O'Neal and Bulaya with career games but women's basketball falls to SPU
February 12, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Despite career performances by sophomore guard Benissa Bulaya (Sacramento, Calif./Business administration) and junior forward Ruth O'Neal (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Justice), Seattle Pacific shot better than 50 percent en route to an 87-71 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball win over Alaska Saturday afternoon at the Patty Center.
Bulaya turned in a career-high 18 points for the Nanooks (2-19, 0-13 GNAC) while also dishing out a career-best six assists. O'Neal posted her first double-double of the season with career-highs of 17 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
The Falcons (13-8, 7-6 GNAC) shot 53 percent (30-57) from the floor, including 54 percent (7-13) from three-point range and held a 36-33 rebounding edge. Katie Benson poured in a game-high 21 points to go with four blocks and four steals and Suzanna Ohlsen had 17 points and three assists while Aubree Callen contributed a solid 12 points, seven rebounds and nine dimes.
Alaska shot 41 percent (26-63) for the game and outscored SPU 21-15 off turnovers. Also for the 'Nooks, sophomore guard Kelly Logue (Fair Oaks, Calif./Communication) and senior forward Jacqueline Lovato (Gunnison, Colo./Business administration) each tallied 12 points in the defeat.
SPU surged out to an early 11-4 lead 5:19 into the contest but Alaska kept it close. Trailing the visitors 15-9, Bulaya scored five in a row to get the Nanooks to within a point a 15-14 with 11:44 to go. The Falcons answered back with 10-1 run to take a 25-15 advantage just past the halfway point of the first. SPU led by as many as 14 but Alaska closed the gap to eight at 45-37 at halftime.
Seattle Pacific used back-to-back treys early in the second to grab a 56-39 lead with 16:20 to go in regulation. Alaska got back to within 12 but SPU seized control, scoring 10 of 11 in less than two minutes to lead 68-46 with 11:50 left. Alaska never drew closer than 12 the rest of the way.
The Nanooks return to action next week as they hit the road for two games. They face Northwest Nazarene Thursday at 5 p.m. (AKST) and round out the week at Central Washington Saturday at 6 p.m. (AKST).