Women's basketball ends season with 76-61 loss to UAA
March 4, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Alaska briefly took the lead in the second half but Alaska Anchorage used a 29-13 run over the final 12 minutes to pull away for a 76-61 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory Saturday night at the Patty Center.
The Nanooks (5-21, 3-15 GNAC) celebrated the collegiate careers of their three seniors, guard Taylor Altenburg (Elko, Nev./Justice), guard Marissa Atoruk (Kiana, Alaska/Business administration) and forward Jacqueline Lovato (Gunnison, Colo./Business administration), prior to the opening tip-off.
The Seawolves (17-9, 11-7 GNAC) locked up the four seed for next week's GNAC Women's Basketball Championship after they got a game-high 21 points as well as seven rebounds from Kylie Burns. Alysa Horn had 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks and Jenna Buchanan contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Jessica Madison added 13 points.
UAA shot 46 percent (27-59) for the game, including 40 percent (10-25) from beyond the arc. Alaska shot just shy of 42 percent (25-60) from the floor and struggled from outside, making just 17 percent (4-23) of its three-point tries. The Nanooks controlled the boards 39-31 but turned the ball over 22 times, to UAA's 15 giveaways.
Freshman guard Brianna Kirk (Noatak, Alaska/General studies) posted her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench while Altenburg and sophomore guard Benissa Bulaya (Sacramento, Calif./Business administration) both produced 13 points apiece. Junior forward Samantha Thornton (Bremerton, Wash./Business administration) had 10 points while sophomore guard Kelly Logue (Fair Oaks, Calif./Communication) dished out a game-high seven assists.
The 'Wolves outscored the Nanooks 24-6 off turnovers and 11-4 in transition in a game that saw two lead changes and five ties.
Leading by just one at 14-13, UAA put up six straight points to go up 21-13 just past the halfway point of the first. The Seawolves extended it to nine twice but holding a 30-21 advantage, the Nanooks chipped away at the deficit, reeling off nine of the game's next 11 points to get to within 32-30 with 93 seconds remaining. UAA closed the stanza with five in a row to lead 37-30 at half.
UAA's lead stood at 44-36 early in the second but an offensive rebound and put back by Kirk opened the door for a 12-3 surge that gave the Nanooks their first and only lead of the ballgame. Trailing 47-40 after a Horn triple, Altenburg and Thornton each hit jumpers and Kirk's layup with 13 minutes left cut it to one. After a Sasha King turnover, Thornton dished it off to Altenburg who hit the shot to give the locals a 48-47 lead.
The advantage was short-lived, however because Horn dropped another three with 11:53 remaining to give UAA a 50-48 lead. With the score knotted at 50 apiece, Burns drained a trey and a pair of Seawolf layups put the visitors ahead 57-50 with 10 minutes to go. UAA upped the lead to double digits with 7:34 to go and would never allow Alaska to come closer than nine down the stretch.