BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 70-63 game to Alaska Anchorage Saturday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

WWU split its fifth consecutive conference week, finishing the first half of GNAC schedule 5-5 and 11-9 overall. Anchorage improved to 11-7 overall and 6-4 in GNAC play with its fourth consecutive victory and sixth in the last eight games. 

The game featured 7 lead changes and 6 tie scores, all in the first half, and WWU trailed by 3 points at 66-63 with 29 seconds remaining in the game before the Seawolves secured the win at the free throw line.

Junior Trevor Jasinsky (Camas, WA) recorded his fourth consecutive 20-point game with a game-high 20 points on 5-for-12 shooting (2-for-4 3FG, 8-for-9 FT). Jasinsky has now scored in double-digits in 19 of 20 games this season and is averaging 19.6 points per game. Jasinsky also grabbed a team-high 8 rebounds.

Junior guard Tucker Eenigenburg (Bakersfield, CA/Bakersfield College) added 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting and sophomore forward Luke Lovelady (Tacoma, WA/Life Christian/Point Loma) had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

The Vikings shot 38.6% for the game (22-for-57) and were 7-for-19 (36.8%) from 3-point range. UAA shot 48.0% (24-for-50) for the game, including a 11-for-22 in the second half. 

UAA had four players score in double-figures, led by 17 points from junior guard Jack Macdonald, 13 of which came in the second half. Sophomore guard Brennan Rymer added 14 points and junior shooting guard Niko Bevens scored 12 points on 4-for-8 from 3-point range.

WWU out-rebounded UAA 37-33, including a 14-10 in offensive rebounds…the Vikings were 12-for-16 (75.0%) from the free throw line, while the Seawolves were 12-for-20 (60.0%)…UAA had 8 steals, compared to WWU's 4…both teams had 4 blocked shots…UAA led for 26:39, WWU for 10:52 (all in the first half) and the game was tied for 2:29…WWU received 21 points from its bench, compared to 13 by UAA.

Alaska Anchorage built its lead to 12 points going on a 12-3 run that ended at the 7:36 mark, which proved to be the critical stretch in the eventual 7-point victory. WWU rallied going on a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 4 points at 61-57 with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game. A Tucker Eenigenburg 3-pointer with 29-seconds on the clock brought the Vikings within one possession at 66-63, and it appeared WWU forced a turnover, but a foul was called to put UAA on the free throw line. Brennan Rymer hit both free throws to extend the lead to 5 points and two more free throws brought the game to the final score of 70-63.

The first half of play featured six tie scores and seven lead changes, with UAA making a late 9-2 run to take a 35-30 halftime lead. WWU finished the first half shooting 40.0% (10-for-25), while UAA was at 13-for-28 (46.4%). The Vikings and Seawolves went back-and-forth late in the half, with ties at 21-21, 26-26 and 28-28, before UAA scored seven consecutive points to build a five-point lead. Tucker Eenigenburg led the Vikings scoring 11 points off the bench on 4-for-7 shooting, and Trevor Jasinsky scored 8 points on 2-for-5 shooting (3-for-4 free throws). UAA was led by 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting (all 3-pointers) by Niko Bevens.

Trevor Jasinsky recorded his 12^th 20-point game of the season, leading all GNAC players…Jasinsky has now scored in double-digits in 14 consecutive games and 19 of 20 contests in 2018-19…most 20-point games by a Viking since Taylor Stafford (20) in 2016-17…four consecutive 20-point games is also the longest such streak since Stafford had six straight…Jasinsky is averaging 19.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game…has now made 123 career 3-pointers, tied for 13^th-most in WWU history…now has 893 points, 107 short of reaching the 1,000-point mark…played in all 80 games of his WWU career.

Despite the loss, WWU still leads the all-time series 21-17 (10-6 in Carver Gym)…WWU won both games vs. UAA last year…series is tied 4-4 over the last 8 meetings.

The Vikings open the second half of GNAC play next week against nationally-ranked Saint Martin's on Thursday in Lacey (7 pm) and then take on Seattle Pacific on Saturday at Royal Brougham Pavilion in a 4 pm game. Six of WWU's next eight games are on the road, with the next games in Carver Gym Feb. 7 (CWU) and Feb. 9 (NNU).

WWU will serve as the host for the 2019 GNAC Championships, with the top six teams in both the men's and women's conference standings at the end of the season qualifying for the tournament that will be held March 7-9 on WECU Court in Carver Gym. 

Fans can follow the men's basketball team online at WWUVikings.com/MBB, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUHoops) and Facebook (@WWUmensbball).

One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 10 seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2011-12 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons, including a 25-6 record in 2016-17 where it won the GNAC regular season and conference championships title, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships as the No. 3 seed in the West Region. The program recently completed its 116^th season posting a 21-8 record in 2017-18, and have combined for 1,490 victories and a .591 winning percentage in program history.

-- @WWUHoops --