Box Score ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Hillary Hurley came off the bench and posted a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds to lead Hawaii-Hilo to a 69-60 women's basketball victory over Alaska on day two of the AT&T Hoops Classic Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
Kirsten Shimizu scored 16 points in the starting role for the Vulcans (2-5), while Natalie Mata contributed 12 points off the bench.
The Vulcans shot just shy of 44-percent (25-57) for the game, while the Nanooks (4-7) struggled from the field, shooting under 29-percent (15-52) from the floor. UHH controlled the boards with a 44-30 advantage, including 15-12 on the offensive glass. It tallied 23 assists on the 25 made shots, while Alaska had 12 assists on 15 field goals.
For the Nanooks, senior center
Nicole Bozek (Mukilteo, Wash./Kamiak) led all scorers with a game-high 25 points to go with her team-high six rebounds. Freshman guard
Nicole Hartzog (Beaverton, Ore./Beaverton) also scored in double figures with 12 points.
The Vulcans surged out to an 8-2 lead in the opening three minutes behind six points by Shimizu. The lead stretched to 11 at 17-6 at the midway mark of the half after an 11-2 run by UHH. It led by as many as 17 in the frame before freshman guard
Kelly Logue (Fair Oaks, Calif./Bella Vista) drained a trey to give Hilo a 36-22 advantage at the break.
The Vulcans extended their lead to 44-31, but three-pointers by junior guard
Taylor Altenburg (Elko, Nev./College of Southern Idaho) and Bozek sparked an 8-1 run that trimmed the lead to 45-39 with 13:14 remaining. UHH proceeded to hold the Nanooks without a point for 6:44 and went on a 17-0 run during that time to grab a 62-39 lead.
Alaska fought back and used its full-court press defense to cut the margin to single digits after scoring 17 of the game's next 20 points to put the score at 65-56 with just over two minutes to go. Free throws less than a minute later by Hilo put the game out of reach for the 'Nooks.
Following the tournament, Bozek was named to the AT&T Hoops Classic All Tournament Team after averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in Alaska's split.
The Nanooks return to action on Dec. 29 and 31 when they continue Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a pair of road matchups. They first take on Northwest Nazarene at 5 p.m. on the 29th before closing the trip at Central Washington at noon on New Year's Eve.
AT&T Hoops Classic All-Tournament Team:
Nicole Bozek, Alaska
Alysa Horn, UAA
Hillary Hurley, Hawaii-Hilo
Hanna Johansson, UAA
Kirsten Shimizu, Hawaii-Hilo
Most Outstanding Player: Haley Holmstead, UAA
