ANCHORAGE, Alaska --- Alaska-Anchorage ended the game on a 29-11 run in defeating UC Irvine, 77-63, for seventh place in the Great Alaska Shootout at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage Saturday.
Taylor Rohde led the Seawolves (1-2) with 28 points and 12 rebounds. He hit 16 of 18 free throws in the game, including 11 of 12 in the first half.
Travis Thompson and Abebe Demissie added 13 points each. Demissie also pulled down nine rebounds.
Junior guard Daman Starring led the Anteaters (0-6) with 21 points, the third time in the last four games he has hit the 20-point mark. Starring, who was 6 of 10 from the floor (4 of 6 on threes), added seven rebounds and two steals.
Junior guard Derick Flowers and freshman center Will Davis II scored nine points each off the bench. Sophomore guard Chris McNealy had eight points and eight rebounds while junior forward Michael Wilder added six points and six boards.
Starring scored 17 of his points in the first half as UCI led 44-42 at the break, the Anteaters' first lead at intermission this season.
The teams traded leads to start the second half, with UCI going up 52-48 on a jumper by Starring with 16:23 remaining.
Rohde hit 1 of 2 free throws to pull UAA within 52-49 at the 15:46 mark and Colton Lauwers hit a three to tie the game at 52-52 with 14:24 left.
A layup by Thompson gave the Seawolves the lead for good at 54-52 with 12:47 remaining.
After McNealy's three pulled UCI within 60-59 at the 10:02 mark, a layup by Rohde, four straight points from Demissie and a three from Thompson put UAA up 69-61 with 5:56 remaining and the Seawolves pulled away in the final 2 ½ minutes.
UAA shot 42.6 percent from the field to UCI's 37.3 percent. The Anteaters won the battle of the boards, 35-33, but UCI committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
"I was pleased with the energy and how we came out and played the first half," Anteater head coach Russell Turner said. "I was very disappointed with our play in the second half.
"Give Alaska-Anchorage credit. They always seem to win at least one game in this tournament every year.
"They drew charges both halves and that is the sign of a good, well-coached team. Rusty (UAA head coach Osborne) does a great job here.
"I still believe that we can be a good team, but we have a lot of areas to work on," Turner added.
UCI hosts San Diego next Saturday (Dec. 3) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.
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