Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2
FAIRBANKS, AK - Alaska forced 24 Grand Canyon turnovers, but could not close the deal, as they fell in the second game of the Glacier Classic, 77-75.
Jon Moe put up a game-high 23 points but the Antelopes were able to use clutch free throw shooting to pull away from the Nanooks late.
Grand Canyon stared the contest draining the first two shots before the Nanooks would hit back-to-back shots from
Jon Moe and
Parrish West to even the score at the onset. With the score tied the Antelopes started to assert their dominance with an 11-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to take a nine point lead.
The Nanooks would bend, but not break, as they went on their own 7-0 run to cut the gap to only two halfway through the half.
The Nanooks and Antalopes battled in a close contest for the rest of the half as neither team held more than a six point lead for much of the half. Grand Canyon held a six point lead with time running down but Moe was able to convert a lay up at the buzzer after a Bo Edwards defensive rebound for a 36-32 Grand Canyon halftime lead.
Both teams were consistent in the first half as Grand Canyon shot 43% (13 for 30) and the Nanooks shot 42% (13 of 31). Grand Canyon held a 19-16 rebounding advantage in a half that saw both teams turn the ball over eight times.
Moe went into the locker room leading the game in scoring with 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting, including two long three-pointers. T.J. Benson was a perfect 3 for 3 from the field and led Grand Canyon with nine points.
The second half started out just as the first half ended with both teams trading baskets. The Nanooks closed to within one after both West and Moe knocked down free throws.
After the Moe free throw Alaska went to a full court press that forced a turnover that resulted in a behind the back pass from
Emmanuel Jenkins to West to give Alaska a 44-43 lead.
With the score tied at 48 Nick Witherill gave Grand Canyon the lead again and the next time down the floor Steven Morin doubled the lead with a three-pointer from the right corner to make the score 54-48.
Morin hit another three-pointer the very next trip down the court, after a Nanook free throw, to grow the lead to eight before the Nanooks ran off five straight points highlighted by a steal and score by West.
With three minutes left in the contest Grand Canyon opened up another six point lead and the Nanooks were down, but not out. Another deep three-pointer from Moe and a West lay up brought the deficit to one.
Parrish West then knocked down one of two free throws to tie the game at 68 with 1:30 left.
Bo Edwards hit one of two from the charity stripe with 1:05 left to give the Nanooks their first lead since the 13 minute mark of the half, but that lead only lasted 25 seconds as T.J. Benson hit a three-pointer from the top of the key, for a two point Antelope lead.
The Nanooks would never get closer than two the rest of the way out as Grand Canyon hit six of their eight foul shots in the last minute to pull away and eventually win 77-72.
Alaska dropped to 2-4 despite 24 Grand Canyon turnovers, and scoring 30 points off those turnovers. Alaska also had eight steals and 32 points in the paint.
Grand Canyon shot 50% (11 of 22) in the second half and 46% (24 for 52) for the game. The Antelopes were able to get 20 points and four rebounds from guard T.J. Benson on 6 of 8 shooting, with all his shots coming behind the arc. Gaby Ngoudjo chipped in a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds with Brad Carroll also having 13 points.
Alaska was led by Moe who dropped a game-high 23 points on the Antelopes on 9 of 19 shooting.
Parrish West also had a strong game scoring 17 points, 12 of those in the second half.
Emmanuel Jenkins (13) and Bo Edwards (12) also scored in double figures with Edwards leading the team in rebounds with eight.
Alaska will return to action tomorrow when they close out the Glacier Classic at 5:30 p.m. against Grace Bible College. Grand Canyon will face off against the University of Alaska Anchorage in the early game at 3:00 p.m. Alaska time.
Grace Bible vs. Alaska Anchorage
The first game of the Glacier Classic jump-started at 3 pm at the Patty Center on Friday when Alaska Anchorage and Grace Bible took the court. The Seawolves entered the game having played only five games so far this season, and the Tigers already had 16 games under their belt.
The Tigers proved the importance of experience, as they quickly jumped out and maintained the lead. They continued to break away from the Seawolves and found a 10 point lead (22-12) within the first 11 minutes of the first half. However, the Seawolves were not going to end it without a fight and had a 12 point run. They were able to tie the game at 32 at the 5:29 minute mark and after a successful three-pointer by Kevin White, the Seawolves were able to capture the lead for the first time of the game. Both teams continued to battle, and Anchorage managed to cling onto the lead after a dunk by Malcolm Campbell, just before the buzzer, to end the first half up 40-38.
Both teams continued to fight, but Anchorage ran with their momentum and finished on top of last year's NCCAA champions, 81-69. Allen Durham led the game in total points (27) and rebounds (11) for Grace Bible, while Malcolm Campbell led the Seawolves with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Casey Robinson, Kevin White, Drew Robinson, and Brandon Walker were four other Seawolves who had double-digit figures in total points with 15, 13, 10 and 10 respectively. The Seawolves shot 51.8% compared to the Tigers 44.8%.
