Box Score MONMOUTH, Ore. - Despite a game-high 27 points from sophomore
Stefan Tica (Belgrade, Serbia/Panola), Western Oregon had five players score in double figures and shot 50-percent for the game to pick up an 80-67 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball win against Alaska Saturday afternoon at the New PE Building.
Blair Wheadon paced the Wolves (14-4, 7-2 GNAC) with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds.
Kyle Long had 17 points and
James Gehring tallied 16 points and eight boards, while
Jordan Freelander and
Kolton Nelson each contributed 11 points, respectively.
WOU converted on 30 of 60 field goals in the game, while draining nine treys. It controlled the glass 42-30 and outscored Alaska 36-20 in the paint. The Nanooks (4-15, 1-8) shot 40-percent from the floor and made 11 threes on 28 attempts as they dropped their sixth straight contest. They also had 19 assists on 24 made shots.
Tica, who led all scorers with his 27 points, hit seven triples for the 'Nooks while dishing out three assists and nabbing a pair of steals. Junior
Dominique Brinson (Juneau, Alaska/College of the Redwoods) and sophomore
Sergej Pucar (Banja Luka, Serbia/Jacksonville) also tallied double figures with 13 and 12 points.
Leading 13-12 early, the Wolves scored 11 in a row over the course of 2:25 to double up the Nanooks at 24-12 with 10:31 to go. Alaska fought back with an 8-2 run to climb to within 26-20 with 6:58 to go before the half. Teams traded baskets and that six-point lead would stick for WOU, as it led 38-32 at the break.
WOU broke the game open as it turned a 42-34 advantage into a 53-34 lead with 16:12 to play after scoring 11 straight. The 'Nooks weren't done as they stormed back with a 20-2 run over 5:44 to close to within a point at 55-54 just before the halfway mark of the second.
The Wolves regained a double-digit lead with 11 in a row to hold a 66-54 advantage with 7:34 left. Alaska never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
The Nanooks resume their two-week road trip next Thursday at Central Washington.
