Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The top team in the nation played like it Thursday night, much to the Crusaders chagrin.

No. 1 Alaska Anchorage used a first-quarter surge against a cold-shooting Northwest Nazarene squad to down the visiting Crusaders, 82-53, on Thursday night in Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball.

"We had a hard time with their pressure and really couldn't adjust," NNU's interim head coach John Hartman said. "They are a really good team."

Four minutes into the night, a pair of Cierra White free throws put NNU on top, 6-5, then it was all Alaska Anchorage.

The Seawolves went on a 20-4 run that saw just a bucket apiece from Ellie Logan and Kate Cryderman for the Crusaders (8-13 overall, 6-9 GNAC) over the ensuing 7 minutes.

UAA (27-1, 14-1) continued to stretch its advantage, helped by an icy-cold shooting effort by the Crusaders who went 7-of-30 in the first half (23.3 percent) from the field and fell behind 52-20 at the break.

NNU's shooting didn't change in the final 20 minutes, as the Crusaders finished 17-of-64 in the game (26.6 percent), making it difficult for the Crusaders to mount a charge.

Logan led the way for NNU on the night, finishing with 14 points, while Taylor Simmons chipped in seven points, six steals and five assists for the Crusaders, who wrap up their final road trip of the regular season Saturday night at Alaska.

"Our kids still played hard and now we have to focus on Saturday," Hartman added.