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Vikings land final punch in 1st-place battle

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

Vikings land final punch in 1st-place battle

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Alaska Anchorage's Alli Madison and Jenna Buchanan scored 15 points apiece but host Western Washington scored seven of the final eight points to earn a 76-70 victory Thursday at Carver Gymnasium, pulling the Vikings one game ahead of the Seawolves in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball race.

UAA (12-4, 5-3) got a double-double from senior forward Kylie Burns, who had 10 points and 12 rebounds, but the Seawolves made just 10 trips to the free-throw line and were held to a season-low point total.

WWU (10-6, 6-2) was led by 17 points from guard Taylor Peacocke, while center Sarah Hill had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Tied 69-69, Hill scored the winning layup with 1:09 to play, and UAA could not convert again from the floor.

The game was worthy of a battle between teams who entered among a 4-way, first-place scrum in the GNAC standings, featuring 11 ties and 12 lead changes. The Seawolves erased a 38-36 halftime deficit to lead by as many as nine – 54-45 – with 13 minutes remaining.

The Vikings kept slicing into that lead, however, and took a 69-67 edge on a Peacocke three-pointer at the 2:03 mark. Madison fed Burns 23 seconds later for a layup to tie it, however Hill corralled her own miss and made the stick-back bucket that would prove the clincher.

The Seawolves had a chance to tie it at 71, however Madison missed the second of two free throws. After two free throws but Peacocke made it 73-70, the Seawolves committed a turnover, allowing the Vikings to clinch it from the charity stripe.

Buchanan was 3 of 6 from long range, doing all of her damage in the second half, while Madison added six rebounds and a team-high six assists. Freshman point guard Kiki Robertson had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Jessica Madison and Emily Craft added six points apiece.

Up next, the Seawolves travel north of the border for a Saturday (6 p.m. AST) tilt against Simon Fraser, which now sits in a 4-way tie for third place in the league standings, along with UAA, Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin's. WWU and MSUB are atop the league with 6-2 marks after Thursday's play.

NOTES: UAA's previous season-low was 77 points in a 77-65 win over Seattle Pacific on Dec. 7 … the Seawolves entered the game ranked No. 3 in Div. II with 87.5 points per game … Burns moved into a tie for 10th place on UAA's career games-played list with her 108th appearance in a Seawolf uniform.

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Players Mentioned

Kylie Burns

#43 Kylie Burns

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Alli Madison

#10 Alli Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Emily Craft

#41 Emily Craft

C
6' 2"
Junior
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

G
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kylie Burns

#43 Kylie Burns

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Alli Madison

#10 Alli Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Emily Craft

#41 Emily Craft

6' 2"
Junior
C
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

5' 7"
Freshman
G