SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific Falcons got defensive stop after defensive stop after defensive stop.
 
However, there was no stopping Alaska Anchorage at the foul line.
 
SPU kept the 19th-ranked Seawolves without a field goal for the final two minutes of the third quarter, the entire fourth quarter, and all of overtime on Saturday afternoon. But UAA buried 16 of 20 free throws during that same time span and escaped with a 60-58 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory in Brougham Pavilion.
 
Anna Eddy matched her career high with 13 points for Seattle Pacific (8-9, 4-3 GNAC), and Kaprice Boston added 10.
 
After all of that, the Falcons and Seawolves get to do it again in a rare Sunday game that tips off at 2:00 p.m. That is the make-up of a game originally scheduled for Dec. 30 in Anchorage, but as postponed for health and safety reasons.
 
 

"They were bummed (about the loss), but I also think that sadness changed pretty quickly to excitement," head coach Mike Simonson said of his players. "Very rarely to you get a chance to wipe that taste out of your mouth. We get to play them again on Sunday, which is amazing. It was an amazing effort today."
 
Seattle Pacific went on a 9-2 scoring run in the last 4:39 of regulation to wipe out a 53-46 deficit and climb into a 55-55 tie, forcing overtime.
 
But points were hard to come by for both sides during the overtime period: five for UAA, all at the line, and just three for Seattle Pacific.
 
After hitting 50 percent in the first half (14 of 28), the Seawolves were kept to 13.8 percent in the second half (4 of 29, including 0 for 2 ending the third quarter, 0 for 9 in the fourth, and 0 for 5 in overtime). It was their foul shooting (17 of 23 through the second half and overtime) that kept them in the game.
 
"In the first half, they had their way with us," Simonson said. "In the second half, we probably played some of our best defense of the year, aside from the fouls (15), which came at very costly moments. But ultimately, our defense is what wins games for us, and it put us in position to win today."
 
FALCONS START A COMEBACK
Anchorage was gradually taking command during the second period, building a 13-point lead at 26-13. The Falcons whittled that down to seven at 29-22 late in the quarter, then saw the Seawolves put five straight on the board to push it back to 12. SPU got back within single digits by halftime when Bayley Brennan beat the buzzer with a deep 3-pointer from the left side, making it 34-25.
 
The Falcons kept clawing back throughout the third quarter. Down 36-30, they went on a 6-1 run, capped by Beth Pettingill's turnaround 10-footer from the left of the lane to get within one at 37-36
 
 

Anchorage led by as many as nine points in the fourth, up 51-42 with 6:30 left. SPU finally tied it at 55-55 with 26.4 seconds to go when Eddy calmly buried two shots from the foul line.
 
The Seawolves never actually got a chance to take a shot for the win as Boston knocked away a pass and gained control with six seconds left. UAA's Lauren Johnson gave chase and caught up just in time to put some pressure on as Boston went for the shot. The ball bounced off the board and the right side of the rim. It was knocked out of bounds and awarded to Anchorage with six-tenths of a second left.
 
Inbounding in front court after advancing the ball from a timeout, UAA's inbounds pass went out of bounds without being touched. That gave the ball back to Seattle Pacific, still with six-tenths showing. But it wasn't enough time to get a shot up before the buzzer.
 
Anchorage went ahead 59-55 in OT on two free throws by Johnson and two more by Rachel Ingram. The Falcons finally got on the board with 1:25 to play on Eddy's shot to make it 59-57, then cut it to 59-58 on 1 of 2 free throws by Schuyler Berry with 50.8 seconds remaining.
 
Jazzpher Evans hit one of her two free throws with 17.6 seconds to play for a 60-58 edge. SPU did not have a timeout, but did have a play drawn up in advance. It never led to a shot as the Seawolves knocked away an entry pass with one second remaining and hung onto the ball until the buzzer.
 
"Kudos to Anchorage. They've been the cream of the crop in the conference for the past decade," Simonson said. "For us, it just shows that there's a lot of growth and we can get even better. We're excited to play on Sunday.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
- -SPU wound up at 36.2 percent shooting from the field (21 of 58), while Anchorage finished at 31.6 percent (18 of 57).
-- With their 17 of 23 at the foul line after halftime, the Seawolves hit 20 of 27 for the day. The Falcons were 12 of 18.
-- Seattle Pacific had a 41-39 edge on the boards, led by Abril Rexach Roure's eight. Schuyler Berry collected a career-high seven.
-- Rachel Ingram led Alaska Anchorage with 13 points.
 
UP NEXT
SPU and UAA play the second game of their back-to-back weekend set on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion.