University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

Box Score Photo Gallery

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Behind a career-high 29 points from senior guard Ronnie Baker (Vallejo, Calif./Communications) and 25 from senior center Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration), the Alaska men's basketball team repeated Saturday as GCI Alaska Invitational, winning the 2013 title with an 83-72 victory over Fresno Pacific.
 
The Nanooks (4-1) swept through Mary, Emporia State and the Sunbirds (5-3) on consecutive days en route to the tournament title. Senior forward Andrew Kelly (Gilbert, Ariz./Justice) was named to the all-tournament team, as was Baker. Kelly finished Saturday's game with 12 points and seven rebounds, his third straight double-digit points performance and fifth time in as many games this season with at least five boards.
 
Fresno Pacific's Malcom Griffin was named tournament MVP after setting a tournament record with 39 points against Alaska. Griffin finished as the tournament's third-best scorer all-time with 77 total points. The Sunbirds' Phil Jackson was also named to the all-tournament team thanks in part to nine rebounds and two blocks in Saturday's championship game.
 
Senior forward Dallen Bills (Inkom, Idaho/Psychology) scored a season-high six points in 13 minutes off the bench for the Nanooks. Josh Mason was also in double digits for the Sunbirds with 11 points.
 
Baker and Pucar both went off in the second half, scoring 22 and 21 of their points, respectively, to account for 43 of the Nanooks' 54 points. The duo went a combined 5 for 6 from beyond the arc and shot 85.7 percent (12 for 14) from the free-throw line after the break.
 
Pucar helped separate the Nanooks in the second half, scoring 11 straight points as the team went on a 23-6 run in 4:44 to turn a slim one-point lead to an 18 point advantage with 4 minutes, 36 seconds to play. Pucar scored 18 of those 23 points, with Baker contributing the other five.
 
The second half was an offensive show with 100 points being scored between the two teams. Griffin tallied 26 of his 39 points in the second frame. Both teams shot better than 59 percent after shooting 40 percent or worse in the first. The Sunbirds outshot the Nanooks 61.3 to 59.3 percent in the second half, compared to 40.0 to 38.5 in the first.
 
Fresno Pacific controlled most of the first half, taking the lead 6 1/2 minutes in and holding onto it until 2 minutes, 35 seconds before halftime. The Sunbirds pushed their lead to nine at the midway point with back-to-back 3-pointers from Griffin. They would keep their advantage at no less than four points for the next five minutes – when Alaska made another first half push.
 
For the third time in as many tournament games, the Nanooks mounted a first-half comeback. This time it was a 15-3 run to erase a nine-point deficit and take a three-point lead at 27-24 a minute before halftime. They would hold that three-point advantage at 29-26 heading into halftime.
 
Alaska plays in its final preseason tournament next week at the Ayres Inn & Suites CBU Classic in Riverside, Calif. The team faces Azusa Pacific at 4 p.m. AKST on Friday, then takes on tournament host Cal Baptist at 6:30 AKST Saturday.

2013 GCI Alaska Invitational All-Tournament Team:
Ronnie Baker, Alaska