Alaska News

UAA men overcome poor shooting to beat Northwest Nazarene

After shooting atrociously in the first half yet only trailing by 10 points at halftime, the UAA men's basketball team rallied Thursday night to beat Northwest Nazarene, 92-83, at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex and snap a two-game losing streak in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The Seawolves (10-7, 3-3 GNAC) trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half before finally finding equilibrium, and their shooting touch, in the second half, when they led by as many as 10 points.

Guard Travis Thompson helped the Seawolves throughout the night, first to survive, then to seize the game. He scored a game-high 34 points, just one shy of his career high, and furnished six assists.

Brian McGill delivered 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Teancum Stafford scored 13 points, yanked down a game-high 14 rebounds and dished four assists. And Brad Mears added eight points on 4 of 5 shooting from the field.

The Seawolves, who entered the night hitting 45.9 percent of their shots, labored through a first half in which they struggled mightily to knock down shots.

UAA shot 26.5 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and connected on 21.7 percent of its 3-point attempts. What kept the Seawolves from digging a hole so deep it proved an abyss was its accuracy from the free-throw line — they drained 22 of 26 free throws in the first half, with Thompson making 12 of 13 to give him 20 points at the break. McGill's nine points in the first half also allowed the Seawolves to remain within comeback range.

Nor did it hurt that the Seawolves committed just two turnovers in the first half and just four in the game.

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Kyle Fossman, who averages 17 points per game, endured a particularly difficult first half. He missed his first seven shots, all 3-point attempts, before making a basket to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career. Fossman finished with nine points, but was 3 of 17 from the field and hit one of his 14 3-point attempts.

Still, UAA trailed 55-45 at intermission.

But the Seawolves improved their shooting in the second half, when they hit 46.2 percent of their field-goal attempts and 31.2 percent of their 3-pointers.

UAA enjoyed a big disparity at the free-throw line. The Seawolves sank 28 of 36 attempts. The Crusaders drained 6 of 7.

Kevin Rima of Faribanks led Northwest Nazarene (5-9, 3-3 GNAC) with 23 points and four blocks. Derek Isaak knocked down 21 points by burying 7 of 14 3-point attempts, and Matyas Hering added 10 points and 11 assists. Michael Loomis scored 11 points for the Crusaders.

The Seawolves on Saturday night entertain Central Washington in a GNAC game.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE (83) — Rima 9-14 5-5 23, Moore 3-8 0-0 8, Loomis 5-13 1-1 11, Hering 4-4 0-0 10, Isaak 7-16 0-0 21, Olivier 0-2-0-0 0, Perryman 2-6 0-0 6, Bledsoe 0-0 0-0 0, Damon 0-1 0-1 0, Van Beuren 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 32-66 6-7 83.

UAA (92) — Stafford 5-11 1-2 13, Mears 4-5 0-0 8, McGill 5-9 6-7 17, Thompson 8-21 14-17 34, Fossman 3-17 2-2 9, Leckband 0-3 2-2 2, Lauwers 2-6 3-3 9, Blossom 0-1 0-0 0, McTier 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 27-73 28-36 92.

NNU55 28 — 83

UAA45 47 — 92

Three-point goals — NNU 13-32 (Moore 2-4, Loomis 0-4, Hering 2-2, Isaak 7-14, Olivier 0-2, Perryman 2-5, Damon 0-1), UAA 10-39 (Stafford 2-6, McGill 1-1, Thompson 4-11, Fossman 1-14, Leckband 0-1, Lauwers 2-5, Blossom 0-1). Total fouls — NNU 24, UAA 13. Fouled out — None. Technical foul — Rima. Rebounds — NNU 41 (Moore 8, Perryman 8), UAA 43 (Stafford 14). Assists — NNU 29 (Hering 11), UAA 21 (McGill 6, Thompson 6). Turnovers — NNU 15 (Several with 2), UAA 4 (Stafford 2, McGill 2). Steals — NNU 2, UAA 9 (Three with 2) . Blocks — NNU 7 (Rima 4), UAA 2. Officials — Westcott, Paz, Lujan. A — 628.

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