Saturday, March 5, 2016

LACEY, Wash. – Alaska Anchorage had six players score in double figures as a balanced scoring effort led the No. 6 ranked Seawolves to a 77-57 victory over Montana State Billings and their second consecutive GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships title Saturday at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion.

Senior guard Keiahnna Engel, the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, led the Seawolves off the bench with 13 points in 15 minutes. First Team All-NWC guard Jenna Buchanan and senior Jessica Madison led four starters in double figures with 12 pointd each with Buchanan connecting on 4 of 4 from the field, all three-pointers. GNAC Player of the Year Megan Mullings and Alysha Devine each finished with 10.

Junior guard Kiki Robertson was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after she tied the tournament record with nine assists in the game. She also finished with five points and five rebounds. On the night, Alaska Anchorage shot 49.2 percent from the field (30-61) and 42.1 percent from three-point range (8-19).

Sophomore guard Marissa Van Atta led Montana State Billings with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. First Team All-GNAC junior forward Alisha Breen also scored 17 points to go along with five rebounds and two blocks. The Yellowjackets finished the night shooting 34.4 percent from the field (21-61) and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-14).

With the win, Alaska Anchorage (33-2) claimed the GNAC’s automatic qualifier to next week’s NCAA Division II Tournament. The No. 1 seed in the west region the last three weeks, it is expected that the Seawolves will host the tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center. Montana State Billings (21-10), who entered the week ranked eighth in the region, will wait to see if they will be awarded an at-large spot in the tournament. The NCAA Selection Shows airs at 7 p.m. (Pacific) Sunday on NCAA.com.

The fact that they were playing their third game in three days did not seem to affect the Yellowjacks early as they jumped out to a three-point lead with three minutes left in the first quarter on Van Atta’s lay-in. The Seawolves came back to tie the game at 17-17 at the end of the period and and went on a 10-0 run to open the second, which culminated on Devine’s jumper at the 6:48 mark to make it a 27-17 game. Montana State Billings responded with a 7-0 run of their own, reducing the lead to 27-24 on Monica Grimsrud’s basket with 4:44 to go. Alaska Anchorage extended the lead to seven with 1:18 left and went into halftime with a 35-30 lead.

As the second half began, it became clear that the Yellowjackets’ steam was running out. A three-point play by Robertson extended the Seawolves’ lead to 44-34 three minutes into the third quarter. Rylee Kane made it a 46-40 lead with 5:26 to go before Alaska Anchorage closed the half on a 15-7 run, with Madison’s lay-in at the horn building a 61-47 lead. The Seawolves built their largest lead of 23 points late when Mullings’ lay-in with 3:31 left made it a 75-52 game.