Concordia escapes with victory at buzzer

ANCHORAGE – Alaska Anchorage point guard Brian McGill scored 21 points Saturday but it was visiting Concordia who rallied for the second straight night to defeat the Seawolves, escaping the Alaska Airlines Center with a 75-73 men's basketball victory.

The Seawolves (0-2) also got 18 points from senior guard Derrick Fain, while freshman forward Sjur Berg added nine points and seven rebounds.

The Cavaliers, ranked No. 25 in NAIA Div. II, were led by 20 points from point guard Tyler Velasquez, plus 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 19 rebounds from forward Esvan Middleton.

Inbounding under its own basket with 5 seconds remaining, UAA had a chance to win the game but senior guard Travis Thompson's corner three-pointer rimmed off as time expired.

Thompson had given UAA a 71-69 lead on a three-pointer with 2:46 on the clock, but that would be the Seawolves' final advantage. Concordia's Thomas Pierce scored on a layup to knot it with 1:51 left, and Middleton earned the go-ahead basket with 55 seconds to play.

McGill cut it to a 74-73 with two free throws at the 23-second mark, and Velasquez made one of two free throws on the other end to set up the final possession. The ball was knocked out of bounds with 5 seconds left, prompting UAA head coach Rusty Osborne to call his final timeout. UAA executed the play perfectly, finding Thompson in the corner for an open attempt that looked online before kicking off the rim.

Thompson finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, three assists, two steals and no turnovers. Junior guard Kevin Bowman scored all eight of his points in the first half.

In addition to his 7-of-9 shooting performance, McGill also contributed seven rebounds and a team-high six assists.

The Seawolves head south for their first road trip next week when they take on fellow NCAA Div. II West Region foes Sonoma State and Chico State at the Ron Logsdon Classic in Rohnert Park, Calif., Nov. 13-14.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#2 Sjur Berg: F; 6' 7"; Freshman

#30 Kevin Bowman: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#14 Derrick Fain: G; 6' 4"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

#2 Sjur Berg
: 6' 7"; Freshman
: F

#30 Kevin Bowman
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#14 Derrick Fain
: 6' 4"; Senior
: G