#15 Vikings outscore #23 Seawolves, 104-89

ANCHORAGE – Alaska Anchorage forward Teancum Stafford had 23 points and six rebounds Thursday but it wasn't enough against a hot-shooting Western Washington squad as the 15th-ranked Vikings knocked off the 23rd-ranked Seawolves in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball showdown at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The Seawolves (8-5, 1-1 GNAC) also got 22 points apiece from guards Brian McGill and Kyle Fossman, however McGill dished nine assists.

The Vikings (9-2, 3-0) – the two-time defending GNAC and NCAA Div. II West Region champions – also sported three players with 22-plus points, led by 25 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 12 rebounds from center Austin Bragg. WWU outshot UAA 57 percent (32-56) to 38 percent (27-71) and outrebounded the hosts 38-32.

UAA trailed nearly from the outset, with the visitors from Bellingham using a 10-point run to take a 27-12 lead at the 11:10 mark. The Seawolves hung within striking distance, and Stafford nailed a turnaround three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 46-33 at halftime.

Colton Lauwers banked in one of UAA's 13 three-pointers to draw within 61-52 with 14:20 remaining, and Stafford buried a trey from the corner to make it 61-56 at the 12:42 mark. WWU's Joey Schreiber (22 points, 3-6 3FG) answered with the two biggest baskets of the game for his team, however, nailing consecutive three-pointers within a 22-second span to stretch to lead back to double digits.

A layup but Stafford sliced it back to 71-64 with 8:50 on the clock, but that was as close as UAA would get.

WWU stretched its winning streak to seven games against the Seawolves and avoided its first three-game losing streak in over three seasons. UAA lost for the first time this year on its primary home court and has now suffered three of its last four losses at the WFSC to the Vikings.

UAA returns to action Saturday with another home game, taking on Simon Fraser (7-4, 0-3) in another 7 p.m. AST tip.

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Players Mentioned

#24 Kyle Fossman: G; 6' 0"; Freshman

#23 Colton Lauwers: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#RS Brian McGill: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#30 Teancum Stafford: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#24 Kyle Fossman
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: G

#23 Colton Lauwers
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#RS Brian McGill
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#30 Teancum Stafford
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G