ANAHEIM, Calif. – Junior guard Suki Wiggs poured in a tournament-record 34 points, but it was not enough for the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team Saturday in a 79-68 defeat against 11th-ranked Cal Baptist at the CCA Div. II Tip-Off Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The Seawolves (1-1) also got 12 points and 11 rebounds from junior forward Corey Hammell as they lost despite a 36-32 rebounding advantage.
The Lancers (2-0) – coming off a 'Sweet 16' berth last year and an overtime win over No. 9 Minnesota-Moorhead in their opener – got at least 15 points from four different players, including 18 points from star guard Gelaun Wheelwright.
UAA trailed from the start as Cal Baptist scored the game's first six points and used a 7-0 run to take a 17-9 edge. The Lancers led 38-28 at halftime and pushed their lead as high as 54-33 with 16:04 remaining.
The Seawolves sliced their deficit to 61-51 on a Wiggs layup at the 9:07 mark, but Cal Baptist stayed hot from three-point range to keep its lead at double figures the rest of the way. The Lancers, from nearby Riverside, Calif., shot 13 of 28 (.475) from long range, while the Seawolves connected on just 4 of 17 (.235).
Wiggs, a 6-4 transfer from Div. I Idaho, shot 10 of 22 from the field and made 12 of 14 free throws to go with seven rebounds and four steals in 38 minutes. His 34 points surpassed the previous Tip-Off Classic record of 31, set twice, including less than 24 hours earlier by Moorhead's Isaac Sevlie. This marks the ninth annual version of the event.
Meanwhile, Hammell – a transfer from Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College – picked up his second double-double in as many days, grabbing eight of his boards on the offensive end.
Sophomore forward Sjur Berg added seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and junior wing Spencer Svejcar scored all six of his points in the second half for the Seawolves.
UAA finishes its season-opening trip with a showdown against defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament champion Colorado-Colorado Springs (0-2) on Sunday. That game will be played in Carson, Calif., at the Torodome on the Cal State-Dominguez Hills campus. Tip is set for 3 p.m. AST, with live audio and live stats coverage available at GoSeawolves.com.
