Box Score
ELLENSBURG, WA - Alaska and Central Washington combined for 223 points and 78 field goals in a 120-103 shootout win for the host Wildcats. The Nanooks had five players score in double-figures but could not overcome the offensive assault by the Wildcats on Thursday night in front of 1264 in Ellensburg, WA.
The contest got off to an ominous start for Alaska as the Wildcats scored the games first eight points before
Jon Moe (Granite Falls, Washington) hit 2-of-3 free throws to give the Nanooks their first points of the game.
Alaska was held without a field goal for the first 5:44 of the contest before
Parrish West (Chicago, IL) scored a lay-in to cut the Central Washington lead to 8, 14-6. The Wildcats pushed their first half lead to as many as 16 before the Nanooks made a late run.
The Nanooks went on a 13-3 run over 3:33 to cut the lead to seven at the 6:30 mark.
Boe Edwards (Fairbanks, AK) (Fairbanks, AK) closed the gap to four with 32 seconds left in the half, the closest the Nanooks would get the rest of the game.
Central Washington went into the half with a 52-46 halftime lead after shooting 46% from the field and hitting 20 shots. The Wildcats also out-rebounded Alaska 27-19 in the half, which included 15 offensive rebounds.
Despite the poor start Alaska shot 48% from the field and hit 15-of-22 free throws.
Parrish West went into the half leading the game in scoring with 15 points.
Central Washington came out in the second half and imposed their will en route to 68 second half points.
With the Wildcats up only eight, 69-61, they went on a 20-6 run over 3:49 to gain a 22 point lead. The lead would open up to as many as 27 before Alaska would close the game on a 17-7 run.
Central Washington made 24 more shots in the second half and ended the game shooting 49% (44-of-89) and hitting 13-of-31 from behind the three-point line. Ten Wildcats found the score sheet with five players scoring in double figures.
Roussaint Tyler scored a game-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting to lead Central Washington. Humberto Perez (22), Chris Sprinker (18), Jon Clift (14) and Roby Clyde (12) also scored in double-figures. Sprnker also led the game with 15 rebounds, with seven of those on the offensive end, while Clyde blocked six shots in the win.
Alaska was led by West who scored 25 points on 10-of-23 shooting, while also pulling down six rebounds. Four other Nanooks recorded double-figures which included Moe (21),
Emmanuel Jenkins (Tacoma, WA) (15),
Nashorn Maynard (Saint Paul's, Saint Kitts) (14) and
Joe Powell (Englewood, NJ) (11). Powell also led Alaska with 13 rebounds in only his second game since joining the team, while Maynard pulled down 12 rebounds.
The Nanooks will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Bellingham, WA to take on Western Washington. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. AST.
