FOREST GROVE, Ore. (Nov. 5) – Junior guard Jazzpher Evans scored 20 points, including a go-ahead layup with four seconds remaining, but the Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team fell victim to two last-second free throws by Pacific guard Brilie Kovaloff in a 76-75 loss at the Stoller Center on Sunday.

The Seawolves (0-1) also got 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and four steals from newcomer Tori Hollingshead, but could not protect a pair of second-half leads.

The Boxers – for whom the game counted as an exhibition – were led by 17 points apiece from Kovaloff and Shaade Williams as the NCAA Div. III squad overcame 27 turnovers.

"We had way too many defensive breakdowns and we did not value our possessions on offense, and that allowed Pacific to get back into the game," said UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy. "I give them credit for making adjustments to our pressure after halftime, but we have to be better defensively in any case. Any time you get 18 more shots (74-56) than your opponent, a game should not be that close."

After trailing 24-17 midway through the second quarter, the Seawolves responded to McCarthy's second timeout of the half with an 18-7 run, capped by a half-court buzzer beating swish by junior point guard Senya Rabouin.

The run continued into the third quarter when Hollingshead grabbed a steal and scooped home a layup for a 45-34 advantage at the 6:42 mark, only to see the Boxers jab back with a 13-2 run over the next two and a half minutes.

UAA pushed the lead back to 58-49 when Jaisa Gamble scored inside, and took a 61-54 edge into the fourth quarter.

Pacific continued its push to cut the deficit to 63-61 on a fastbreak layup by Williams, and the game would remain a one-possession affair for the final seven minutes.

After multiple lead changes, UAA found itself down 75-74 and needing a defensive stop when the Boxers got the ball with 38 seconds left. The Seawolves' defense came through as Kya Pearson's block of Emily Holsan resulted in a shot-clock violation, and a timeout allowed the ball to be advanced to midcourt for the ensuing Seawolf possession.

Evans got the inbounds pass and drove straight to the hoop for a layup, and the Boxers whistled timeout to advance the ball. Kovaloff drove strong to the basket and drew the foul on an inadvertent trip, then coolly stepped to the line to swish the tying and winning free throws with three-tenths of a second on the clock.

Evans matched her career scoring high from her freshman season at Quincy (Ill.) University in 2020-21, shooting 8 of 14 from the field and 4 of 4 at the foul line.

Rabouin finished with 12 points (3-6 3FG), three assists and two steals in her first NCAA game after transferring from Central Arizona College, while fellow JC transfer Kya Pearson (Laney College) had six points, three steals, and tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds.

The Seawolves are back on the road again next week for their first NCAA Div. II games of the season when they face Hawaii Pacific (Fri., 4 pm AST) and Hawaii Hilo (Sat., noon AST) in Honolulu.