Jan. 23, 2009
Box Score
Fairbanks, AK – An outstanding and inspiring effort came up just short for Alaska as Seattle Pacific escaped Fairbanks with a 55-50 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over a depleted Nanooks squad.
The last thing the Blue and Gold needed was for another player to go down with an injury, but that’s exactly what happened. Senior captain Cristina Bruketta collapsed with a knee injury in the first minute of the game and would not return, leaving Alaska with just six players.
Those six Nanooks stood toe-to-toe with the top team in the GNAC and had a chance to tie the game with a three on their last possession, but it went begging.
Nicole Bozek led the charge for the Blue and Gold and played to the level of an all-conference performer as she guided her team into intermission with the lead behind her sixth double double of the season. Her 14 points and 12 rebounds in the first 20 minutes brought Alaska into the locker room ahead, 27-25.
The Falcon’s switched to a full court press in the second half to quicken the pace which they benefited from. 11 different players stepped on the court for SPU and three reached double figures.
Bozek finished the game with 18 points and 16 rebounds in the losing effort. Grace Milliken hit big buckets down the stretch to keep Alaska close, as she and Caitlin Hamsley each finished with nine points.
Despite the heroic effort, the Blue and Gold fall to 5-9 overall and sit at the bottom of the GNAC with a record of 0-5. Seattle Pacific improves to 12-2 (5-0 GNAC) and travels to UAA next as two conference unbeaten teams square off. Alaska will host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
