Alaska Anchorage sank four free throws in the final 42 seconds to break a tie and hand Western Washington men’s basketball a 71-67 loss in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action Saturday, Jan. 4, 2024 in Carver Gymnasium.
The Seawolves took an 8-2 lead in the first five minutes from a pair of 3-pointers from Sean Evans and Tyler Burraston. The Vikings, who fell to 0-4 in conference with the loss, were able to pick up a handful of offensive rebounds and second-chance points to take their first lead at 13-12.
Louis Grante-Halliday led Western’s early scoring with six points. He finished with a team-high 7 points while Tijan Saine led with 29 points.
Alaska Anchorage (10-7, 3-1 GNAC) and Western traded baskets throughout the first half as both teams were tied at 28-28 with six minutes left. The Vikings were able to sustain offense through points off turnovers while the Seawolves were grabbing rebounds and making 3-point shots.
Alaska Anchorage went on a 9-1 run during the next three minutes as Hasaan Herrington and Dillon Barrientos each nailed 3-point shots. Vikings’ Aidan Rice snapped the streak with a 3-pointer from the left wing and five points from Saine.
However, Alaska Anchorage held a 41-37 lead at halftime. In the first five minutes of the second half, Western’s defense forced five turnovers but struggled to score, giving the Seawolves a 45-41 lead.
After getting a steal near the right sideline, Saine nailed a deep 3-pointer halfway through the second half to give the Vikings a 53-51 lead. Seawolves’ Jesse Stines tied the game at 60-60 with a corner 3-pointer with four minutes left.
Evans made a contested 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give the Seawolves a 63-62 lead with three minutes left. Saine scored five straight points to keep the Vikings tied at 67-67 with less than two minutes remaining.
With 42 seconds left, Stines stepped up to the free throw line after being fouled and gave the Seawolves a one-point lead. Stines made three more free throws to secure the victory for Alaska Anchorage.
Western (8-6, 0-4 GNAC) next heads to Seattle Pacific for a 7:30 p.m. matchup Thursday, Jan. 9.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
