Box Score Photo Gallery
Durham Post-Game Presser
Brinson and Burkhead Post-Game Presser
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Seattle Pacific drained seven of its 12 three-pointers in the second half and
Jobi Wall and
David Downs combined for 46 points en route to a 79-53 victory against Alaska in Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball on Saturday afternoon at the Patty Center.
“They raised their game up and we didn't come out in the second half,” head coach
Mick Durham said. “As much as I liked the way we competed in the first half with Seattle Pacific, the second half was a complete opposite.”
Wall scored a game-high 25 points for the Falcons (17-5, 9-4 GNAC) on eight of 11 shooting, which included making six of nine from beyond the arc. He also brought down a game-high seven rebounds. Downs tallied 21 points after missing only one shot in eight attempts and converting on five of six from three.
Other double-figure contributors included
Andy Poling and
Cory Hutsen, who had 11 and 10 points, respectively. SPU shot 51-percent (25-49) for the game and was better than 52-percent (12-23) from long range. It also made 17 of 19 free throw attempts (.895). The Falcons controlled the boards with ease, by a margin of 37-20, including 11-5 on the offensive glass.
The Nanooks (4-19, 1-12 GNAC) were led by junior
Dominique Brinson (Juneau, Alaska/College of the Redwoods), who scored a team-high 17 points. Sophomore
Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Jacksonville) had nine points, while junior
Armand Burkhead (North Pole, Alaska/North Pole) contributed a career-best eight points, all in the first half.
“I like all of our guys' effort in the first half and Armand was one of them,” Durham said. “He hit a couple jumpers and gave us some energy.”
As a team, Alaska shot 38-percent (18-47) from the floor, despite a 55-percent (11-20) shooting half in the opening stanza. SPU limited the 'Nooks to just seven baskets in the second frame, resulting in 26-percent shooting. They got to the line 13 times, sinking 11 of their attempts (.846).
Trailing 10-6 early in the first half, Alaska put together a 9-2 run in 2:50 to snag a 15-12 advantage with 10:56 to go. With the game tied at 21, the Falcons reeled off six straight for a 27-21 lead. They led by as many as nine points and took a 36-29 lead into halftime.
Five quick points by the visitors extended that lead to 41-29 less than two minutes into the second half. After a three-pointer by Brinson to cut it back to nine, back-to-back treys by the Falcons sparked an 18-5 run that gave them a 59-37 lead with 9:22 remaining. Alaska never came closer than 19 the rest of the way as SPU led by as many as 29 on two occasions down the stretch.
The Nanooks hit the road next week to face Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday. It will be the final two road games this season for the program as it plays its final three contests of the year at home.
