ANCHORAGE (Nov. 28) – San Jose State's Frank Rogers had 32 points and 12 rebounds Saturday to lead his team to a 91-87 victory over host Alaska Anchorage in the GCI Great Alaska Shootout fourth-place game Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center, despite a record-setting performance by UAA guard Suki Wiggs.
The Spartans (3-3) also got 17 points on 5-of-7 three-point accuracy by forward Ryan Welage as they surpassed last season's win total thanks to 58 percent shooting (34 of 59).
The Seawolves (6-4) – the tournament's lone Div. II team – got 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting from Wiggs, who reached the 30-point mark for the third straight game and broke the tournament record with 98 total points. Wiggs's effort topped the 22-year-old mark of 97 held by former Purdue All-American and No. 1 NBA Draft pick Glenn Robinson. Started in 1978, this year marks the GCI Shootout's 38th annual edition.
A transfer from Div. I Idaho, Wiggs has now scored at least 20 points in his first 10 games as a Seawolf, adding seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in Saturday's loss.
Meanwhile, Rogers put on a spectacular performance himself, shooting 14 of 18 from the floor, including 3 of 4 on three-pointers. The senior forward added two assists and a block with no turnovers in 36 minutes.
The game featured 11 ties and 18 lead changes until the Spartans pulled ahead midway through the second half, taking a 62-61 edge on Cody Schwartz's tip-in at the 9:15 mark. After the visitors pushed their lead to eight points, the Seawolves rallied back within 79-76 on a three-pointer by Christian Leckband with 2:30 left. But Welage delivered a back-breaking trey just 12 seconds later, and San Jose State kept it a two- or three-possession game the rest of the way.
UAA, which finished sixth place in the eight-team tournament, also got 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting (4-5 3FG) from junior wing Spencer Svejcar, 13 points and six assists from point guard Diante Mitchell, and 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from reserve guard Drew Peterson.
Up next, the Seawolves open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play when they host Central Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center. Visit GoSeawolves.com or call 907-786-1562 for ticket information.
