FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team led from beginning to end against Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday afternoon, as senior Stephanie Toumson along with juniors Jordan Wilson and Kaillee Skjold combined for 61 of the team's 88 points to help the Nanooks cruise to an 88-77 victory on the second day of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational.
The victory gives the Nanooks (5-2) an opportunity to win their first-ever Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational title, as they'll be the only team entering play on Saturday with a perfect 2-0 record. Alaska once again relied on its defensive pressure, as they forced 19 Rangers (3-2) turnovers, which led to 28 Nanook points.
"I was really pleased with how we started the game defensively," said head coach Cody Bench. "We were able to take away some easy looks and got them in foul trouble, which was a part of the game plan. I felt like they matched our intensity in the second half, which caught us off guard a bit. For the most part, I was really pleased with our performance, which was led by Jordan, Stephanie and Kaillee. They did their job, which put us in a position to win."
The trio of Skjold, Toumson and Wilson made up 69 percent of Alaska points on Friday. Toumson recorded her second-straight double-double with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe native has now posted a double-double in each game of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational, and has collected a double-double in three of her last four games. For Wilson, she once again shot a high percentage, as she was 10-of-14 from the field in a 26-point effort. The Henderson, Colorado native hit her first nine shot attempts on Friday, as she is now hit 31 of her last 40 shot attempts. Skjold filled up the stat sheet on Friday, as she had 15 points to go along with eight boards, four assists and three steals.
Senior Arinesha Smith joined the trio in double-figures, as she scored 11 points. The guard handed out a team-high five assists on the night, as she helped the Nanooks collect a total of 20 helpers in the win.
Alaska victory comes against a Wisconsin-Parkside team that has made the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons, which includes an appearance in last year's field. Coach Bench states that the victory is another step in the right direction, as she continues to develop the program into one of the premier teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
"I feel like we've come a long way with this program. This team has really bought into how hard you have to work. We play in a tough league, you cannot take any possessions off. It's good to get a win over anyone, but it is great to see us compete and win against teams that have played in the NCAA Tournament."
The Nanooks conclude the 2015 Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational tomorrow afternoon, with a 3 p.m. contest against Northwood University at Alaska Airlines Court.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks women's basketball team, follow @NanooksWBB on Twitter.
