March 26, 2008

Rebounds Propel Anchorage into Final Four

Double Doubles for Kielpinski, Quinones

      Kearney, Neb. –  The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves pulled down 50 rebounds, including 26 offensive, and got double doubles from center Rebecca Kieplinski and guard Kalhie Quinones to edge Frankl in Pierce (N.H.),  71-65 in overtime, Wednesday afternoon in the Elite Eight at the Health & Sports Center.

     Anchorage (30-4), West Region champions, advances to the Final Four and will play Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. against Northern Kentucky.

    The Franklin Pierce Ravens, from the Northeast Region, end the year at 27-6.
     In a match-up of two schools making their Elite Eight debut, Anchorage used its advantage inside to offset NCAA Division II Player of the Year Johannah Leedham.

      Kielpinski (28 points, 14 rebounds) made a layup with 1:35 to go in overtime to give the Seawolves a 66-62 lead.  Three free throws by the Leedham sisters – two by Jennifer and one by Johannah -- made it a one point game by the 1:06 mark but a put back bucket by Kielpinski pushed the UAA lead to three with only 35 seconds left.

      Anchorage would tally 27 second chance points in victory, compared to only five for the Ravens.

      “Rebounding is really a key stat for us and there is a toughness there that we are going to take pride in,” said UAA head coach Tim Moser. “We understand that being from Alaska that we travel more than anyone else and we have to be tougher than everyone else.”

       Franklin Pierce would miss a layup at the 20 second mark and UAA would seal their fifth straight win by going 3 for 4 at the line.

       “I don’t want us to think that we just made it to the Final Four, but stay focused and look as it just as another game that we are getting ready to compete in,” said Kielpinski.

        Anchorage was staring defeat squarely in the face as the Ravens led 54-46 with 7:24 to play in the second half. However, the Seawolves finished regulation on a 14-6 run, holding Franklin Pierce to two field goals and two free throws in the last seven minutes.

        UAA’s Ruby Williams also drew a charge on Leedham as she was driving for the winning shot with five seconds to go. A last second layup by Quinones (16 points, 10 rebounds) fell short and the game would go into overtime tied a 60.

        Leedham, a sophomore from England, started the game 1 of 9 from the field but then warmed up, hitting seven of her next eight shots. She scored eight straight to start the second half and helped her team erase a five point halftime deficit and take a two point lead.

        She finished with 31 points, going 8 of 20 from the field and 14 of 15 at the line. She also pulled down 18 of the Ravens’ 36 rebounds.

       “She (Leedham) is the player of the year in the country for a reason. Particularly in the playoff games, if we need somebody to step up, Jo is the one that can step up. She is really a special person with her talents on the court and off the court in the classroom,” said Franklin Pierce head coach Mark Swasey.

         Guard Toby Martin had 12 of her season-high 15 points in the second half. No other Franklin Pierce player scored more than eight points.

         A deep UAA team saw Kielpinski go 12 of 23 from the floor with Quinones making 7 of 16 field goals. Neither club cracked 40 percent shooting but the Ravens did go 22 of 29 at the line with UAA making 16 of 27 free shots.