College Hoops: UAA men move to 7-0 for first time in 46-year history after beating Adams State 83-67

Anchorage’s Hasaan Herrington came up big at crunch time. Photo by James Evans/UAA

A dreamy start to the season by the UAA men’s basketball team looked like it might get derailed in nightmare fashion Friday night against Adams State.

The Seawolves saw their seemingly safe 21-point cushion sliced down to one midway through the second half as the visitors from Alamosa, Colo., looked to play spoiler.

In need of a spark, UAA got it from the Rage City duo of Hasaan Herrington and Jaron Williams, who ignited a rally that resulted in an 83-67 win in front of a crowd of 1,308 at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The two former East High standouts had a hand in 11 points during a decisive 18-10 run that secured the win and moved the Seawolves to 7-0 for the first time in the program’s 46-year history.

With UAA nursing a 50-49 lead and looking shaky after coughing up most of its 21-point advantage, Williams found Herrington for a 3-pointer in a must-have-bucket moment.

Moments later, Williams connected on a spinning layup to push the lead to 58-51. Then Herrington added a dribble-drive layup of his own, catching the ball at the 3-point line and using a wicked ball fake to create space and beat his defender to the rack.

The game-saving comeback was capped by Williams’ 12-foot stop-and-pop jumper off the bounce. He finished with 10 points and three assists while Herrington added nine points on 4-of-4 shooting.

NCAA D2 Men’s Basketball
At Alaksa Airlines Center
Friday
UAA 83, Adams State 67
Saturday
7:30pm Adams State (2-3) vs. UAA (7-0)

Forward Sawyer Storms led the Seawolves with 17 points and added six assists while Tyson Gilbert scored 16, including a jumper right before the horn to give UAA a 42-30 lead at the break.

Early on, Gilbert, a slippery senior guard, knocked down two free throws and two jumpers in quick succession to help the home team construct a 40-19 lead.

It looked like a snoozer, but Adams State woke up. The Grizzlies clawed back with an 11-0 run that included an awesome alley-oop from Destan Williams, who threw the ball off the backboard to Kaleb Mitchell, who dunked it with a two-handed monster jam.

Adams State rode that momentum into the second half and pulled within 50-49 at the 12:51 mark.

Jaron Williams

At that moment, UAA desperately needed a bucket and Herrington delivered by splashing a 3-pointer in rhythm off an assist from Williams, Alaska’s active NCAA career assist leader (310).

Gilbert and Storms combined for another big play in the second half when Gilbert found Storms for a 3-pointer that made it 75-63 with 4:41 left.

The Seawolves shot 57% from the field while holding Adams State to 39%.

Through seven games, the Seawolves are holding opponents to 38% shooting, which ranks second in the GNAC. They lead the league in scoring margin (21.7), assists (22.1) and fewest points allowed (56.0) per game.

The Seawolves are still without Anchorage native Bishop Tosi, a 6-foot-6 forward out of Bartlett High who has missed the last four games with an injured hand.