• Boxscore & Play-by-Play
 
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Getting a win in Anchorage is never easy for visiting men's basketball teams. Saturday night was no exception.
 
But the Falcons' hard work paid off with their first victory at UAA's Wells Fargo Sports Complex since 2007.
 
Senior forward Jobi Wall scored a season-high 20 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in 13th-ranked Seattle Pacific's 85-79 Great Northwest Athletic Conference triumph over No. 25 Alaska Anchorage.
 
The Falcons (7-1) improved to 2-0 in conference play after winning for the first time in their last eight visits to Anchorage. Coupled with Thursday's 72-60 win at Fairbanks, SPU recorded a sweep on its annual two-game trip to Alaska for the first time since 2002.
 
“It's not easy to win at either place,” said fourth-year SPU coach Ryan Looney.
 
“We had a ton of toughness. Obviously this is the hardest road trip we take all year and you have to overcome some things even outside of basketball to be able to win. The guys did a great job in regards to that.”
 
The host Seawolves (7-2) saw their GNAC record leveled at 1-1. They suffered their first setback against an NCAA Division II opponent.
 
Anchorage overcame an 11-point, first-half deficit, drawing within 34-30 by halftime. UAA grabbed the lead three minutes after halftime on a four-point play by Abebe Demissie, who was fouled after hitting a 3-pointer from the left side. He converted the subsequent free throw for a 40-38 edge.
 
Colton Lauwers followed with a trey at 15:43 that gave the Seawolves their largest lead at 43-38.
 
“We talked about it before, saying that at some point in the game they were going to make a run and they did right at the beginning of the second half,” Looney described. “Our plan was to try to take away as many threes as we could. In the first half they only had one and then we let them hit three on us right at the beginning of the second half.
 
“Our guys were able to regroup and get back to where we were earlier in the game and at the end of the day that was a big difference.”
 
Sophomore center Cory Hutsen scored the next six SPU points to even the score 44-44 with 13:23 left in the second half.
 
“He got it going tonight,” Looney said of Hutsen, who made 6 of 7 shots from the field.
 
With UAA leading 52-49, the Falcons tallied eight unanswered points to take control for good. Senior center Andy Poling hit at jumper at 8:31 before Wall's 3-pointer at 7:27 provided a 54-52 SPU edge. Junior forward Patrick Simon followed with a trey, pushing the margin to 57-52 with 6:53 remaining.
 
The Seawolves never got closer than three points the rest of the way and SPU converted 12 of 14 free throws inside the final 2:25 to secure the decision.
 
Four other Falcons joined Wall in double-figure scoring, Simon with 15, junior David Downs with 13, Hutsen with 12 and Poling with 11.
 
Downs distributed a career-high 12 assists for the selfless SPU offense that was credited with assists on 24 of 26 baskets.
 
“We were extremely unselfish and we're excited about the balance that we have right now,” said Looney, who believes that Downs has improved from last year when he was a first-team All-GNAC selection.
 
“Dave has really gotten better in his understanding of how to play point guard. So far most of the teams we've played, their plan has been to take him out of it. Rather than press and try to force things, he's done a great job making plays for his teammates.”
 
SPU shot 51 percent (26 of 51) from the floor and 42 percent (10 of 24) from 3-point range.
 
Teancum Stafford compiled 14 of his team-high 19 points in the first half for the Seawolves, who also got 15 points from Kyle Fossman and 11 from Mike MacKelvie.
 
UAA finished the game shooting 48-percent (24 of 50), but just 33 percent (7 of 21) on treys.
 
In the first half, a Wall 3-pointer put the Falcons ahead 30-19 with 7:18 on the clock. But Anchorage scored the next six points, starting an 11-4 surge to close the period.
 
Saturday's game capped a six-game road trip for the Falcons, who return home to Brougham Pavilion for the first time in nearly a month when they host Evergreen State on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.
 
The SPU men take a month off from league play, which resumes at home on Jan. 3 when defending national champion Western Washington visits Seattle for a 7 p.m. clash.

 
NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012
Wells Fargo Sports Complex/Anchorage, Ak.
 
(#13) Seattle Pacific 85, at (#25) Alaska Anchorage 79
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-1, 2-0 GNAC)
Wall 5-10 8-8 20, Simon 5-13 2-2 15, Poling 4-8 3-7 11, Downs 2-6 7-8 13, Stockton 2-3 2-2 8, Hutsen 6-7 0-0 12, Morse 1-2 1-2 4, Carroll 1-2 0-2 2, Todd 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-51 23-31 85.
 
ALASKA ANCHORAGE (7-2, 1-1 GNAC)
Leckband 3-5 0-3 7, Stafford 8-14 2-4 19, Gibcus 1-5 3-4 5, Lauwers 2-7 1-2 7, Fossman 3-7 7-7 15, MacKelvie 3-3 5-5 11, Little 2-3 3-3 7, Demissie 1-5 3-7 6, Spickerman 1-1 0-0 2, Erickson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-50 24-35 79.
 
Seattle Pacific........   34   51  -  85
Alaska Anchorage.......   30   49  -  79
 
3-point goals--SPU 10-24 (Simon 3-8, Stockton 2-3, Downs 2-5, Wall 2-5, Morse 1-2, Carroll 0-1), UAA 7-21 (Lauwers 2-6, Fossman 2-4, Stafford 1-5, Leckband 1-2, Demissie 1-4). Fouled out--SPU-Simon, UAA-None. Rebounds—SPU 31 (Poling 8), UAA 26 (Demissie 7). Assists--SPU 24 (Downs 12), UAA 17 (Lauwers 4). Total fouls--SPU 27, UAA 22. Technical fouls--SPU-None, UAA-Bench. A-814.
 
 
Next Men's Basketball Game
Evergreen State at (#13) Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Dec. 8, 7:00 p.m. PST
Brougham Pavilion/Seattle, Wash.