UAA Athletics

UAA women pick up basketball win in frigid Fairbanks before heading to Hawaii

The UAA women's basketball team is going to extremes this weekend.

In a span of less than 24 hours, they'll experience a 100-degree temperature change as they go from teeth-chattering cold in Fairbanks to tropical warmth in Hawaii.

The Seawolves picked up a 73-57 victory Saturday afternoon in Fairbanks, where it was minus 20, UAA coach Ryan McCarthy said.

From Fairbanks they were scheduled to fly to Anchorage, claim their luggage and immediately re-check it before boarding a red-eye flight to Honolulu and 80-degree temperatures.

"It's crazy," said McCarthy, who said he packed snowboots and shorts in the same bag.

The Seawolves will play three games in seven days in Hawaii. When they leave, players will head to their respective hometowns for the holiday break.

With its Saturday win over UAF, UAA ran its record to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

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The Nanooks (4-6, 0-3) used stall tactics to grab a 13-10 lead in the first quarter. UAA took control in the second quarter to lead 30-22 at the half, and although UAF came within six points a couple of times in the second half, the Seawolves maintained command.

"In the beginning it was pretty close but I felt pretty confident," McCarthy said. "I thought once we settled in, especially offensively, we'd be fine and get the looks we wanted to.

"They'd get within six and we would immediately answer with a big 3."

Autummn Williams poured in 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting for the Seawolves. She cashed in on several of UAF's 23 turnovers and had four of UAA's 12 steals to create her own opportunities.

Tara Thompson nailed 5-of-7 shots from 3-point range en route to 15 points, and fellow Dimond High alumna Sierra Afoa added eight points for the Seawolves.

The Nanooks outrebounded UAA 37-32 and were sparked by Jordan Wilson (23 points, 9 rebounds) and Kaillee Skjold (19 points, 10 rebounds).

"They spread the floor out real wide and wouldn't make any attempt to score until there was 10 seconds left on the shot clock," McCarthy said. "They did a good job executing that, and it really slowed the tempo down."

But 23 turnovers killed UAF, which faltered when UAA put more pressure on the ball and made it hard for the Nanooks to pass.

UAA's depth also was a factor. While the Nanooks got only 13 minutes from their bench, the Seawolves got 89, including 25 minutes from backup point guard Yazmeen Goo, who supplied four points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals and only one turnover.

Beth Bragg

Beth Bragg wrote about sports and other topics for the ADN for more than 35 years, much of it as sports editor. She retired in October 2021. She's contributing coverage of Alaskans involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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