Back Home with Confidence
The Nanooks are done with road games and open up a three-game home stand to conclude the 2012-13 season as they host Western Oregon Thursday at 5:15 p.m. and Saint Martin's in a 1 p.m. matinee Saturday.
Nanooks at a Glance
Alaska currently sits 3-20 on the season with a 1-14 mark in GNAC play entering this week's pair of home contests. Saturday's victory at Central Washington ended a 13-game losing skid as well as a 23-game losing streak in conference games.
Taylor Altenburg leads the team with 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while
Benissa Bulaya averages 8.6 points and 3.1 assists per outing.
Jacqueline Lovato also contributes 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds while
Kelly Logue adds 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds. Alaska scores 63.3 points per game while allowing its opponents to average 74.6 points per game. It leads the conference with 10.8 steals per game.
Skid Snapped in Ellensburg
After nearly upsetting then-No. 22 Northwest Nazarene before falling 88-81 last Thursday, Alaska ended the long losing streak at Central Washington with a 73-70 win at Nicholson Pavilion. Alaska shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor and drained 16 three pointers in the split.
All five Nanook starters averaged double-figure scoring, led by
Samantha Thornton, who had 13.5 points to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
Taylor Altenburg tallied 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while
Benissa Bulaya also scored 11.5 points per outing to go with 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Jacqueline Lovato had 11.0 points a game and hit a team-high five treys while
Kelly Logue added 10.5 points, 6.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 3.0 blocks per game.
Nanooks in the GNAC and National Rankings
Taylor Altenburg ranks 20th in the league in scoring (10.3) and 10th in rebounding (6.2).
Benissa Bulaya is fifth in shooting percentage (.481), sixth in steals (2.2) and ninth in assists (3.1).
Kelly Logue is fourth in steals (2.5), 14th in assists (2.4) and 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.1) while Altenburg is 11th in steals (1.8), tied for 11th in blocks (0.8) and 12th in free throw shooting (.759).
Jacqueline Lovato is 13th in three pointers made (1.6) while
Samantha Thornton is 14th in blocks (0.6). The Nanooks rank 50th in the country in the steals department and Logue is 68th in thefts per contests.
Scouting the Wolves
Western Oregon dropped its lone game, a 58-53 road decision at travel partner Saint Martin's last Saturday to fall to 8-16 overall and 3-11 in conference play. WOU averages 61.7 points while allowing opponents to score 66.3 points per game. The Wolves lead the league in three-point defense (.280).
Mariah Durian leads the team with 11.8 points per game while
Lorrie Clifford scores 11.6 per game.
Dana Goularte leads in rebounding (5.9) while
Melissa Fowler is second on the boards (5.8). Durian leads the GNAC in free throw percentage (.953) while Goularte is fifth in blocks (1.1) and tied for sixth in steals (2.2).
Chantel Divilbiss is fifth in three-point shooting (.386) and Fowler is sixth in shooting percentage (.472) while Clifford is 10th in both assists (2.9) and three-point shooting (.348).
Scouting the Saints
Saint Martin's downed travel partner Western Oregon 58-53 last Saturday to even its record to 12-12 overall and 5-9 in the GNAC. SMU averages 55.0 points per game but ranks second in scoring defense (59.7). It is third in both field goal percentage defense (.373) and three-point defense (.299).
Chelsea Haskey is 10th on the GNAC's scoring list with 14.1 points per game and eighth with 6.6 rebounds while also ranking seventh in shooting (.463) and 10th in blocks (0.8).
Jordyn Richardson is eighth in three-point shooting (.361),
Ciara Pedroni is ninth in blocks (1.0) and
Jori Skorpik is 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
