The 21st-ranked Seawolves (20-5, 14-3 GNAC), who honored four seniors during a pre-game ceremony, used a strong second half to overcome a hot first half from Western Oregon (17-8, 10-6).
"This game is a microcosm of our season," UAA coach Rusty Osborne said. "We were resilient."
The Seawolves can finish the regular season in no worse than a tie for second place in the conference, and they still have a shot to take the GNAC title, with a little help. To win the league, UAA must win its regular-season finale next week on the road against UAF and will need first-place Western Washington to lose its final two games.
Saturday's game got off to a spirited start, with the Seawolves leading by as much as seven before Western Oregon's hot shooting took over.
The Wolves hit 66.7 percent from the field in the first half, including three 3-pointers in the final two minutes from Blair Wheadon, who led the Wolves with 22 points. Wheadon drained a trey from the top of the key in the closing seconds of the first half to put his team up 35-30 at intermission.
The Seawolves came out firing in the second half, led by a hot shooter of their own in Kyle Fossman (17 points). The sophomore from Haines set the tone by opening the second half with a 3-pointer to pull the Seawolves within two.
After a Western Oregon bucket, Fossman drained another trey that cut Western Oregon's lead to 37-36. On the Seawolves' next possession, Fossman drove the lane and dished to a wide open Rohde, who dropped in a layup to give UAA a 38-37 lead. The Seawolves didn't trail again.
Senior Lonnie Ridgeway racked 16 points that included the game's only two dunks and Abebe Demissie capped his 10-point performance with a 3-pointer from well beyond NBA range with 4:07 remaining in the game.
"He practices those shots all the time," said senior Phillip Hearn. "I knew it was going in."
When Demissie's shot fell through, the Seawolves took a 10-point lead that just about sealed the win.
"When that went in I knew everything was in our favor and we could run away with it," Rohde said.
Demissie might not have taken the shot if senior Steve White hadn't misread the shot clock. White, who finished with 12 assists, said a portion of the basket's support system blocks the view of the shot clock and he thought the clock said three seconds remained when it actually said eight seconds. White yelled for Demissie to take the shot and watched him let loose a 40-footer.
"That's what happens in big games, I guess," White said.
A couple minutes prior to Demissie's bomb, with the Seawolves clinging to a three-point lead, a real shot-clock buzzer-beater saved UAA when White tossed a running floater through the net from the right baseline as the horn sounded. The crowd, one of the biggest of the season, erupted with applause.
"When everybody is hitting shots like that, it's just fun playing with them," Ridgeway said.
Ridgeway looked like he was having fun when he rammed in his second dunk with 1:33 remaining. The Seawolves led 72-59 at that point, and Ridgeway pumped his fist as he came down from the rim.
"It feels good," Ridgeway said. "Just an intense game."
The win was UAA's ninth in 10 games and it snapped a three-game winning streak for Western Oregon.
The Wolves were coming off three convincing wins over Simon Fraser, Saint Martin's and UAF, and Western Oregon coach Brady Bergson thought his team was sharp Saturday in what he said was a fun game.
"Everything except for the outcome," Bergson said. "Just two good teams going at it."
For Rohde, Hearn, Ridgeway and White, UAA's four seniors, their final home game produced extra emotion.
"I got a little choked up seeing my dad," Rohde said.
But White said the Seawolves are focused on the postseason play that lies ahead. The GNAC tournament begins Feb. 29 and White expects the Seawolves to be ready.
"The season's not over," he said. "We are still working."
WESTERN OREGON (70) -- Gehring 3-7 0-0 6, Nelson 6-12 0-0 13, Wheadon 9-15 0-0 22, Long 7-11 0-3 16, Freelander 3-5 1-1 7, McGill 0-1 0-0 0, Troxel 2-2 0-0 4, Veal 0-0 0-0 0, White 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 31-55 1-4 70.
UAA (83) -- Rohde 8-12 9-10 25, Thompson 2-4 0-0 4, White 2-3 0-1 4, Lauwers 1-3 0-0 3, Fossman 4-13 6-7 17, Ridgeway 7-11 2-2 16, Jackson 0-1 2-2 2, Demissie 4-6 2-2 10, Hearn 0-1 2-2 2, Blossom 0-0 0-0 0, Gibcus 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 19-21 83.
Western Oregon 35 35 -- 70
UAA 30 53 -- 83
3-point goals -- Western Oregon 7-16 (Nelson 1-5, Wheadon 4-6, Long 2-3, Freelander 0-1, White 0-1), UAA 8-20 (Thompson 0-2, White 0-1, Lauwers 1-3, Fossman 3-10, Ridgeway 2-2, Demissie 2-2). Rebounds -- WOU 22 (3 with 4), UAA 28 (Ridgeway 9). Total fouls -- WOU 19, UAA 11. Fouled out -- Gehring. Assists -- WOU 21 (Freelander 6), UAA (White 12). Turnovers -- WOU 17 (Wheadon 4, Long 4), UAA 11 (White 5). Blocks -- WOU 1, UAA 3. Steals -- WOU 5 (Freelander 2, McGill 2), UAA 5 (White 3).
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