Feb. 17, 2007
Box Score
Fairbanks, AK - The Alaska Nanooks trailed for just a minute and a half against the Seattle RedHawks in a pivotal Great Northwest Athletic Conference match-up Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Nanooks, that was all the RedHawks needed to pull out 50-48 a victory in front of 503 fans at the Patty Center.
The Nanooks (16-10 overall, 7-5 GNAC) looked to be in the driver seat after a quick start resulted in a 10-point halftime lead. But the second half proved to be a nightmare for the home team and give Seattle (15-8, 7-5) a key win to move into a tie with Alaska in the conference.
Alaska scored a season-low 14 points in the closing half including just seven over the final 16 minutes. The Nanooks, who shot an abysmal 24 percent in the second half, failed to score over the final 4:46 after a three-pointer by Colin Matteson (Lynnwood, WA) made it 48-45.
While the Nanooks struggled, Seattle got just enough to finish the comeback climb. Ryan Coldren hit two free throws at the 3:51 mark and Leigh Swanson made one of two to tie the game 47 seconds later. Guard Ryan Webb then came up with a key steal and converted it into the game-deciding lay-up with 1:33 left.
The Nanooks only scored 14 in the second after scoring the same amount in just under four minutes to start the game. Junior Steven Sandles (Vallejo, CA) opened the game with two free throws and a lay-up and then Jushay Rockett (Long Beach, CA) sandwiched a lay-up and three-pointer around a Mike Titus triple. Kenny Barker (San Diego, CA) closed the run with a trey to make it 14-0 just 3:47 into the contest.
Alaska held Seattle scoreless for the first 6:32 before the visitors got things going. The RedHawks won despite shooting just 38 percent from the floor and only one double-digit scorer. Webb topped the SU offense with 10 points, while Sam Kirby and Mike Boxley had eight each.
Seattle got a boost defensively from the inside duo of 6-11 David White and 6-9 Travis Welt, who blocked five and four shots, respectively. Seattle, which had just nine turnovers, forced Alaska into 17 miscues.
Sandles scored a game-high 12 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead Alaska. Matteson and Barker both finished with 11 points with Barker ripping down a game-high 10 boards. Rockett, the GNAC's leader in points (20 per game) and rebounds (9.2 per game), was held to nine points and three rebounds with four turnovers and never seemed to get into a groove after sitting out 13 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble.
Now the Nanooks play three in a row on the road including next week's trip to face conference co-leaders Seattle Pacific and Central Washington. Alaska tips-off with the Falcons at 6:30 p.m. AST Feb. 22 in Seattle and then face the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. AST Feb. 24 in Ellensburg, WA.
