March 2, 2008
Box Score
By Matias Saari
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
It's common for a coach to substitute a player or two when he's not getting the effort he expects.
On Saturday, Alaska Nanooks coach Clemon Johnson went further -- two minutes into the second half at Northwest Nazarene he pulled his entire starting unit.
"The starters came out walking, nonchalant," Johnson said. "The second unit played almost the whole second half."
After Alaska trailed just 42-37 at halftime, the first two minutes after intermission had Johnson incensed. The Crusaders went on a 6-2 run that featured a blocked shot and a Nanooks turnover. So Johnson called a timeout and in came Travis Pew, Bobby Pico, David Cannamore, Mladen Begojevic and even seldom used Michael Anderson. All but Begojevic are freshman.
And to the pine went Kevin Atkins, Mike Titus, Keven Campbell, Nashorn Maynard and Colin Matteson. Only Matteson and Maynard saw much action thereafter.
The shakeup mattered little. Within five minutes, a nine-point deficit had become 20, and Northwest Nazarene coasted to a 77-60 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory in Nampa, Idaho.
Johnson had little explanation for the lackluster performance, which came two days after a solid effort in a loss at Seattle Pacific.
"You're dealing with young people with young minds. It's hard to put a finger on it," Johnson said, adding that he also takes the blame for not properly motivating his charges. "This is a game we should have won. At some point young people have to grow up, and they haven't grown up yet."
The Nanooks troubles began in earnest with the score tied 31-31 and just over two minutes remaining in the first half. Then on two Crusaders trips down the floor Alaska somehow gave up nine points.
First Nazarene sharpshooter Joel Ryman was fouled by Pew while sinking a 3-pointer. He made the ensuing free throw for a rare four-point play.
Then just over a minute later, Justin Parnell drained a trey, as Maynard simultaneously fouled Scott Helpenstell, whose pair of free throws completed an even rarer five-point play.
Still, the Nanooks were within striking range at the break, especially after Pew buried a 23-footer just before the halftime buzzer sounded.
But that proved to be one of the few remaining bright spots, as Johnson said his starters were mostly "walking around in cement" in the second half, though the second unit "battled."
One exception was Matteson, a 6-foot-8 junior forward who scored 19 points in 33 minutes of action.
"Colin played exceptional for what was going on on the floor. He was busting his behind on the offensive and defensive end," Johnson said.
Johnson wasn't naming names about who wound up in his doghouse. But Atkins, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, Titus, the only senior, and Campbell, a freshman point guard, played only a combined nine minutes in the second half.
Atkins, a sophomore, managed just four points and four rebounds in 19 minutes. Also, an ailing Begojevic only played 12 minutes.
Besides Matteson, the only Nanook in double figures was Pew, who scored 11 points, eight of them coming on a pair of 3-pointers and a fast-break dunk. Pew, an Eielson High School grad, also gathered three rebounds and three steals, but Johnson said his conditioning and defense remain weaknesses.
The Nanooks slipped to 5-20 overall and 2-14 in the GNAC. They finished the road portion of their schedule with an 1-11 record.
NNU improved to 17-8, 9-7. Parnell and Ryman (a reserve) combined to net nine 3-pointers and score 39 points to lead the Crusaders, who shot 51 percent and outrebounded Alaska 32-18.
The Nanooks next play a season-ending homestand Thursday against Western Oregon and Saturday against St. Martin's.
"I let them know they have two more games to broadcast their skills for me," Johnson said.
