Anchorage, Alaska: Seawolves Beat Evergreen State 94-65 Before 3,874 Fans in Season Opener

Alaska Anchorage opened its men's basketball season with a 94-65 win over Evergreen State on Friday at the Alaska Airlines Center, in front of 3,874 fans, the second-largest men's basketball crowd in the arena's 12-year history.

The game was the program's annual Slam Dunk Into Higher Education day, with close to 2,800 Anchorage School District fifth graders in the stands for an 11 a.m. tip. It was also the head-coaching debut of Cameron Turner, the seventh head coach in program history dating to 1977. Every UAA head coach has now won his debut.

Williams and Keighran lead a new lineup

Senior forward Sylas Williams, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, had 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. It was his 12th career double-double. He shot 7 of 16 from the field, with five offensive rebounds, two assists and one steal in 29 minutes.

Senior guard Mack Keighran, a transfer from Chadron State, added 16 points and five assists, shooting 7 of 8 from the field. Junior Karim Elgizawy, a 6-3 guard from Cairo, Egypt, totaled 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds and the Seawolves' only blocked shot. Walker Timme also reached double figures. UAA fielded a new-look lineup with nine transfers and played the game without an exhibition beforehand.

Control from the first half

The Seawolves took the lead for good at 7-5 on a midrange jumper by Tarrance Warren and stretched it to 24-13 on a three-pointer from Keighran. UAA held Evergreen State without a field goal for a six-minute stretch in the first half and led 43-27 at the break.

UAA outshot the Geoducks 53.3 percent to 35.1 percent and won the rebounding battle 53-27, making 9 of 22 three-pointers. Evergreen State got no closer than 73-55 with 8:11 left in the second half. The Geoducks, an NAIA team from Olympia, Washington, counted the game as an exhibition. Guard Jayson Mathews led them with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and three Geoducks scored in double figures. Evergreen State outscored UAA 21-5 at the free-throw line and attempted 20 more foul shots.

Same teams again on Saturday

The Seawolves and Geoducks play again on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center. Turner said the new lineup still has adjustments to make after opening the season without an exhibition, and the quick rematch gives his team an early test of how it responds to a second look at the same opponent.

The crowd was part of the story. Close to 2,800 fifth graders filled much of the building, and their chants for UAA carried through the game, the Alaska Sports Report said. The Slam Dunk Into Higher Education day is sponsored by Premera. An 11 a.m. tip on a school day is an unusual way to open a season, and the 3,874 fans made it the second-largest men's basketball crowd the Alaska Airlines Center has drawn in its 12 years.