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Highlights
FAIRBANKS – Western Washington had six players score in double figures and used strong shooting to down Alaska 91-65 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball Thursday night at the Patty Center.
Sarah Hill recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-best 14 rebounds while
Katie Colard drained six of the team's nine treys to finish with a game-high 20 points for the Vikings (16-8, 12-4 GNAC).
WWU, which shot 53 percent (34-64) for the game and 69 percent (9-13) from beyond the arc, also saw 13 points and eight rebounds from
Taylor Peacocke in the Viking victory.
The Nanooks (9-14, 3-12 GNAC) were led by freshman
Kaillee Skjold (Kasilof, Alaska/Emergency Management), who scored a season-best 19 points to go with a team-best eight rebounds. Junior guard
Benissa Bulaya (Sacramento, Calif./Communication) tallied 14 points and three steals while rookie forward
Jordan Wilson (Henderson, Colo./Business Administration) finished with 11 points.
Alaska was limited to 36 percent (25-70) shooting and made just 25 percent (4-16) of its 3-point attempts. Both teams shot well from the line as the 'Nooks were 79 percent (11-14) while the Vikings converted 74 percent (14-19) of their tries.
WWU outrebounded Alaska 43-36 but the hosts held a 14-9 advantage on the offensive glass. WWU forced Alaska into 17 turnovers to its 12 and had a 20-8 lead in points off turnovers.
Leading 7-5 early, WWU went on a 9-0 run to grab a 16-7 lead with 15:11 left. Both teams went back and forth with mini-runs but the Nanooks were able to put together a string of six in row past the halfway point of the first to climb to within four at 26-22 with 8:22 left. Up five at 30-25, the Vikings would close the stanza with 10 of 16 points to lead 40-31 at the break.
The Vikings led 43-37 early second but a pair of Hill free throws with 17:02 remaining sparked an 11-0 run, capped off by a 3-pointer by
Marcel Pounds with 14:05 to make it 54-37. WWU stretched the lead past 20 with 12:38 to go and never led by less than that over the final six and a half minutes.
Alaska returns to action Saturday at 5:15 p.m. AST when it hosts Simon Fraser for "Senior Night." The Nanooks will honor their two seniors,
Ruth O'Neal (Fort Washakie, Wyo./Justice) and
Samantha Thornton (Bremerton, Wash./Business Administration), prior to the game.
