For the second straight game, the UAA men's basketball team turned in a stellar performance to beat a conference opponent.
This time, the Seawolves played what coach Rusty Osborne said was the best defense he's seen in 26 seasons at the school to rally past Saint Martin's 55-49 Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center.
UAA (9-3, 3-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) limited Saint Martin's (7-4, 2-2) to 15 points in the second half.
Combined with a 28-point game from Suki Wiggs, the defensive effort allowed the Seawolves to came back from an eight-point halftime deficit.
The win was the second of the week for the Seawolves, who played a nearly flawless opening 15 minutes Thursday to send Seattle Pacific to its worst loss in 19 years, 85-49.
The victories earned UAA a share of the GNAC lead along with Western Washington and Montana State-Billings. All are 3-1.
Saint Martin's came into the game averaging 86.2 points a game. The Saints shot 52 percent en route to a 34-26 halftime lead, but slumped to 26.1 percent (6 of 23) in the second half.
"That was probably the most impressive defensive performance for a half that I've seen by a UAA team in my 26 years here," Osborne said. "It was especially good considering that we were playing a very good offensive team that runs its sets extremely well. I was really pleased with the adjustments we made after halftime."
UAA center Connor Devine blocked five shots, three in the second half, to help stifle the Saints.
Wiggs and Diante Mitchell, both senior guards, played the entire 40 minutes. Wiggs added five rebounds and two assists to his 28 points — it was his 15th game with 25 or more points since joining UAA last season — and Mitchell supplied 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Wiggs hit 12 of 14 free throws to help the Seawolves outscore the visitors 15-0 at the foul line.
He scored two baskets in the opening five minutes of the second half to make it a two-possession game, and his 3-pointer at the 8:10 mark gave UAA a 43-42 lead, its first since early in the game.
The Seawolves never trailed again, but the Saints never went away. It was a one-point game until back-to-back baskets by Spencer Svejcar and Wiggs gave UAA a five-point lead with 1:51 left.
UAA sealed the win with two free throws by Svejcar and one by Mitchell.
Saint Martin's was led by Cole Preston's 16 points and four assists, Trey Ingram's 10 points and five assists, and Brandon Kenilvort's seven rebounds, six points and four blocks.
The Seawolves return to action Thursday for a road game at Simon Fraser in Burnaby, British Columbia