Box Score FAIRBANKS – Central Washington and Alaska fought an evenly pitched battle on the Patty Center court tonight, but unfortunately it was the Wildcats who prevailed, 74-70, in a back-and-forth Great Northwest Athletic Conference game on Saturday night.
With the loss, the Nanooks have now lost five games in a row and fall to 5-12 on the season overall and 2-7 in the conference. Central Washington improves to 12-4 on the year and 7-2 in the conference.
Ashton Edwards led a trio of Nanooks in double figures, as he had 18 points including a team-best three 3-pointers. Alex Duncan had 14 points with a joint team best five rebounds and two assists. Almir Hadzisehovic also had five rebounds and scored 11 points. Hadzisehovic went 5-for-5 from the field and also had an assist and a block.
Dom Williams was the top scorer for the Wildcats, as he had 15 points. Jordan Russell was right behind his teammate, scoring 14 points. Both Williams and Russell hit four 3-pointers to lead their team. Joseph Stroud scored 12 points on six field goals.
"We played great, especially in the second half, but in the last three and a half minutes we just couldn't finish it," said head coach Mick Durham. "We had a couple of turnovers late and they got a few offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive and that combination cost us."
Central Washington took a 13 point lead midway through the first half, but the Nanooks battled back to tie the game at 34, before a last second layup by Drake Rademacher gave the Wildcats a two-point lead at the break.
"I was really disappointed in the first eight minutes of the game," commented Durham. "But we stuck together and put up a good fight. The talk at halftime was that we had to just believe. Once we believed that we could hang with them it got our energy up and we played some good basketball. I liked how we competed."
Neither team could establish its dominance in the second half, as they lead went back and forth for much of the period. The Nanooks largest lead was only six points and that came just three minutes into the second half.
Alaska did commit 18 turnovers, leading to 15 Wildcat points, including one off an inbounds pass that led to fast-break points late in the game which sealed the win for Central Washington.
The Nanooks will now embark on a three-game road trip, for the second half of the GNAC season, as they head to Simon Fraser and Western Washington next weekend.
