Box Score When the Alaska women's basketball team agreed to bring New Mexico Highlands up for the first game of the season, they committed to a tough opponent. The Cowgirls came into Fairbanks and handed the Nanooks their first loss, 55-50.
Whitney Anderson led the Nanooks in scoring with 13 points in her first game since transferring from junior college. She sank back-to-back shots with five minutes to play to help propel the Nanooks past an 11-point deficit and back to a 48-48 tie with 1:58 to play.
The Cowgirls sank a layup and five baskets from the charity stripe in the final two minutes to capture the win.
Top returner
Jessica Harrison posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Not surprisingly, Harrison,
Nicole Bozek and
Alexandra Melonson spent the most time on the court as the team's most experienced players.
Five new players debuted for the Nanooks in the loss, including Anderson. Transfers
Jeni Gabriel,
Autumn Greene, and
Lindsay Sommers, and freshman
Ciara Patton also appeared.
The team shot 40.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from the line. They outscored the Cowgirls 32-30 in the second half to keep the game close.
These same teams square off Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Patty Center.
