Box Score




NAMPA, Idaho — The Crusaders upset plans were upset by a relentless Alaska Anchorage attack.

The second-ranked Seawolves overcame a four-point lead by host Northwest Nazarene and pulled away late, scoring a 95-71 win over the NNU women in Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball at the Johnson Sports Center on Saturday night.  

"From start to finish, Anchorage just attacks the boards and we had zero answer for it," NNU head women's basketball coach Ryan Bragdon said, adding, "then we turned the ball over. Anchorage thrives on that, you turn the ball over it's an automatic two points."

The Seawolves outrebounded the Crusaders, 44-31, and forced 24 NNU turnovers, but Coach Bragdon's team still managed to hold a late first-quarter lead and a four-point advantage midway through the third quarter.

But a pair of NNU turnovers, and a pair of Seawolves putbacks, sparked a 17-3 surge by the visitors that allowed them to pull away.

"They just capitalize on every single last mistake," Bragdon said.
 

A Lexi Tubbs 3 with just under 2 minutes left in the first quarter gave NNU (5-9 overall, 3-5 GNAC) a 13-10 lead, and a Cierra White triple cut a six-point UAA advantage down to 32-30 just before the break.

Charging out of the locker room, an Ellie Logan free throw tied it, 37-37, for the Crusaders, who went up 45-41 after a Taylor Simmons steal led to a Logan fast-break layup.

But the relentless Seawolves attack started taking its toll as a Jessica Madison steal led to a Keiahnna Engel layup and a 49-46 UAA lead.

A Megan Mullings' putback pushed the Seawolves (20-1, 7-1) in front 53-46 with 3 minutes left in the third, and an Adriana Dent steal led to a pair of free throws and a 61-50 UAA edge.

The Seawolves then pulled away in the fourth to spoil the Crusaders upset plans.

"Playing catch-up with a team that plays that type of pace, and really is really good at that pace, it's not a recipe for success," Bragdon said.

Logan led the way for NNU with 20 points and five rebounds in the contest, while Simmons added 12 points and seven assists for the Crusaders, who are back on the hardwood playing at Concordia on Thursday night.