SEATTLE, Wash. – Western Washington University senior guard Leif Anderson has proven to be one of the best 3-point shooters in program history and saved the best performance of his career for one of the biggest moments to help the Vikings win the 2020 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament.
WWU defeated the University of Alaska Anchorage 81-78 Saturday in Royal Brougham Pavilion to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships.
Anderson scored a season-high 16 points while going 5-for-6 from 3-point range, and scored seven of the Vikings final nine points in the three-point victory.
With the Vikings trailing by four points 76-72 with, the senior from Bellingham's Sehome High School hit a big 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining to trim the deficit to one point. With WWU down 78-75, Anderson hit his fifth 3-pointer with 31-seconds remaining and was fouled on the play. He converted the four-point play to give the Vikings a 79-78 lead, one they would not let go of to clinch the program's second GNAC Tournament title.
WWU recorded its 20th 20-win season in program history, improving to 20-10 on the season with its seventh victory over the last nine games. The 2012 national champions will be making a return trip to the NCAA II Championships for the first time since 2016-17 and the ninth time in program history.
"I am incredibly proud of this team. Our league is incredibly talented from bottom to top, so to get to the championship game was kind of a miracle with all our injuries this season," said WWU head coach Tony Dominguez. "I can't say enough about all the guys in that locker room. The guys stuck together and it all came together at the end. Very proud of everyone for their contributions to this championship."
The Vikings led by as many as 14 points in the first half, and held a 45-33 halftime lead, but UAA stormed back to take a second half lead. The Seawolves opened the second half on a 14-4 run and took a 61-60 lead following a three-point play by Oggie Pantovic with 6:56 remaining.
The final five minutes of action featured four lead changes, before the Seawolves forged ahead 76-72 following a 10-2 run. Anderson's seven consecutive points put the Vikings ahead for good, with a last-second 3-pointer attempt to win the game by Tyrus Hosley caromed off the rim.
Senior guard Siaan Rojas matched Anderson with 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting (4-for-8 3FG) and GNAC Championships MVP Trevor Jasinsky added 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Jasinsky completed the tournament scoring 39 points in the two games.
Freshman point guard D'Angelo Minnis scored 14 points and dished out 3 assists and senior centerLogan Schilder contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Senior forwardCameron Retherford grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds and neared a double-double with 8 points on 2-for-3 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
The Vikings finished at 44.4% shooting for the game (24-for-54), after connecting at a blistering 59.3% rate in the first half (16-for-27). UAA made their comeback attempt by shooting 69.6% in the second half (16-for-23).
The Vikings out-rebounded the Seawolves 31-24, with a 14-6 advantage on offensive boards, but UAA held a decisive 40-16 edge in points in the paint.
Tobin Karlberg led all players with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting and Oggie Pantovic added 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting.
Senior Leif Anderson scored seven consecutive points for the Vikings with less than 1:30 to go in the game, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers and converting a four-point play. Anderson hit a 3-pointer at the 1:25 mark to bring the Vikings to within one point at 76-75 and hit a deep 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 78-78. He was fouled on the play and converted the four-point play to give the Vikings the lead for good.
The Vikings built a 12-point 45-33 first-half lead by shooting 59.3% from the field, connecting on 16-of-27 shots and were 7-for-14 from 3-poing range. Siaan Rojas led all players with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes of play going 3-for-6 from the field, connecting on 3-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. Leif Anderson was 3-for-4 from 3-point range, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers in the first 9 minutes of the game. WWU capitalized on UAA's 6 turnovers, turning those into 12 points.
2020 GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKET
Thursday, March 5 (Quarterfinals):
No. 6 Alaska Fairbanks 91, No. 3 Western Oregon 88
No. 5 Alaska Anchorage 85, No. 4 Northwest Nazarene 76
Friday, March 6 (Semifinals):
No. 2 Western Washington 76, No. 6 Alaska Fairbanks 64
No. 5 Alaska Anchorage 86, No. 1 Seattle Pacific 85
Saturday, March 7 (Championship Game):
No. 2 Western Washington 81, No. 5 Alaska Anchorage 78
The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships Field of 64 will be announced Sunday at 7:30 pm. WWU will be part of the championships field after receiving the automatic bid for winning the GNAC Championships. The selection show will air live on the DII men's basketball homepage at NCAA.com.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ALASKA ANCHORAGE
WWU went 3-0 vs. Alaska Anchorage during the 2019-20 season, sweeping UAA during the regular season, winning 74-70 in Anchorage (1/11) and an 85-81 overtime triumph in Bellingham (2/8). The Vikings have now won 8 of the last 10 meetings in the series and hold a 25-17 lead in the all-time series. WWU is now 3-0 vs. UAA in the GNAC Championships, winning 73-56 in the 2015 quarterfinal in Billings and 78-73 in the 2016 quarterfinal in Lacey.
Fans can follow the men's basketball team online at WWUVikings.com/MBB, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUHoops) and Facebook (@WWUmensbball). You can also get game updates by following the @WWUAthletics Twitter.
One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 11 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 20-win seasons in three of the last four years (and seven of nine) and won the 2020 GNAC Tournament. WWU is the 12th winningest Division II program with its 1,514 all-time victories.
