ANCHORAGE (Nov. 18) – Gianna Kneepkens had 22 points and Ines Vieira threatened the tournament record with 14 assists Saturday night to propel No. 4 Utah into the ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout title game with a 101-57 victory over host Alaska Anchorage at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Utes (3-1) also got 20 points and 11 rebounds from reserve guard Reese Ross and 18 points from hometown All-American Alissa Pili as they shot .613 (38 of 62) from the floor and dished a tournament-record 35 assists.

The Div. II Seawolves (2-1) – who counted the game as an exhibition – were led by 14 points from junior guard Jazzpher Evans and nine points from junior guard Kya Pearson.

The attendance of 3,711 marked the most to watch a UAA women's game at the Alaska Airlines Center and the third-most for any sporting event in the building's 10-year history.

"We knew this would be a monumental uphill climb, so I'm extremely proud of the grit our team displayed tonight against a powerhouse," said UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy, whose program had won the last two Shootout titles. "I thought we moved the ball well offensively and got some decent looks at the basket, and we were able to limit our turnovers (16) to a decent amount against such a big, long, athletic opponent. I think we gained confidence that we can compete well tomorrow when we take on UAB, and we're excited for the opportunity."

Utah will face Eastern Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. AST Sunday for the title, while UAA and UAB square off at 5:15 p.m. for third place. EKU defeated UAB 68-64 in Saturday's first semifinal. Both Sunday games are available for free on YouTube, with links at GoSeawolves.com.

Despite falling into a 7-0 hole in the first 65 seconds, the Seawolves made it a game for a few minutes, drawing within 11-9 on Jaisa Gamble's jumper at the 6:45 mark. The Utes – who were making their first appearance in the 40-year history of the women's Shootout – began to pull away slowly, however, gaining a 32-18 lead on consecutive three-pointers by Maty Wilke and Ross to end the first quarter.

Kneepkens shot 9 of 12 form the field and made six steals, while Vieira had 10 points to pick up a double-double. Vieira's 14 assists were one fewer than both the Shootout and Utah single-game records.

A Preseason All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection, Evans was a bright spot for the home team, shooting 6 of 13 from the floor (2-4 3FG), along with four assists, three steals and no turnovers.

Utah native Tori Hollingshead – a junior center from Orem – finished with seven points, four rebounds and three steals for the Seawolves, while Gamble and Kate Robertson furnished six points apiece.

UAA's Sunday matchup with UAB will be an exhibition for the Seawolves again and a counting game for the Blazers.