ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — In an incredible upset Tuesday night, the Sonoma State Seawolves knocked off #2 Alaska Anchorage 68-58, delivering the visiting Seawolves an emphatic loss which derails a perfect 10-0 season.
"I thought we just played really hard all night," Head Coach Rich Shayewitz said of his team following the game. "I really challenged them about how tough we were and they really stepped up and really played tough all night long."
Despite trailing through the opening minutes of the game, Sonoma State pulled even at 8-8 before taking off on a 7-2 run over the next 2:31 and ending the first quarter with a 15-11 lead.
From there, SSU never looked back.
With a four-point lead to start the second quarter, Sonoma State played defensively-minded basketball keeping their opponent at bay. Madison Burroughs put up 10 points in the period, while she and her teammates held Alaska Anchorage to a mere .167 shooting percentage over the course of the quarter. Much of Sonoma State's success came due to their efficiency rebounding the ball and keeping it out of the visitor's hands. Through the first half alone, SSU collected 28 rebounds, good for a +20 margin over Alaska Anchorage.
By the end of the first half, Sonoma State commanded a 35-19 lead which they continued to maintain for the rest of the game. Alaska Anchorage made things interesting in the middle of the third quarter, as they took off on a 6-1 run between 4:37 and 2:58, but after pulling within eight points, SSU halted the momentum playing to a 44-33 lead after three quarters.
After contributing a mere three points through the first 30 minutes of the game, Carly Gill broke out in the fourth quarter, putting up 13 through the final period. She netted the first bucket of the period to push Sonoma State's lead to 46-33, before Ugochi Anudokem led her side over the next 6:31 with six points of her own.
Anudokem's jumper with 4:12 remaining pushed SSU to an 18-point lead, 58-40—their largest of the game.
With 1:40 remaining, Sonoma State held an 11-point lead as the score stood 61-50. Rodericka Ware made a strong final effort to get Alaska Anchorage back into the game, adding eight points to their tally and pulling within six with 45 seconds remaining. However, Sonoma State's Gill drew numerous fouls and sunk seven of seven attempts from the free throw line to close out the 68-58 victory.
With the win, Sonoma State moves to 4-5 on the season and holds an Alaska Anchorage team which has averaged 82 points per game to just under 60. The loss by UAA snapped a 25-game road win streak. In fact, the Anchorage Seawolves hadn't lost a regular season game to a Division II non-conference opponent since 2012, a streak of 39 games, and they hadn't lost a regular season road game to a Division II non-conference opponent since 1998, a streak of 17 games.
"It means the world," Shayewitz noted in regards to his team's defensive performance. "I really think our team is buying into our defensive system and we did a great job of keeping them off balance tonight."
SSU breaks for the winter recess before returning to league-play on January 2nd, where they'll look to build on their 1-4 CCAA record at Cal State East Bay. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm PT.
