SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's basketball team opened the final weekend of the regular season against Alaska Anchorage on Thursday afternoon, as the Falcons erased a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes, capped by a game-winning put-back layup from Shaw Anderson for the 72-71 victory over the Seawolves.
The Falcons trailed for the majority of Thursday's game against the Seawolves. UAA led for 36:45 of the 40 minutes. SPU trailed 70-63 with 3:13 to play in the game. They'd close the game out with a 9-1 run as Anderson bookended that time.
Anderson had the ball on the final possession. He attacked the basket but missed his first shot while fighting through the crowded painted area. He followed it for the put-back game-winner. He finished with 20 points on 8-for-20 shooting, including two 3-pointers. He added five rebounds in the winning effort.
"The phrase, survive and advance, is usually reserved for March, but for a game like this in late-February we'll take it," head coach Grant Leep said. "Sometimes the will to win has to be paramount. It was tonight for our guys. Execution was inconsistent all night, but we kept fighting, hanging around and staying in it. Everybody that came in contributed, and we needed it tonight."
The Falcons and Seawolves traded runs throughout the first half. The visitors jumped over the Falcons early with a 10-0 run that lasted 2:57. They hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the run. Kelton Samore had a dunk that started a 7-0 run for SPU. The Falcons trailed 10-9 with 14:18 left in the first half.
Later, the Seawolves extended their lead to 26-20. From there, UAA went on a 14-6 run over 3:24. They were shooting it well during that stretch, going 6-for-8 with two made 3-pointers. The run gave them a 38-26 lead with 4:21 to play in the first half. The Falcons cut into that lead slightly but trailed 42-33 at halftime.
SPU trailed by nine with 17:16 left in the game. They'd go on to rip off a game-changing run. The Falcons outscored the Seawolves 13-2 over 6:04. Samore led the charge with seven consecutive points to start the run. Suddenly, the game was tied at 53 with 11:12 left in the game.
The Seawolves answered with another extended run. They created separation with a 13-5 run that lasted 3:25. UAA was perfect during that time, going 5-for-5 from the field. Jaedon Bradley led the group with seven points. The run gave the Seawolves a 68-60 lead with just under six minutes to play. The Falcons would come back from down seven points with 3:12 to go for the win.
Samore was excellent for the Falcons, finishing with 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Ben Baker-McCann poured in 10 points off the bench for SPU. Trace Evans was a monster on the glass, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds.
SPU plans to honor the careers of Zack Paulsen and Samore before Saturday's regular-season finale at 4:15 p.m. at Royal Brougham Pavilion against Alaska Fairbanks.