Sports

Seawolves women notch another double-digit hoops win

UAA's high-flying women's basketball team turned on the afterburners early, then glided home for an 80-66 nonconference win over McKendree University on Sunday evening at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

"It's really fun to be a part of this team right now," said Seawolves forward KeKe Wright, who came off the bench to score 14 points and grab a team-high nine rebounds.

UAA improved to 9-0, its third-best start ever. The Seawolves opened the 2006-07 campaign 12-0 and started 10-0 in 2007-08.

Coach Ryan McCarthy's team was red hot to start the game, opening on an 11-0 run for the second consecutive night against the Lebanon, Illinois school. UAA pushed its first-half lead to as much as 25 points behind contributions from nearly every player in the lineup. Leah Bonner scored a team-high 12 points in a first half in which McCarthy was able to use 11 different players.

"Our depth is something that takes our team to the next level," said guard Alli Madison, who along with Bonner led the team in scoring with 16 points.

Wright's play off the bench was especially impressive. She shot 4 of 5 from the field, hit all six of her free throws, had five offensive boards and committed just one turnover in 19 minutes.

"I'm really proud of the way she's responded," McCarthy said.

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Jessica Madison added 12 points for UAA, which also got nine points and five rebounds from Megan Mullings.

UAA players threw their bodies around the court with abandon in the first half, with McCarthy pumping his fist in celebration after a particularly rowdy defensive series that saw four of the five Seawolves players hit the deck.

"When we're hitting on all cylinders, that's about what it looks like," McCarthy said.

The Seawolves held McKendree to 30.6 percent shooting in the first half and forced 19 turnovers in the game. They also nabbed 12 steals, including five by Kiki Robertson and three each from Bonner and Adriana Dent.

"I think tonight we took it to another level with our pace and intensity level on defense," Alli Madison said.

Jameeka Bouie had 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half for McKendree (1-7), which also got 13 points and 12 boards from Gabrielle Williams.

McKendree outscored UAA 38-36 in the second half on some hot 3-point shooting, but the Bearcats never pulled within double digits as the Seawolves cruised home in front of 302 fans. The game was played at the old arena because of fall commencement being held at the Alaska Airlines Center.

UAA entered the week ranked No. 9 in a pair of national polls, and the nine-game winning streak is the fifth longest in school history. As a testament to how dominant the Seawolves have been, the 14-point victory was the smallest margin of victory over a fellow Division II team this season.

With his unbeaten team shooting up the rankings and continuing to play exciting, up-tempo basketball, McCarthy said he couldn't be happier heading toward the New Year.

"It's an exciting time," he said. "Right now we're really happy with where we are."

UAA will return to action Friday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. against Texas A&M Kingsville at the Alaska Airlines Center. The game is the first of three in the Seawolf Hoops Classic, which will see UAA take on nonconference foes Pacific on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Hawaii Pacific on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Contact Matt Tunseth at mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com.

UAA 80, McKendree 66

McKendree (66) – Bouie 7-14 2-4 19, Amann-Stewart 0-4 2-2 2, Ponce 4-14 2-2 13, Ennis 1-4 0-0 3, McGinnis 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 5-10 0-0 12, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Pusheck 0-1 0-0 0, Alexander 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 6-13 1-3 13. Totals 24-64 9-13 66.

UAA (80) – Mullings 3-6 3-5 9, Bonner 6-11 4-4 16, A. Madison 6-16 0-0 16, Robertson 2-5 0-1 4, J. Madison 3-13 4-5 12, Dent 0-4 0-0 0, Buchanan 2-8 2-2 7, Wright 4-5 6-6 14, Devine 1-5 0-0 2, Afoa 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 27-75 19-23 80.

McKendree 28 38 -- 66

UAA 44 36 -- 80

3-point goals – McKendree 9-24 (Bouie 3-5, Ponce 3-10, Ennis 1-4, Smith 2-4, Alexander 0-1); UAA 7-22 (A. Madison 4-7, Robertson 0-2, J. Madison 2-7, Buchanan 1-4, Devine 0-1, Afoa 0-1). Total fouls – McKendree 17; UAA 19. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none. Rebounds – McKendree 42 (Williams 12); UAA 47 (Wright 9). Assists – McKendree 20 (Ennis 7); UAA 18 (Robertson 5). Steals – McKendree 4 (Ennis 2); UAA 16 (Robertson 5). Turnovers – McKendree 19 (Bouie 5); UAA 12 (Dent 4). Blocks – McKendree 2 (Bouie, Johnson); UAA 5 (Mullings 2). Attendance – 302. Officials – McNew, Conley, Lujan.

Matt Tunseth

Matt Tunseth is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and former editor of the Alaska Star.

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