Friday, March 8, 2019

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Playing for the first time since being named GNAC Player of the Year earlier this week, Alaska Anchorage's Hannah Wandersee did what Hannah Wandersee does in Friday's semifinal showdown. 

Leading all scorers with 21 points, Wandersee led the top-seeded Seawolves as the conference's regular-season champions took care of business to the tune of a 70-52 victory over Central Washington in the semifinals of the GNAC Women's Basketball Championship. 

The win improved UAA's record to 3-0 this season against the Wildcats. The defeat sent CWU back to Ellensburg with an 18-11 record, while the tournament's No. 1 seed advances to face either No. 2 Northwest Nazarene or host Western Washington in Saturday evening's title game.

Wandersee (21 points, seven rebounds) and guard Yazmeen Goo (11 points, six rebounds, four assists) led Alaska Anchorage in the winning effort. Wandersee finished the afternoon with 10 field goals while going 1 for 2 from behind the arc. Goo shot 5 of 8 from the field while tallying a game-high four assists.

Central Washington sophomore Kassidy Malcolm led her team with 14 points on the day. As a team, the tournament's No. 4 seed shot 32.1 percent from the field.

The Wildcats were competitive early, using a strong defensive effort to hold an 8-6 advantage midway through the opening 10 minutes. It was the Seawolves who took a 15-12 lead into the second quarter, however, an advantage that would quickly be stretched thanks to a historic defensive effort.

The team allowed just four points in the second stanza, a mark that tied a school record for points allowed in a quarter. The stingy defense allowed UAA to grab a 35-16 lead at the halftime break, a margin that came with an extra boost of momentum after Wandersee put back a missed free throw just before the buzzer sounded.

More of the same followed in the final 20 minutes as Alaska Anchorage controlled the contest behind its mayhem defense and a balanced scoring effort. The Seawolves led by as many 25 points on three separate occasions, allowing the team to cruise to its 70-52 win.

The victory punched UAA's ticket to the tournament's title tilt, which will tip-off at 5:20 p.m. on Saturday evening. For those not in attendance in Bellingham, the game will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com.