ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Seattle Pacific Falcons slowed down Alaska Anchorage's offense on Thursday night.
 
The homestanding Seawolves, however, returned the favor.
 
 

Olivia Mayer had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and SPU kept Anchorage to its lowest point total of the season. But the Falcons couldn't come up with enough points of their own and dropped a 51-39 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball decision inside the Alaska Airlines Center.
 
That means SPU (10-17, 7-10 GNAC) is still trying to secure the sixth and final spot in next week's conference tournament. With Northwest Nazarene (7-10 GNAC) picking up a forfeit win from Western Oregon on Thursday, the Falcons and Nighthawks are deadlocked for sixth place heading into Saturday's regular-season finales. Seattle Pacific visits Fairbanks, and NNU hosts Saint Martin's.
 
If the Falcons win, they're in, regardless of what Northwest Nazarene does. Whether both teams finish 8-10 (with a win) or 7-11 (with a loss), SPU owns the tiebreaker. But if Seattle Pacific loses and NNU wins, then the Nighthawks get the tourney berth. Both games tip off almost simultaneously: the Falcons and Fairbanks at 4:00 p.m. Pacific, the Nighthawks and Saints at 4:15 Pacific.
 
Seattle Pacific had just six players available for action because of various injuries. Playing time for the five starters ranged from 33 to 39 minutes. Haylie-Anne Ohta, the lone reserve, saw 23 minutes of action as head coach Mike Simonson shuttled players in and out (one at a time) to provide as much rest as possible.
 
Even so, the Falcons not only kept Alaska Anchorage (17-8, 12-5 GNAC) to its lowest score of the season (previous low was 53), they kept the Seawolves 20 points below their 71.3 season scoring average. In fact, UAA didn't get to 50 points until just 1:02 remained in the game.
 
 

"With six players being able to go the whole game, I just loved our defense. But we hang our hat on defense," Simonson said. "To hold a team in the 50s on their home court with six players, fatigue, and trying not to foul because you don't want anyone to foul out with just six, we played great defense."
 
Junior forward Mayer recorded her ninth double-double of the season. But she was the only Falcon in double figures. Redshirt junior point guard Hunter Beirne nearly had a double-double of her own with nine points and nine boards. Junior center Schuyler Berry also had nine points.
 
Except for a 14-14 tie early in the second quarter, Alaska Anchorage (17-8, 12-5 GNAC) led all the way. SPU completed a 6-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to forge the 14-14 deadlock on a Beirne lay-in with 8:08 left in the second.
 
But the Falcons, whose 39 points was their second-lowest total of the season (38 vs. Billings on Jan. 20) got just two more points the rest of the half and then didn't score again until 5:04 remained in the third quarter. During that span of 13 minutes and 4 seconds, Anchorage put 20 points on the board to build a 34-18 lead and stretching it to 37-18.
 
Seattle Pacific scrapped back, keeping the Seawolves off the board for 6-plus minutes from the 2:13 mark of the third to the 6:05 mark of the fourth and climbed back within 10 at 40-30. Then a 3-point dagger by UAA's Senya Rabouin started a 9-2 burst that stretched the margin back to 17 at 49-32.
 
"It's tough to hit shots in this arena," Simonson said after the Falcons connected on just 32.7 percent (16 of 49), including just 1 of 18 from 3-point range. "We just never really hit one to get us going."
 
Although it is down to the last game of the season to qualify for the GNAC Tournament, Seattle Pacific still controls its own destiny The Falcons don't need help from anyone so long as they win on Saturday at Fairbanks They beat the Nanooks in Seattle on Nov. 30 to open GNAC play, 70-43.
 
"Defensively, we have to be able to do that again, similar to what we did today," Simonson said. "We guarded them well in Seattle, and we need to guard them well on the road. They've been scoring a lot better, and their scores have been really good. We have a tough task to win on the road and get into the conference tournament."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- While the Falcons hit just 32.7 percent from the field, the Seawolves were even lower, finishing at 31.8 (21 of 66).
--Alaska Anchorage forced SPU into 19 turnovers converting those into 18 point, although, the Falcons did a much better job of taking care of the ball during the second half, with just seven turnovers.
-- They also protected the ball well enough that the Seawolves had just seven steals – barely half their GNAC-leading average of 13.5 per game.
-- The other noteworthy difference game was rebounding. The Seawolves had 45, with a whopping 19 at the offensive end that netted 14 points. SPU had 39 boards, with nine offensive for 11 points.
-- Senior guard Hailey Marlow earned five assists, including the 100th of her career. She now has 101.
-- Olivia Mayer is close behind, picking up one assist for her career 99th.
 
UP NEXT
The regular season concludes with Saturday's 4:00 p.m. Pacific time tip-off at Alaska Fairbanks. The Nanooks dropped a 74-65 decision to Montana State Billings on Thursday as the Yellowjackets clinched the GNAC regular-season championship.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024
Alaska Airlines Center / Anchorage, Alaska
 
Alaska Anchorage 51, Seattle Pacific 39
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (10-17, 7-10 GNAC)
Weatherspoon 2-8 2-2 6, Mayer 4-15 2-4 11, Berry 4-6 1-2 9, Marlow 2-6 0-0 4, Beirne 4-12 1-2 9, Ohta 0-2 0-0 0.  Totals 16-49 6-10 39
 
ALASKA ANCHORAGE (17-8, 12-5 GNAC)
Robertson 1-6 2-2 4 Rabouin 2-6 0-0 5, Evans 4-11 1-3 9, Rabb 3-7 0-0 7, Mack 1-5 0-0 2, Ross 2-6 0-0 5, Alexander 1-5 0-0 2, Gamble 0-1 0-0 0, Hollingshead 4-12 3-6 11, Pearson 3-7 0-0 6.  Totals 21-66 6-11 51.
 
Seattle Pacific                    10             6             6           17            -- 39
Alaska Anchorage             14           10           16           11            -- 51
 
3-point goals – SPU 1-18 (Weatherspoon 0-2, Mayer 1-5, Marlow 0-4, Beirne 0-5, Ohta 0-2), UAA 3-11 (Rabouin 1-2 Evans 0-1, Rabb 1-3, Mack 0-2, Ross 1-2, Pearson 0-1).  Fouled out – None.  Rebounds – SPU 39 (Mayer 11), UAA 45 (Gamble 8).  Assists – SPU 11 (Marlow 5), UAA 13 (Rabouin 6).  Turnovers (points allowed) – SPU 19 (18), UAA 11 (6).  Total fouls – SPU 13, UAA 17.  Technical fouls – None.  Attendance – 654.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Alaska Fairbanks
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. PST
The Patty Center / Fairbanks, Alaska


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