Alaska News

UAA women absorb third straight loss

Opponents continue to get even with the once-dominant UAA women's basketball team, which stumbled to a third straight conference loss Thursday night in Billings, Mont.

This time, it was Montana State-Billings that got a small dose of revenge, cruising to a 78-64 win that marked the Yellowjackets' first win over UAA since they joined the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2007.

Senior guard Sasha King pumped in 19 points and freshman guard Jessica Madison scored a career-high 14 for the Seawolves, who slipped to 7-5 overall and 1-3 in the GNAC.

The setback came a week after UAA suffered consecutive GNAC losses for the first time since 2009, losing to Western Washington, which ended a five-game losing streak to the Seawolves, and to Simon Fraser, which had never before won in Anchorage.

Opponents who in recent years have suffered numerous losses to the Seawolves are now catching them in rebuilding mode -- prior to the season, the coach who turned UAA into a national Division II power resigned and several top players decided not to return. More recently, first-year coach Ryan McCarthy lost starting guard Mariesha Harris, who quit the team and left school.

King did her best to keep UAA in Tuesday's game. She hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range, getting one of her treys at the end of an 8-0 run that cut the Billings lead to 58-55 with 7 minutes, 20 seconds to play.

But the Yellowjackets (10-3, 4-1) answered with consecutive baskets by Bobbi Knudsen, a point guard who delivered 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists versus no turnovers in 37 minutes of play. Nine players grabbed rebounds for Billings, with four getting seven or more.

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Neither team shot well -- UAA hit 36.8 percent of its shots and Billings hit 37.3. But the Yellowjackets put up 75 shots to UAA's 57.

Alli Madison added 11 points and Alysa Horn brought down a team-high seven rebounds for the Seawolves, who travel to Seattle Pacific for a Saturday game.

UAA (64) -- Buchanan 1-3 0-0 3, King 6-11 2-2 19, Horn 0-9 3-4 3, J. Madison 5-11 2-2 14, Burns 3-11 2-2 9, A. Madison 4-10 1-4 11, Hutchins 1-1 0-0 3, Martin 1-1 0-0 2, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, Brewster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-57 10-14 64.

MSU-BILLINGS (78) -- Tolman 4-17 0-0 10, Knudsen 9-18 2-3 22, Olson 4-6 0-0 8, DePuydt 4-5 2-2 10, Goggins 2-11 10-12 15, Hanser 0-4, 0-2 0, Peoples 1-6 0-0 3, Kumm 0-0 0-0 0, Grimsrud 4-8 1-1 10, Capouch 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-75 15-18 78.

UAA 30 34 -- 64

Billings 35 43 -- 78

3-point goals -- UAA 12-23 (King 5-8, Buchanan 1-1, Horn 0-2, J. Madison 2-6, Burns 1-3, A. Madison 2-2, Hutchins 1-1), Billings 7-24 (Tolman 2-11, Knudsen 2-4, Goggins 1-1, Hanser 0-2, Peoples 1-3, Grimsrud 1-3). Total fouls -- UAA 17, Billings 13. Rebounds -- UAA 29 (Horn 7), Billings 46 (Knudsen 9). Assists -- UAA 12 (3 players with 3), Billings 16 (Knudsen 7). Turnovers -- UAA 15 (King 7), Billings 16 (2 with 3). Blocked shots -- UAA 2, Billings 2 (Grimsrud 2). Steals -- UAA 7 (King 3, J. Madison 3), Billings 7 (Olson 3).

Anchorage Daily News

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