Box score (PDF)
 
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Seattle Pacific Falcons weren't able to get the Alaska sweep that they wanted.
 
They were, however, able to get the split that they needed.
 
Ashley Alter scored 12 points and handed out three assists, but No. 9 Alaska Anchorage scored the first four points of the game and led from start to finish to beat SPU in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball contest on Saturday night, 69-49.
 
Nevertheless, Seattle Pacific (7-13, 5-7 GNAC), which started the week tied for seventh place, one game below the top-6 cutoff line to make the conference tournament, now is in a tie for sixth with Montana State Billings (10-11, 5-7 GNAC). The Yellowjackets lost road games at Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Central Washington on Saturday. Saint Martin's (9-10, 4-8 GNAC), the team that began the week tied for seventh with SPU, lost both of its games in Alaska.
 
All teams have eight games remaining through the final four weeks of the regular season. For the Falcons, the next two of those are at home, against Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday.
 
"That's our goal is to make the conference tournament, and getting splits on the road is part of that," coach Mike Simonson said. "Protecting our homecourt will be key, and that's what we have to do next week."
 
ONE QUARTER MADE THE DIFFERENCE
The Falcons hung with Alaska Anchorage (21-2, 11-1 GNAC) through the first quarter, down just 16-11. They played even with the Seawolves through the second half, 28-28.
 
It was the second quarter that was the deal breaker.
 
Down 19-11 in the opening moments, SPU put together a 7-3 run, closing to 22-18. But in the final 6:46 leading to halftime, UAA outscored the Falcons by a 19-3 margin. That included the last 11 points of the half, extending a 30-21 lead to 41-21.
 
"Realistically, we lost by 20 in that one quarter," Simonson said. "We've got to play for 40 minutes."
 
The Seawolves forced 26 turnovers, and converted those into 25 points. But they also enjoyed a 41-36 rebounding advantage, 19 of which came at the offensive end.
 
"I've thought all year we were a good defensive rebounding team," Simonson said. "But we showed tonight that we were not intentional about defensive rebounding."
 
SPU got as close as 17 during the final two quarters, but Alaska Anchorage never yielded more than six points in a row.
 
"In the second half, I was really pleased with our fight. We showed our true character," Simonson said. "Our bench was involved, and we were really passionate. We tied them in the second half, and that's hard to do here in Anchorage."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 

-- Sophomore forward Natalie Hoff joined Ashley Alter in double-digit scoring. Hoff had 11 to go along with five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Anchorage also had just one player in double figures, as Lauren Johnson finished with 15.
-- Both teams hit exactly one-third of their shots. But the Seawolves made five more altogether, 22 of 66. SPU was 17 of 51. UAA doubled up on the Falcons from downtown, draining 8 of 21. Seattle Pacific was 4 of 22 after having hit 17 of 34 in its last two games combined.
 

-- Freshman Kayla Brundidge grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. That the second time in the past three games and sixth time this season she has led or co-led the Falcons.
-- SPU now has kept six straight opponents below 70 points.
 
UP NEXT
Rematches with Western Washington and Simon Fraser are on the docket for the upcoming week. The Vikings are in Brougham Pavilion on Thursday at 5:15 p.m., and the Clan come to town on Homecoming Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Both games are doubleheader openers. The Falcon men play the nightcaps, facing Western Oregon on Thursday at 7:30 and Concordia-Portland on Saturday at 4:15.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020
Alaska Airlines Center / Anchorage, Alaska
 
(No. 9) Alaska Anchorage 69, Seattle Pacific 49
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-13, 5-7 GNAC)
Brundidge 1-4 0-0 2, Alter 5-12 2-6 12, Burgess 0-4 4-4 4, Bennett 3-10 0-0 8, Hingston 4-9 0-0 9, Berg 0-1 0-0 0, Rexach Roure 0-1 0-0 0, Brennan 1-6 0-0 3, Sterk 0-0 0-0 0, Hoff 3-4 5-6 11. Totals 17-51 11-16 49.
 
ALASKA ANCHORAGE (21-2, 11-1 GNAC)
Langi 1-6 0-0 2, Voliva 2-4 5-6 9, Pinckney 3-7 0-0 9, Jackson 1-6 7-8 9, Hajdukovich 2-7 0-0 5, Johnson 6-8 2-3 15, Tate 0-3 0-0 0, Goo 2-4 3-4 7, Yasin 2-9 0-0 5, Motz 1-6 0-0 2, Fernandez 0-3 0-0 0, Ingram 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 22-66 17-21 69.
 
Seattle Pacific                  11          10          12          16          -- 49
Alaska Anchorage            16          25          13          15          -- 69
 
3-point goals – SPU 4-22 (Alter 0-3, Burgess 0-1, Bennett 2-7, Hingston 1-4, Berg 0-1, Rexach Roure 0-1, Brennan 1-5), UAA 8-21 (Pinckney 3-5, Jackson 0-3, Hajdukovich 1-4, Johnson 1-3, Tate 0-1, Yasin 1-2, Ingram 2-3). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 35 (Brundidge 7), UAA 41 (Langi 6, Motz 6). Assists – SPU 17 (Berg 4, Rexach Roure 4), UAA 15 (Pinckney 4, Goo 4). Turnovers – SPU 26, UAA 15. Total fouls – SPU 15, UAA 19. Technical fouls – None. Attendance – 1,042.
 
 
Next game
Western Washington at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Feb. 6     5:15 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.