Jan. 6, 2008
Box Score
Courtesy of WOU Sports Information
MONMOUTH, OR-The Alaska Nanooks snapped a six-game losing streak with a road victory over Western Oregon in men's basketball action on Saturday night at the Physical Education Building, 85-79.
The Nanooks improved to 4-7 with the win and evened up its Great Northwest Athletic Conference mark at 1-1. Western Oregon dropped to 7-4 on the year and to 0-2 in the GNAC.
After Alaska took a 77-75 lead on a Colin Matteson free throw with 1:26 left, WOU missed four three-pointers on four consecutive possessions, and the Nanooks hit enough free throws down the pike to secure their first win since Nov. 17 (over Oregon State). The Wolves also hit only two of their last nine free throws, after hitting 17 consecutive to begin the game.
Kevin Atkins led the Nanooks with 22 points before fouling out with 2:22 left, while Keven Campbell added 17. WOU's Travis Kuhns led all scorers with 24 points, hitting 12 of 14 free throws, and he also had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Mike McLaughlin and Adonal Arrington both had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Wolves.
There were 12 lead changes in the first half, but WOU didn't take its first lead until Brad Krichevsky's free throws with 4:10 left to give the Wolves a 34-33 margin. Arrington's tip-in with two ticks left on the clock sent Western into the locker room with a 42-41 lead at the break. Atkins had 17 points for Alaska and Kuhns had 12 (8-8 at the free throw line) to lead their teams at intermission.
There were four more lead changes in the second half, and neither team led by more than five points until the final tally.
Alaska returns to Fairbanks for a week of practice before heading to Anchorage next weekend to take on its archrival Alaska Anchorage.
