Box Score NAMPA, Idaho – In a game that came down to the wire, Alaska fell to Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe, Northwest Nazarene by a score of 75-74 on Thursday night.
The Nanooks (12-8, 4-6 GNAC) had a chance to win at the buzzer, but their full shot fell just short as the host Crusaders (5-14, 3-7 GNAC) held on despite a pair of missed free-throws with seconds remaining.
Stephanie Toumson led all scorers with 19 points and eight rebounds. The forward hit seven of nine field goals as she used her presence inside to get to the basket. Brianna Kirk hit three 3-pointers and contributed 15 points, the highest of her career.
"We executed well offensively early, getting the ball inside well," said head coach Cody Bench. "Stephanie was aggressive in the paint and that was a difference maker in the game,"
Daron Mainville had a strong game off the bench as she scored 12 points.
Ellie Logan and Lexi Tubbs were the leading scorers for Northwest Nazarene with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Nanooks got off to a hot start, and took a nine point lead early in the game. Alaska led for most of the first half, and only trailed for one possession before recapturing the lead. Northwest Nazarene would claw its way back into the game but it was the Nanooks who led, 39-37 at half.
Alaska continued to hold its lead through the early stages of the second half, but the Crusaders took the lead at the 13 minute mark and would not relinquish that lead until the closing stages of the game. The Nanooks briefly led with less than three minutes to go, but the Crusaders would outscore Alaska 8-6 in the closing minutes to earn the win.
"Our defense was not the best tonight and we had too many turnovers, inlcuding a few offensive fouls late in the game that turned the game," said Bench.
As a team, the Nanooks committed 20 turnovers, leading to 24 Crusader points, compared to 13 points scored off of 14 NNU turnovers.
Alaska will look to rebound quickly, as it now heads to Central Washington for a game at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
