Box score, play-by-play (HTML)
 
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Call it a rather quiet career high. But for the second time in eight days, it was a career high just the same for Hailee Bennett.
 
The Seattle Pacific sophomore guard pumped in 18 points, including a game-breaking 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, to help the Falcons get past Alaska Fairbanks in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game on Thursday night, 62-55.
 
 

Bennett's output in The Patty Center beat her previous high of 17, which she set last Thursday at home in a 61-59 victory against Western Washington. This time, she had five points in each of the first, third and fourth quarters, and three in the second.
 
Along with the 14 she tallied in last Saturday's 69-60 loss to Simon Fraser, Bennett now has hit for double-digits in three straight games – the longest such streak of her career.
 
"I'm so proud of her. She has been getting some extra shots in practice," head coach Mike Simonson said. "She's a great shooter."
 
Bennett his 6 of 10 from the floor, with 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line, and both of her free throws. By far, her biggest basket was a trey from 23 feet away on the left side of the lane after taking a pass from junior guard Jade Skidmore. When the shot nestled into the net with 4:01 left in the game, it gave the Falcons (6-10, 5-4 GNAC) their biggest lead of the night at 56-47.
 
Alaska Fairbanks (3-12, 0-9 GNAC) never came closer than five after that.
 
 

"We were trying to stay calm and poised all game, and we did a good job of that," Simonson said. "They're a tough, scrappy, physical team, and they play everybody tough in Fairbanks. It's kind of exactly what we expected. I felt we were getting some good shots and felt we would start to knock some down."
 
Senior guard / forward Riley Evans added 13 points for SPU, which now has won two of its past three.
 
The Falcons went in front for good at 46-45 on a pair of free throws by senior center Carly Rataushk with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.
 
Seattle Pacific pushed that lead to 51-45 with 6:35 left in the game, thanks in part to keeping the Nanooks off the scoreboard for a span of 5 minutes, 26 seconds from late in the third to midway through the fourth. During that stretch, the Falcons came up with 10 consecutive defensive stops, forcing UAF into six missed shots and four turnovers.
 
"Once we got our defense going, we got some stops, and that got us into our offense," Simonson said.
 
With the first half of the GNAC schedule winding up on Saturday, the win on Thursday kept Seattle Pacific in the hunt for a conference tournament berth.
 
"The way the conference is shaking out, to be in the position we want to be to make the GNAC Tournament, this was a very important game," Simonson said. "It wasn't must-win, but we felt the urgency for it – we needed this one.
 
"We're on the road, we got the first one, and now, we've got a big challenge on Saturday at Anchorage."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Of the game's eight ties and eight lead changes, five of each came during the third quarter.
-- This was the 60th time SPU has beaten Alaska Fairbanks -- the first team against which it has 60 victories.
 

-- Jade Skidmore passed two career statistical milestone on Thursday, handing out her 300^th assist (now 301), and grabbing her 600^th rebound (now 601). She came into the night with 299 and 597, respectively.
-- The two wins in the  past three games have been achieved in part by keeping both opponents below 60 points: 59 for Western Washington last Thursday and now 55 for Alaska Fairbanks.
-- Although Riley Evans (24 in a row) and Skidmore (11 straight) both saw their free throws shooting streaks end on Thursday, Hailee Bennett extended hers to 16 in a row.
-- As a team, SPU hit 15 of 18 at the line and is back above 70 percent for the season. The Falcons are currently at .705 (213 of 302) and have topped 80 percent in each of their last three games: .842 vs. Western (16 of 19), .864 vs. Simon Fraser (19 of 22) and .833 at Fairbanks.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons take on No. 10-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday in the Alaska Airlines Center. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time. The Seawolves (16-1, 8-1 GNAC) routed Saint Martin's on Thursday, 88-58.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019
The Patty Center / Fairbanks, Alaska
 
Seattle Pacific 62, Alaska Fairbanks 55
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (6-10, 5-4 GNAC)
Bennett 6-10 2-2 18, Evans 4-11 1-2 13, Skidmore 3-3 1-2 7, West 3-3 0-0 6, Albert 2-9 0-0 6, Rataushk 0-1 5-6 5, Boston 1-5 2-2 4, Hoff 0-2 2-2 2, Alter 0-1 2-2 2, Hingston 0-1 0-0 0, Berg 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-46 15-18 62.
 
ALASKA FAIRBANKS (3-12, 0-9 GNAC)
Wamsley 5-11 2-2 12, Ungaro 5-11 0-0 11, Evans 4-11 2-2 11, Wallace 4-10 2-2 10, Saccomen 3-5 0-0 6, Blackburn 1-6 3-4 5, Richards 0-2 0-0 0, Kelly 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 22-61 9-10 55.
 
Seattle Pacific                     14           11           21           16           -- 62
Alaska Fairbanks                 14           15           16           10           -- 55
 
3-point goals – SPU 9-23 (Evans 4-9, Bennett 4-5, Albert 1-7, Boston 0-1, Hingston 0-1), UAF 2-17 (Ungaro 1-3, Evans 1-5, Saccoman 0-1, Richards 0-2, Kelly 0-4, Wallace 0-2). Fouled out – UAF: Ungaro, Blackburn. Rebounds – SPU 29 (Bennett 5), UAF 37 (Wamsley 10). Assists – SPU 8 (Albert 5), UAF 8 (Evans 5). Turnovers – SPU 21, UAF 19. Total fouls – SPU 17, UAF 19. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 122.
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at No. 10 Alaska Anchorage
Saturday, Jan. 26     8:00 p.m. PST
Alaska Airlines Center / Anchorage, Alaska