University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

Box Score BELLINGHAM, Wash. – In a battle between two of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's top teams, Alaska held Western Washington to a season-low shooting percentage but the host Vikings were able to escape with a 53-51 men's basketball victory Thursday night at Sam Carver Gymnasium.
 
Austin Bragg produced his eighth double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to keep the Vikings (14-4, 8-2 GNAC) tied atop the league standings with Seattle Pacific while the Nanooks (12-6, 7-3 GNAC) saw their five-game win streak come to an end as they dropped a game back in the standings of WWU and SPU.
 
WWU also had another double-double by Anye Turner, as he registered 12 points and 13 rebounds. Western outrebounded Alaska 42-33 in a game which saw six lead changes and three ties.
 
Alaska was paced by senior forward Andrew Kelly (Gilbert, Ariz./Justice), who was the lone Nanook to record double figures with a game-best 20 points on 10-for-13 shooting. He also had nine rebounds in the defeat. Senior forward Stefan Tica (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration) was a point away from a double-double with nine points and a career-high 10 rebounds as well.
 
Despite holding Western to 35 percent (17-48) shooting, Alaska struggled from the field as well, converting just 37 percent (21-57) of its shots. Neither team shot particularly well from the free-throw line as the 'Nooks were 50 percent (5-10) and the Vikings made 62 percent (16-26) of their tries but capitalized on 16 more attempts from the stripe.
 
Western outscored Alaska 16-11 off turnovers and 11-5 in second-chance opportunities while Alaska had 11 points in transition to WWU's zero.
 
The Nanooks led 33-31 with 12:46 to play on a 3-pointer by junior guard Joe Slocum (San Francisco, Calif./Communication) but the Vikings responded with a 14-2 run over the next six minutes as Alaska was held to one field goal during that span to give WWU its largest lead of the game at 45-35 with 6:41 remaining.
 
Jumping to the final minute and with Alaska down 51-43, senior guard Ronnie Baker (Vallejo, Calif./Communication) drained a three with 36 seconds left to make it 51-46. After Richard Woodworth made just one of two free throws, Slocum drove the floor for a lay-in to bring the Nanooks to within 52-48 with 11 seconds left.
 
Robert Harris knocked down one of two from the line and with only three seconds remaining, Tica hit a long-range trey to bring Alaska two points away at 53-51. Colby Mitchell was fouled with less than one tick remaining and missed both. Kelly garnered the rebound but his full-court heave was well short of the hoop giving Western the dramatic home win.
 
Alaska looks to rebound with a road split on Saturday when it takes on Simon Fraser at 7:30 p.m. PST at the SFU West Gymnasium in Burnaby, British Columbia. The Clan (8-10, 1-9 GNAC) dropped a heart breaker to Alaska Anchorage, falling 65-64 in the closing seconds of regulation earlier Thursday.