Box Score
Dixie State was just outside of the Week 3 USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll with 69 votes heading into Friday's game against the Alaska women's basketball team.
So it comes as no surprise that they were able to top the Nanooks 90-60 in the opening game of the AT&T Hoops Classic in Anchorage.
“We did some good things at times but weren't able to capitalize on that,” head coach Cody Burgess said. “We had a hard time getting the ball in the hole, but we were aggressive on the boards, which is really important for us. We took care of the ball better and we broke the press, but we weren't able to finish fiercely.”
The Nanooks (0-7) hit halftime down 50-34 – an improvement on the 24-point deficit they'd seen earlier in the half. A difference maker was the three-point shooting they got out of Nicole Bozek, who hit three from beyond the arc in the first half.
Bozek led the team through the half with 13 total points, shooting 4-for-8 in field goals, 3-for-4 in treys and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
With 58 missed shots between the two teams in the first half, both sides were able to pull down boards in high numbers. Autumn Greene led the Nanooks with six before the break, while Bozek and Ciara Patton each added five.
The Nanooks shot for just 29 percent in the half, but to their credit, they out-rebounded the Red Storm 32-20. They were getting second chances but missed shots and 13 total turnovers deterred the comeback.
Bozek's scoring lulled in the second half. She was blocked three times on just six total shots. She matched her season high with 15 points, but just two of those points came in the second half.
Then there was the team's defense, which allowed the Red Storm to shoot 42 percent on the game and 52.6 percent from beyond the arc.
“Our defense was our biggest hindrance tonight,” Burgess said. “They weren't able to stop Dixie from doing anything they wanted. They're a good team, but they got too many open shots and we didn't get back quick enough to protect the open basket.”
Jeni Gabriel had a breakout game defensively with six steals – three in each half. That 's the highest individual total for an Alaska player this season. As a team, the Nanooks averaged just 5.7 steals per game heading into Friday.
If Bozek was the team's driving force in the first half, Gabriel was in the role in the second. She scored nine points and finished with 14. She also tallied five rebounds and three assists.
“Jeni Gabriel played solid,” Burgess said. “She just plays hard all the time. She was so aggressive to the basket tonight, aggressive rebounding, aggressive on double teams. She just wasn't timid.”
Bozek finished with her first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. She became the third Nanook to finish with a double-double.
Greene and Jessica Harrison also reached double digit scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Greene was a rebound shy of her second double-double of the season.
The Nanooks came within 15 points in the second half and were down by as much as 32. They never held a lead in the game.
The Red Storm improve to 8-0 heading into their matchup with No. 12 Alaska Anchorage Saturday night.
The Classic opens Session Two Saturday at 5 p.m., when the Nanooks play home team to NAIA competitors Minot State (7-2, pending a 7 p.m. game vs. UAA).
