Scoreboard

#1 UAA routs SPU, clinches GNAC title share

Women's Basketball UAA Media Relations

#1 UAA routs SPU, clinches GNAC title share

SEATTLE – Senior forward Megan Mullings had 18 points and six rebounds Saturday as top-ranked Alaska Anchorage pulled away for a 70-47 victory over Seattle Pacific at Royal Brougham Pavilion, giving the Seawolves no worse than a share of their second straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball title.

The Seawolves (30-1, 17-1 GNAC) also got 10 points and seven rebounds from reserve forward Sierra Afoa to stretch their winning streak to 18 games and record the third 30-win season in program history.

Paired with Western Washington's 48-46 home loss to Montana State Billings earlier in the evening, the Seawolves now have a two-game lead on the Vikings with two games remaining in the regular season. WWU – which handed UAA its lone loss, back on Dec. 5 in Bellingham – will come north for a Thursday night showdown at the Alaska Airlines Center in both teams' next game.

Seattle Pacific (10-15, 7-11) got 13 points on 5-of-5 shooting and eight rebounds from reserve forward Julia Haining, but the rest of the Falcons shot just 10 of 53 (.189) and fell victim to 15 Seawolf steals.

Leading 29-26 in the final minute of the first half, UAA got three straight big plays from senior guard Adriana Dent, who made a steal that led to a layup, grabbed a defensive board, and dished to Jenna Buchanan for a 30-foot buzzer-beater that stretched it to 34-26.

Still clinging to a 36-31 edge early in the third quarter, Mullings started a clinching 12-0 run with three layups in an 80-second span. The team's leading scorer hit the bench with her fourth foul at the 6:39 mark, but Afoa knocked down a clutch three-pointer and freshman Hannah Wandersee sank a pair of short jumpers to make it 50-33.

UAA led 52-38 after three quarters and slowly stretched its advantage until the final horn.

Mullings shot 8 of 10 from the field and grabbed six rebounds in just 17 minutes of action, while Afoa shot 4 of 8 to earn her fourth double-digit scoring total this year.

Their jobs were made easier by a standout performance from junior point guard Kiki Robertson, who had eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, eight assists, two steals and no turnovers.

Senior guard Jessica Madison added nine points, junior forward Alysha Devine had five points, four rebounds and tied her career high with five steals, while Buchanan and freshman Tara Thompson each tallied six points on 2-of-4 long-range shooting.

The Seawolves beat the Falcons for the eighth straight meeting, including four in a row at Royal Brougham, to extend their longest streaks in a series that dates back 59 games to the 1979-80 campaign.

UAA's GNAC title is its fourth in the league's 15-year history and the program's seventh league crown overall, along with three from Continental Divide Conference in the late 1980s.

Thursday's game against Western Washington tips at 7 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center, with Senior Day set for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. against Simon Fraser. Call 907-786-1562 to order tickets or surf to GoSeawolves.com for more information.

NOTES: UAA is now just one shy of the school record 31 victories by the 2008-09 Final Four team … the Seawolves' win streak is now the second-longest in program history, surpassing last year's 17 in a row; only the 22 straight by the 2008-09 team stand ahead … UAA's 17 conference victories have tied last year's 17-1 club for their most in any league (there are now 20 GNAC games with the addition of Concordia this season) … Buchanan extended her school-record streak to 35 straight games with at least one three-pointer … now with 33 three-pointers on the year, Thompson is just three short of Madison's UAA freshman record from 2012-13.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

G
5' 8"
Freshman
Sierra Afoa

#RS Sierra Afoa

F
5' 9"
Freshman
Adriana Dent

#RS Adriana Dent

G
5' 9"
Junior
Alysha Devine

#15 Alysha Devine

F
6' 0"
Freshman
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Megan Mullings

#11 Megan Mullings

F
6' 1"
Junior
Tara Thompson

#RS Tara Thompson

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Hannah Wandersee

#43 Hannah Wandersee

F/C
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jessica Madison

#RS Jessica Madison

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Jenna Buchanan

#12 Jenna Buchanan

5' 8"
Freshman
G
Sierra Afoa

#RS Sierra Afoa

5' 9"
Freshman
F
Adriana Dent

#RS Adriana Dent

5' 9"
Junior
G
Alysha Devine

#15 Alysha Devine

6' 0"
Freshman
F
Kiki Robertson

#23 Kiki Robertson

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Megan Mullings

#11 Megan Mullings

6' 1"
Junior
F
Tara Thompson

#RS Tara Thompson

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Hannah Wandersee

#43 Hannah Wandersee

6' 1"
Freshman
F/C