The UAA men's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak by blocking shots and blocking out Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Seawolves blocked 10 shots — one shy of the school record — and grabbed 46 rebounds in a 53-46 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win over Simon Fraser.
It was a much-welcomed victory for a team that had lost five of its previous six games, including the last four by a total of 10 points and the last two in overtime by a single point apiece.
"It's good to get a win," UAA coach Rusty Osborne said at a post-game press conference. "We'd been knocking on the door, and when you have some close losses, I think you have a tendency to tighten up. And I think we did tighten up some in the second half, but we persevered, we continued to defend, and we got it done."
UAA improved to 8-9 overall and 4-5 in the GNAC heading into a Saturday home game against league-leading Western Washington.
None of the Seawolves scored in double figures but two of them grabbed double-digits rebounds. D.J. Ursery collected 12 and Malik Clements had 10 — four on the offensive end — to help UAA outrebound the visitors 46-35.
Seven of UAA's 10 players blocked shots to give the Seawolves 10 blocks for the first time since December 2000. The school record of 11 was set in 1986; Thursday's effort marked the seventh times the Seawolves have had 10 blocks.
Ursery, Josiah Wood and Curtis Ryan each had two blocks, with Ryan getting his in two minutes worth of playing time.
UAA shot well in the first half, hitting 48.5 percent of its shots for a 34-26 halftime lead. Its accuracy dropped to 21.9 percent in the second half, but Simon Fraser had similar shooting woes.
Ursery and Wood each scored nine points and Clements and Jack Macdonald each had eight to lead UAA's balanced offense.
Bartlett High graduate Iziah Sherman-Newsome, a 6-foot-4 senior guard for Simon Fraser (8-9, 2-7), put on a show for the Clan with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
UAA single-game blocks
11 — Seattle Pacific (Feb. 22, 1986)
10 — Simon Fraser (Jan. 18, 2018)
10 — Southwestern (Kansas) (Dec. 30, 2000)
10 — American International (Nov. 22, 1986)
10 — Sheldon Jackson (Jan. 31, 1991)
10 — Western New Mexico (Feb. 5, 1998)
10 — Ferris State (Nov. 14, 1997
10 — BYU-Hawaii (Dec. 1, 2001)