Alysa Horn and Hanna Johansson scored 10 points apiece Tuesday to lead Alaska Anchorage into its fifth straight Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout title game with a 48-35 first-round victory over San Jose State at Sullivan Arena.
The Seawolves (5-1), ranked No. 11 in the latest NCAA Division II poll, scored their ninth straight victory over a Division I team in their flagship tournament.
UAA will get a chance to defend its four consecutive titles Wednesday when it faces Kent State, which beat the University of Washington 59-58 in Tuesday's nightcap.
The Spartans (0-5) were led by 12 points and three assists from point guard AJ Newton, but the Western Athletic Conference squad was forced into 20 turnovers, while UAA committed just 10.
Five of SJSU’s turnovers came on steals by Seawolf forward Tijera Mathews, who also finished with eight points.
UAA jumped to an 8-0 lead and never trailed, although the Spartans kept things close throughout.
Clinging to a 33-27 advantage with just over eight minutes remaining, Mathews made a steal at midcourt that led directly to a three-point play by Johansson.
Then just 20 seconds later the transfer from Antelope Valley (Calif.) College used her long arms to poke the ball away from SJSU’s Liz Johnson, leading to a fastbreak layup and another three-point play by Horn.
In all, Mathews made steals on four straight possessions within 64 seconds as UAA’s lead grew back to 41-27.
Forward Nikki Aden finished with six points and four rebounds, Horn added a team-high six rebounds, and Johansson shot four of seven to go with five rebounds and two assists.
The game broke the Shootout record for fewest combined points, erasing a 50-41 San Diego State victory over Houston in 1981 from the record books.
It was also the fewest points ever allowed against a Div. I team by the Seawolves, bettering their 40-38 victory over San Diego from 1984.
UAA has now won 34 games all-time against Div. I competition (32 in the Shootout).
The Seawolves have also now posted double-digit victory margins in their first-round Shootout games the last three years (72-44 over Cal State Northridge, 2008; 89-47 over Coastal Carolina, 2009).
Three GNAC Teams Ranked In Top 25
Three Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams are ranked in the first regular season USA Today ESPN WBCA Top 25 women's basketball poll of the 2010-11 season.
Seattle Pacific is ranked sixth, while Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington are ranked 11th and 24th, respectively.
In the first NABC Top 25 men's poll, no GNAC team is ranked. However, Seattle Pacific (29th overall) and Central Washington (46th overall) are among "others receiving votes."
Football: Lorig Selected Assistant Coach of the Year
Central Washington football assistant head coach Joe Lorig has been selected as the Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year by the AFCA.
Lorig, 37, just completed his third season as the Wildcats' assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, was selected as the Division II winner among three total finalists. He was also a finalist last year.
Lorig, a native of Edmonds, Wash., has guided the Wildcat defense to some of the top numbers in the NCAA Division II during his tenure in Ellensburg.
Last season, Central Washington led the nation in scoring defense at 11.9 points per game while allowing 58.5 rushing yards per game. This season, Lorig's defense ranked third in Division II in rushing defense at 71.1 yards per game.
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