BURNABY, British Columbia – Senior guard Spencer Svejcar scored a career-high 31 points and the Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team used another outstanding defensive performance to pull away for a 77-47 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday at the SFU West Gymnasium.
The Seawolves (10-3, 4-1 GNAC) also got 18 points and nine rebounds from senior guard Suki Wiggs to earn a fifth straight win and stay tied for first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings at the one-quarter mark of the league campaign. UAA meets co-leader and nationally 24th-ranked Western Washington (10-3, 4-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Bellingham, Wash.
The Clan (2-11, 0-5) got 16 points from reserve guard Othniel Spence, but the hosts were outshot 51 percent to 27 percent and outrebounded 42-27 in losing their ninth in a row.
UAA started with the game's first eight points and led 20-6 before an SFU run trimmed it to 21-16 at the 8:52 mark. Svejcar answered with the next four points and the Seawolves held the Clan without a field goal for four and a half minutes to regain control, and Wiggs drove for a layup to cap a 39-22 edge at halftime.
The Seawolves used an early 7-0 spurt in the second half and led by at least 20 points for the final 13:48.
“Our guys have really bought into our defensive philosophy over the past few weeks and it's starting to pay dividends,” said UAA head coach Rusty Osborne, whose team has held its last three opponents – all league foes – under 50 points. “This will be a big challenge Saturday against an excellent offensive team at Western that scores over 90 a game, but I think are guys are excited about the opportunity.”
Senior center Connor Devine chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks, while senior forward Corey Hammell grabbed nine of his 12 rebounds on the defensive end and added seven points. Svejcar connected on 9 of 14 shots from the field – including 6 of 9 from long range – to top his previous career high by eight points. Meanwhile, Wiggs shot 8 of 12 inside the arc and grabbed a season in rebounds to barely miss his ninth career double-double.
UAA improved to 16-0 all-time against SFU and 13-0 since the Clan joined the GNAC in 2010-11.
NOTES: Svejcar's previous career high of 23 points came in Jan. 30, 2016 at home against Seattle Pacific … in just his 45th career game, Hammell moved up to a tie for No. 10 on UAA's all-time rebounds list, equaling Bo Jackson (1977-79) with 467 … the 47 points was the fewest allowed by UAA against the Clan in 16 meetings, bettering the 56-point defensive effort in the teams' first GNAC game in 2011.
