Kielpinski Leads Alaska-Anchorage with 26 Points, as Seawolves Defeat Zias, 64-59
Bryant Scores 22 Points for ENMU

Box Score

ANCHORAGE, AK — Rebecca Kielpinski scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots to lead the University of Alaska-Anchorage to a 64-59 victory over Eastern New Mexico University, on Monday, Dec. 19 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Kielpinski scored 18 points in the second half, while hitting 8 of 10 field goals and 2 of 2 free throws. ENMU received 22 points and five rebounds from Tiana Bryant (Sr., Post, Roswell, NM/University of New Mexico).

UAA improved to 6-2 on the season, while ENMU fell to 6-3. The two teams will play another game in Anchorage on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. MST.

Kielpinski was one of two Seawolves with a double-double during the game. Kelsey Larsen tacked on 13 points and matched Kielpinski with 10 rebounds. Tristan Burnett scored nine points for UAA, while Mari Riser earned eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, despite going 0 for 5 on field goals. The Seawolves committed more turnovers than the Zias, 25-22, but achieved a 39-29 rebounding edge.

Bryant, who went 7 of 13 from the field (2 for 3 on 3-pointers) and 6 for 7 at the line, was one of two players in double figures for Eastern. She was joined by sophomore guard Erika Cook (Portales, NM/Portales HS), who scored 11 pints and was 7 of 7 at the charity stripe. As a team, Eastern converted 19 of 22 free throws, but hit just 18 of 51 field goals (35.3%), including 8 of 26 (30.8%) in the second half.

ENMU led 32-31 at halftime, as Bryant contributed 13 points. The Zias trailed 7-2 less than three minutes into the game, but took their first lead, 12-11, when Cook scored on a layup, was fouled and converted the free throw at the 10:29 mark.

Eastern led by as many as four points and the Seawolves led by as many as three the rest of the half. Overall, the opening 20 minutes featured five ties and 11 lead changes. Bryant scored the final two points of the half at the free throw line with 57 seconds left. Larsen led UAA with nine points at the break.

Alaska-Anchorage registered the first five points of the second half, including two layups by Kielpinski. The Zias countered with a 10-0 run to take a 42-36 lead with 14:59 remaining in the game. Cook provided a layup and two free throws during the run.

As in the first half, neither team could pull away. A layup by Kielpinski pulled UAA within a single point, 42-41, with 12:28 left. The Zias led 48-43 following a pair of three-pointers by Laura Vote (Fr., G, Kingwood, TX/Kingwood HS, but the Seawolves scored the next six points to take a 49-48 lead.

Kielpinski gave UAA a four-point lead, 56-52, when she put in a layup with 3:43 left. The Zias cut the lead to 56-54 on two free throws by Lindsey Wood (Fr., G, Muleshoe, TX/Muleshoe HS) with 3:03 on the clock.

Eastern was unable to tie the game, and the Seawolves returned to a four-point margin, 58-54, on another layup by Kielpinski with 2:38 left. Neither team scored again until Bryant recorded a layup for the Zias with 54 seconds to go. Kielpinski scored again with 29 seconds remaining as UAA regained a four-point edge.

The Zias had a chance reduce the lead when Bryant was fouled with 14 seconds on the clock, but she missed the one-and-one opportunity. Kim Brady grabbed the rebound for UAA, was fouled, and hit two charity shots with 11 seconds left.

Bryant sank a three-pointer at the other end of the court to cut the lead to 62-59 with just nine second left. Kielpinski completed the scoring for the Seawolves when she converted two free throws in the closing seconds.