ANCHORAGE (Feb. 27) -- Kerie Hughes (Sr., 5-6, Mount Vernon, Wa./Mount Vernon) scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Seattle Pacific University women's basketball team past Alaska-Anchorage 93-78 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game Thursday night at UAA Sports Center.

SPU is currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II national poll and first in the West Region.

The Falcons (15-0, 24-0) trailed nearly the entire first half until the 2:22 mark when Mandy Wood (Fr., 5-6, Port Angeles, Wa./Port Angeles) sank back-to- back three pointers, sparking a 33-15 run that extended into the second half.

Their lead reached 19 points on two separate occasions over the Seawolves (5- 10, 10-13), who shot just 29 percent in the second half, compared with 46 for the Falcons.

Hughes converted 12-of-15 free-throw attempts and finished four-for-nine from the floor. Valerie Gustafson (Jr., 6-0, Olympia, Wa./Black Hills) chipped in 14 points on seven-of-ten shooting. Stephanie Urrutia (Sr., 5-9, Sunnyside, Wa./Sunnyside) grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and handed out seven assists.

Seattle Pacific travels to Fairbanks this Saturday at 4 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC -- Hughes 21, Beaumont 10, Urrutia 5, Berglund 6, Gustafson 13, Smith 14, Hermanson 4, Wood 6, Lukkes 2, Poe 2, Kroon 10.

ALASKA-ANCHORAGE -- Larsen 2, Massey 12, Aschoff 20, Nizich 9, Reilly 0, Larrabbee 5, Nasby 0, Mendenhall 20, Stoddard 10, Behrends 0.

Halftime -- SPU 49, UAA 46