Box Score Photo Gallery
Post-Game Interviews (Bench and Wilson)
Highlights
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Freshman forward
Jordan Wilson's third double-double of the season (21 points, 14 rebounds) helped the Alaska women's basketball team survive a rocky game Thursday and topple the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's first-place team in Saint Martin's, 78-64 at the Patty Center.
The Nanooks (8-5, 2-3 GNAC) handed the Saints (9-4, 3-1 GNAC) their first conference loss of the season with the 14-point win and in the process, ended Saint Martin's six-game winning streak. Wilson led all players in scoring and rebounding, and also had two assists and a steal. It was the fourth time she eclipsed 20 points this season and 11th double-digit performance (fifth straight) in 13 games.
Wilson's steal was one of 11 the Nanooks grabbed Thursday in forcing the Saints (9-4, 3-1 GNAC) to turn the ball over 20 times. Freshman guard
Victoria Milton (Lansing, Mich./Business Administration) led Alaska and tied with SMU's Jori Skorpik for the game lead with four takeaways.
Alaska was not much better itself in taking care of the ball however, turning it over 29 times with 17 steals from Saint Martin's. The game also saw 50 total personal fouls called along with the 49 turnovers. That led to 61 free-throw attempts between the two teams, with Alaska shooting 77.8 percent (21 for 27) and Saint Martin's shooting 64.7 percent (22 for 34) from the charity stripe.
Three Saint Martin's players scored in double figures, led by Angela Gelhar's 18 points. Gelhar was 10 for 11 from the free-throw line. Krista Stabler had 13 and Chelsea Haskey, who entered as the Saints' leading scorer, added 11.
Alaska jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, but five turnovers and two fouls over the next 4 minutes, 9 seconds, allowed Saint Martin's to go on a 12-2 run and take a five-point lead. But the Nanooks weren't down and out that early. Alaska turned around and went on an 18-1 run, grabbing four of their 11 steals and holding the Saints to one free throw over a six-minute stretch to take a 12-point lead and never look back. The Nanooks would go up by as much as 18 before settling for a 16-point halftime lead at 43-27.
The Nanooks pushed that lead to as many as 27 in the second half, coming out of the break with a 12-1 run to go up 55-28. That was when the game got a little bumpy, as both teams went scoreless for 3:38 and combined for 10 turnovers.
Saint Martin's would whittle the gap to as little as 11 at 67-56 with 3:54 to play, but the double-digit deficit proved to be too much to overcome for the Saints. The Nanooks went 7 for 10 from the free-throw line in the game's final 3:23 to hold off Saint Martin's and earn their second win in three games.
Senior forward
Ruth O'Neal (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Justice) had a solid night off the bench for Alaska with 13 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time. Nine of the 10 Nanooks players who saw time Thursday scored at least four points and had at least one rebound. Freshman forward
Kaillee Skjold (Kasilof, Alaska/Emergency Management) was also strong off the bench, scoring eight points and pulling down six boards.
Alaska hosts Western Oregon at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Patty Center. The Wolves fell at Alaska Anchorage Thursday, 97-71.
