Kent St. stops UAA Shootout run, 53-47

ANCHORAGE (Nov. 24) - Kent State senior Jamiah Humes scored 14 of her game-high 23 points in the second half Wednesday to lead her team to a 53-47 victory over host and four-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage in the championship of the women's 2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout at Sullivan Arena.

UAA (5-2), the 11th-ranked NCAA Division II team in the nation, lost for the first time since 2005 at its signature tournament, snapping a nine-game winning streak against Division I opponents. All-tournament selection Hanna Johansson led the Seawolves with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

Humes, a 5-8 guard, shot 7 of 14 from the field - including 3 of 5 from three-point range - and added four assists and five steals to help the Golden Flashes (4-0) rally from a 36-32 deficit with 8:54 remaining.

The game featured nine ties until Johansson (6-9 FG) gave UAA its final lead, 44-43, with two free throws at the 3:08 mark. Kent State's Taisja Jones made a steal and drove in for a layup one minute later to put the Mid-American Conference squad back on top, and Humes drained a three-pointer with 1:14 on the clock to make it 48-44.

UAA junior guard Tanee' Denson-Grifffin, also an all-tournament pick, answered immediately with a three-pointer of her own, and Humes would make one of two free throws moments later, leaving Kent State up 49-47.

The Seawolves had a chance to tie or take the lead with 12.9 seconds remaining, but Johansson committed a turnover on the inbounds pass, and the Golden Flashes would seal it from the free-throw line.

Jones collected 10 of her 17 points at the charity stripe, adding six rebounds and three steals as she also made the all-tourney squad.

Denson-Griffin scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, along with eight rebounds, three assists and four steals, and sophomore teammate Alysa Horn (5 points, 5 rebounds) also made the all-tournament team.

Humes was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after helping her team become just the second Mid-American Conference school (Northern Illinois, 1990) to win a women's Shootout title.

The Seawolves are now 32-48 all-time in the Shootout.

2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout
Women's All-Tournament Team
Alysa Horn, Alaska Anchorage
Kristi Kingma, Washington
Tanee' Denson-Griffin, Alaska Anchorage
Taisja Jones, Kent State
Hanna Johansson, Alaska Anchorage
Most Outstanding Player - Jamilah Humes, Kent State