Box Score
FAIRBANKS, AK - The Alaska Nanooks got 16 points from
Lakeshia Levi (Warner Robins, GA) and 13 points from
Jessica Harrison (Las Vegas, NV) but could not solve the pressure defense from Seattle Pacific in a hard-fought 59-47 loss at the Patty Center on Thursday evening.
With the win the Falcons (23-3, 14-1 GNAC) can now clinch the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship with a win at Anchorage on Saturday night. Seattle Pacific got 12 points from Daesha Henderson as 10 different Falcons found the scoring column.
Alaska (2-24, 1-14) played strong defense and held Seattle Pacific to only 35% shooting, seven percentage points less than their season average. The Nanooks also forced 19 turnovers and scored 18 points from those turnovers.
Seattle Pacific led by only nine points at the half, which was mostly fueled by an early 9-0 run to start the game. After Alaska scored the first four points of the contest the Falcons held the Nanooks off the board for the next four minutes and 22 seconds to take control.
Alaska battled back to cut the lead to one, but the Falcons finished the first half on a 13-5 run to take a nine-point lead into half.
Levi was the leading scorer going 5-of-12 from the field and also grabbing eight rebounds. Harrison, who scored nine second half points, also pulled down nine rebounds for Alaska.
Alaska mounted one late second half comeback, cutting the lead to nine with seven minutes left in the game, but saw the guest Falcons go on a 9-0 run to push their lead to 15 and shut the door on the game.
Seattle Pacific controlled the boards with 44 rebounds, compared to only 31 for the Nanooks, and hit eight three-point field goals.
Alaska will finish their 2009-10 season when they host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at the Patty Center. Saturday will also be senior recognition night as the team will honor their two seniors before the game. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. AST.
