ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team had five players score in double figures on Saturday, as they cruised to a 90-75 win over Life Pacific College to end the weekend a perfect 2-0 at the AT&T Seawolf Jamboree. The victory gives Alaska its first 4-0 start in nearly a decade and marks the first four-game winning streak since the 2013-14 season.
Senior Travante Williams once again led the Nanooks (4-0) in scoring, as the Anchorage native scored a game-high 18 points and shot a blistering 70 percent (7-of-10) from the field in the victory. This weekend marked the first time in Williams' collegiate career that he has played in his hometown, and he did not disappoint the home crowd, as he averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the two victories at the Alaska Airlines Center. He has led Alaska in scoring in three of the four games played this season.
Williams was one of five Nanook players in the double-digit scoring column on Saturday, as Joe Slocum collected 13 points, Bangaly Kaba and Zach Pederson each had 12, and Alex Duncan scored a season-best 11 points to round out the double-digit scoring. Alaska shot 50.7 percent from the field in the 15-point victory over Life Pacific College (1-5). The Nanooks led from beginning to end and held a double-digit for the majority of the game. Alaska led by as many as 26 points en route to the team's first four-game winning streak in nearly two years.
"It was a good game for us, we were pretty solid from the start as we were able to build a lead and extend it as the game went on," said head coach Mick Durham. "Everyone had an opportunity to play, which is great. Overall, this was a good game coming off a tough win the night before. We shared the ball well, a lot of guys contributed, and getting 90 points is always good."
Alaska once again benefited from a strong defensive effort, as they forced 27 turnovers, which led to 31 points. Conversely, the Nanooks just committed eight miscues on the afternoon. The balance scoring led to 26 assists for Alaska, as Slocum handed out a season-best seven helpers. Williams also collected five assists, while Kaba, Duncan, Neal Chavez and Brandon Davis each had three apiece.
Saturday's win gives Alaska its first 4-0 start since the 2006-07 season. That year, the Nanooks opened up with a pair of wins over Lancaster Bible College to go along with wins over Pace University and North Georgia. Alaska finished the 2006-07 season 17-13.
Alaska will be back in action next weekend, as they'll once again play two games in two days, as they'll take on Dixie State and Dominican University (Calif.) at the Montana State Billings Tournament. The Nanooks take on DSU on Friday and DU on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks men's basketball team, follow @NanooksMBB on Twitter.
