University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

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FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Jordan Wiley extended Western Oregon's winning streak at the last possible second Thursday.
 
Wiley knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to put the Wolves on top by one point, 71-70, and junior guard Joe Slocum's (San Francisco/Communication) running desperation 3 banged off the rim for Alaska as the buzzer sounded, allowing WOU to escape with the one-point victory and extend its winning streak to four games.
 
Alaska (15-9, 10-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) led by five points, 70-65, with 23 seconds to play after a steal and fast break layup by Slocum. Seven seconds later, Western Oregon's Devon Alexander made a floater in the lane, two of his team-high 20 points in the game, and was fouled by senior center Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration) for a chance at a three-point play to cut it to a two-point game.
 
Alexander made his free throw to make it 70-68. After an Alaska timeout, senior guard Ronnie Baker (Vallejo, Calif./Communication) was fouled on a long inbounds pass and went to the line for a one-and-one opportunity with 14.5 seconds left.
 
But Baker missed his first free throw, giving Western Oregon (15-10, 8-7 GNAC) the rebound and a chance at the game-winning shot.
 
Baker led the Nanooks and tied Alexander for the game lead with 20 points. He also corralled five rebounds, dished three assists and had a steal. Slocum finished with 15, and senior forward Andrew Kelly (Gilbert, Ariz./Justice) tallied his sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Redshirt senior forward Stefan Tica (Belgrade, Serbia/Business Administration) scored double-digit points for the fifth-straight game and seventh in 10 contests with 10. Pucar had eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

The Wolves began the second half with a four-point, 38-34 lead after erasing a 17-point deficit in the first period with a 23-2 run during the final 10 minutes. Alaska led 32-17 10 1/2 minutes into the game after a 3-pointer from redshirt senior Mike Stepovich (Fairbanks, Alaska/Accounting). But that's when the momentum swung.
 
The Nanooks would go a combined 1 for 10 from the field with nine turnovers and seven fouls during the next 9 1/2 minutes, their only points coming on a jumper in the paint from sophomore guard Cody Pierson (Twin Bridges, Mont./Computer Science) 2:57 before halftime.
 
Meanwhile, the Wolves got 12 points off of Alaska's turnovers and went 5 for 9 from the free-throw line during their comeback run. Western Oregon also received major contributions from its bench. WOU's reserves outscored Alaska's 17-5 in the first half and 28-7 in the game.
 
Andy Avgi served as Western Oregon's sixth man, scoring 15 points, grabbing three rebounds and notching two blocks, two steals and an assist in 26 minutes off the bench. He went 5 for 7 from the field and a perfect 5- for 5 from the charity stripe.
 
Wiley finished with 12 points, all from 3-pointers (4 for 7), including the game-winner. Western Oregon outshot Alaska 49.1 percent to 47.5 percent, though the Nanooks shot 53.6 percent in the second half. Alaska made six of 13 3-point attempts in the first half, only to go 1 for 7 in the second.
 
Alaska faces Saint Martin's in the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Alaska women's basketball team at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Saints were 88-76 losers at Alaska Anchorage Thursday night.