Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Feb. 13) -- Guards JC Cook (Canby, Ore.) and Jon Clift (Spokane/Joel E. Ferris HS) both scored in double figures, leading the Central Washington University men's basketball team to a 62-57 win over host Alaska Anchorage on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Central completed a road sweep of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage for the first time in school history, improving to 14-7 overall and 8-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The host Seawolves are also 14-7 overall but are 5-5 in GNAC action.

In a game between two teams battling for NCAA Division II postseason positioning -- Alaska Anchorage began the week ranked eighth in the West Region and Central Washington was tenth -- the game was close throughout the first eight minutes. Central took the lead with 12 minutes left in the opening period as the start of a 13-2 run over the next eight minutes that put the Wildcats ahead by double digits at 22-12. Despite scoring just one basket over the final 3:57 of the first half, Central took a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

The Wildcats were never really able to break away from Alaska Anchorage. Central did use a 14-4 run starting at the 8:26 mark of the second half to go in front by 13 points, but after obtaining their largest lead of the game with 4:35 remaining, the host Seawolves went on a 15-3 run and cut the CWU lead to one with 20 seconds left. However, the Wildcats made six free throws in as many attempts in the final 20 seconds, including 4 of 4 from senior Riley Sivak (Ellensburg), and forced a Seawolf turnover with 10 seconds left to preserve the win.

In a slow-paced game, in which Central posted the lowest point total in a victory in nearly eight years, the two teams combined for just 93 field-goal attempts. The Wildcats edged the Seawolves in percentage, making 43.1 percent (22 of 51) while Alaska Anchorage was at 42.9 percent on 18 of 42. Central again had the edge in rebounding with a 33-24 advantage, and each team committed 13 turnovers.

Cook, who scored 22 points in Thursday's win in Fairbanks, finished as the Wildcats' top scorer on Saturday with 19 points. He made 7 of 17 shots including 5 of 12 from three-point range, while Clift was 5 of 8 from the floor and scored 14 points. Junior Chris Sprinker (Tacoma/Curtis HS) had eight points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots on the inside for the Wildcats, who have won five of their last six games including a 4-1 road record during that three-week span.

Brandon Walker, whom Central had held scoreless in the Jan. 16 meeting between the two schools in Ellensburg, led all scorers with 20. Casey Robinson added 11 for the Seawolves.

Central Washington will have just one game this next week, hosting Northwest Nazarene next Saturday (Feb. 20) at Nicholson Pavilion beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Three of Central's last five games will be played at home.