title, although SPU needs to beat Alaska Fairbanks and hope No. 3 WWU loses at home to last-place Simon Fraser.

The Seawolves, despite Thursday's loss, remain in the driver's seat for the No. 3 seed at the upcoming GNAC Tournament. UAA enters Saturday's 5 p.m. AST season finale at Montana State Billings in a 3rd-place tie with UAF, with the Seawolves owning the tiebreaker over the Nanooks.


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Players Mentioned

Liam Gibcus

#32 Liam Gibcus

F/C
6' 10"
Freshman
Kyle Fossman

#24 Kyle Fossman

G
6' 0"
Freshman
Abebe Demissie

#24 Abebe Demissie

F
6' 6"
Junior
Christian Leckband

#1 Christian Leckband

F
6' 5"
Freshman
John Erickson

#14 John Erickson

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Teancum Stafford

#30 Teancum Stafford

G
6' 5"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Liam Gibcus

#32 Liam Gibcus

6' 10"
Freshman
F/C
Kyle Fossman

#24 Kyle Fossman

6' 0"
Freshman
G
Abebe Demissie

#24 Abebe Demissie

6' 6"
Junior
F
Christian Leckband

#1 Christian Leckband

6' 5"
Freshman
F
John Erickson

#14 John Erickson

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Teancum Stafford

#30 Teancum Stafford

6' 5"
Sophomore
G