Dixie downs UAA with 2nd-half surge

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Nov. 12) – Taylor Rohde had team-highs of 14 points and seven rebounds in his Seawolf debut Friday but the Alaska Anchorage men’s basketball team could not hold on to a 16-point first-half lead as they lost 75-58 in their season-opener at  Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Seawolves also got 12 points from point guard Drew Robinson and 10 points from junior guard Mario Gill – also making his UAA debut – in the loss.

Dixie State, from St. George, Utah, was led by 15 points and seven rebounds from forward Griffon Jones, plus 14 points and six rebounds from guard Donovan Plunkett.

It was a pair of three-pointers in the final minute of the first half from Plunkett that changed the game’s momentum, cutting a 33-17 Seawolf lead to just 33-23 at the break.

The Red Storm – the defending Pacific West Conference co-champions – continued to slice into UAA’s lead early in the second half and took their first advantage since the early going on a pair of Plunkett free throws with 12:52 left, making it 43-42.

The Seawolves could never regain their momentum as Dixie quickly ran its advantage to 53-43.

UAA made its lone run with a 6-0 spurt around the 5-minute mark, getting back-to-back layups from Robinson and a jumper from Liam Gibcus to make it 59-54, but that was as close as the Seawolves would get.

Dixie doubled UAA’s field-goal percentage in the second half – .545 to .267 – and won the rebounding battle by a 27-10 count over the final 20 minutes.

The Seawolves must regroup quickly before facing Lewis (Ill.) University in their next game here Saturday. That contest tips off at 6:30 p.m. AST and can be heard live locally on FM-93.7 KAFC.